The Letter(1940)

1h 35m

Release Date: Nov 23, 1940

100%
78%
7.5

The wife of a rubber-plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter written in her own hand might prove her undoing.

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Director & Top Cast

William Wyler
Director

Bette Davis
Leslie Crosbie

Herbert Marshall
Robert Crosbie

James Stephenson
Howard Joyce

Frieda Inescort
Dorothy Joyce

Gale Sondergaard
Mrs. Hammond

Bruce Lester

John Withers

Elizabeth Inglis

Adele Ainsworth

Cecil Kellaway

Prescott

Victor Sen Yung

Ong Chi Seng

Doris Lloyd

Mrs. Cooper

Willie Fung

Chung Hi

Tetsu Komai

Head Boy

Zita Baca

Undetermined Role

Brooks Benedict

Party Guest

William A. Boardway

Trial Spectator

David Bruce

Undetermined Role

James Carlisle

Attorney

Technical Specifications

Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Storyline

A rubber-plantation administrator's wife whose poise, graciousness, and stoicism impress nearly everyone who meets her shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense. Her husband is certainly without doubt, as is the district officer, while her lawyer's doubts could be a natural skepticism. But this is Singapore and the resentful natives will have no compunction about undermining this accused murderess. A letter in her hand turns up and could prove her undoing. — J. Spurlin Leslie Crosbie, the wife of a Malayan rubber-plantation owner, shoots and kills a neighbor she claims had dropped in to see her unexpectedly and made improper advances towards her. Her husband Robert was away for the night and no one has any treason to disbelieve her. They must go to Singapore, where the Attorney General decides she must stand trial for murder. She has strong support from the British expatriate community but her solicitor Howard Joyce learns from his clerk that Leslie had in fact written to the dead man asking him to visit her that evening. The original of the letter is in the hands of the dead man's Eurasian widow and she wants a hefty amount to part with it. Although she survives the trial, Leslie must pay a far greater price in the end. — garykmcd While her husband inspects his rubber plantation, Leslie Crosbie murders Geoffrey Hammond. His widow has a letter written by Leslie asking him to meet her as her lover the night of the murder. Leslie can buy the letter but must come for it herself. Learning that he is broke from paying for the letter, Leslie's husband next learns its contents. He forgives her. Leslie walks into the garden, where the widow appears with a dagger. — Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> In Singapore, Leslie Crosbie, the wife of the administrator of a plantation field of a rubber company, shoots Geoffrey Hammond six times, then and pleads self-defense to her husband Robert Crosbie and her lawyer and friend of the family Howard Joyce. The case seems to be simple, but a letter written by Leslie to Geoffrey and in the hand of the Hammond's widow could sentence Leslie to death by hanging. When the widow decides to sell the letter for US$10,000.00, Howard faces a dilemma between his friendship and his career. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil