Bette Davis hated most of the films she made during the first half of the 1930s. There were exceptions like Of Human Bondage (1934), Dangerous (1935) and Petrified Forest (1936), but on the whole she thought the films were duds, doing nothing to advance her career. One of the films Bette despised the most was The Golden Arrow (1936), one of her many collaborations with George Brent. "I was actually insulted to have to appear in such a cheap, nothing story", she later said. The film was one of the "stinkers" responsible for Bette's breach of contract with Warner Bros. and her eventual lawsuit against the studio, which she lost. (During the latter part of the 1930s, she did get significantly better roles, starting with Marked Woman (1937).)
Seeing how much Bette hated The Golden Arrow, it's surprising how she still found something positive to say about it. Not about the film itself or her role in it, admittedly, but about the film's title. On a postcard, postmarked 18 May 1936, Bette wrote that, compared with the average film title, The Golden Arrow made "unusually good sense". Bette's handwritten message, consisting of just two lines, was sent to esteemed collector Saul Goodman and can be seen below.
Seeing how much Bette hated The Golden Arrow, it's surprising how she still found something positive to say about it. Not about the film itself or her role in it, admittedly, but about the film's title. On a postcard, postmarked 18 May 1936, Bette wrote that, compared with the average film title, The Golden Arrow made "unusually good sense". Bette's handwritten message, consisting of just two lines, was sent to esteemed collector Saul Goodman and can be seen below.
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| I actually like a lot of the lighter, fluffier films Bette herself hated, including Golden Arrow. Bette and George are pictured here together in a scene from the film. I think they had the best chemistry. |
Source: icollector.com
Transcript:
The title "Golden Arrow" —as compared with the average moving picture title seems to me to make unusually good sense. It means Cupid’s dart—or arrow—instead of being shot because of love—in this case is shot for gold-money!
Bette Davis
[Bette plays a (fake) heiress, chased by suitors who are after her money. In order to get rid of these fortune-hunters, she enters into a marriage of convenience with a reporter, played by Brent]
Transcript:
The title "Golden Arrow" —as compared with the average moving picture title seems to me to make unusually good sense. It means Cupid’s dart—or arrow—instead of being shot because of love—in this case is shot for gold-money!
Bette Davis
[Bette plays a (fake) heiress, chased by suitors who are after her money. In order to get rid of these fortune-hunters, she enters into a marriage of convenience with a reporter, played by Brent]
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