Dalbert Pringle In this fluffy, 1938, period, Chick Flick - The one scene that really killed me was when Flynn's and Davis's characters first meet.And here's how it went - Standing in a moderately-sized ballroom of about 60 dancing couples, Flynn's dashing character carefully scans the busy room and, sure enough, his gaze zeros in on one of the most plain and homely females in the crowd (Yep. That's Bette Davis). And instantly he's mesmerized, falling madly in love with her and immediately marrying her on a total whim. (Yeah. Right. Give me a break, already!) Set mainly in San Francisco (circa 1904) - "The Sisters" story was hardly about the "sisters" at all. (There were 3 of them) It was chiefly concerned with just one sister, and, that, of course, was Davis's character.In my opinion - The Sisters (which is now close to 80 years old) really didn't stand up to the test of time. For the most part this rather predictable, little soap opera was so "dish-water" dull that even the scene of simulated earthquake effects did nothing to alleviate the story's overall monotony.

jarrodmcdonald-1 More than a tad unrealistic that of all the women in the room, Errol Flynn would have been attracted to Bette Davis. Simply stated: the casting is wrong. There is very little romantic chemistry between them. But Davis' poignant acting smooths over this uneven pairing, and Flynn is believable in the drinking scenes (we will give him that much). But because the action has to focus on them so much (since they are the studio's big stars), the other sisters' lives are used as subplots. Maybe if Warners had stuck completely to the novel, it would have been more of an ensemble drama with the sisters having equal prominence in the narrative, and with the audience getting a better picture.Don't miss the earthquake sequence where cheap studio walls tumble easily and Bette Davis winds up on top of the rubble. There is much more excitement in this section of the film than in the earlier parts where Davis and Flynn make love.

vincentlynch-moonoi This film begins as a wonderful period piece taking place in Silver Bow, Montana, which today is a suburb of Butte. At the beginning of the film the Elliot family (headed up by wonderful character actors Beulah Bondi and Henry Travers) are preparing to attend an election night ball to celebrate the election of Teddy Roosevelt. At the ball, daughter/sister Bette Davis (Elliot) meets Frank Medlin (a rather young looking Errol Flynn). Of course, the main story line of the film follows the marriage (disasterous) of Davis and Flynn. But the story is about the 3 sisters, so it follows their lives, as well.Among the many character actors in the film are Dick Foran (who also made many budget singing-westerns), Anita Louise, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, and Alan Hale (who often appeared in films with Flynn).If you prefer films where there is a straight-forward plot that goes from beginning to end, this film might disappoint you. Rather, this is a story of the marriages of three sisters (as the title suggests), with all the ups and downs of what is as true about marriages at the turn of the last century as is true today at the turn of the current century. The strength of the film is the acting.The scenes of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco (where Flynn/Davis were living) is not on the scale of MGM's film "San Francisco" (made two years earlier), but it is still very well done, although it focuses on the smaller scale of the destruction in the apartment where Bette Davis is living after husband Flynn leaves her. There is no doubt that this was a fairly big budget film.This film was so good, that I decided I'd like to read the novel. I found one copy of the novel online for $2,500! Nothing available digitally. Guess I won't be reading that anytime soon.There is one disappointment here -- the ending. I don't want to spoil it, but in the film Bette Davis' character makes a bad decision at the end of the film. Ironically, the original screened version of the film had the right decision, but preview audiences disliked...well, you'll find out. Even Bette Davis later admitted the final film version had the wrong ending.Nevertheless, it's a wonderful film.

NutzieFagin The Sisters starring Bette Davis, along with such other talents like Errol Flynn & Anita Louise is one of those enjoyable black and white flicks that is usually presented on Late shows. I never understood why this is not one of Bette Davis's more known films. It has a fine cast, acting is good and Bette always looked great in those turn of the century Gibson girl costumes.The plot concerns the three Elliot sisters, who on a fateful night at an Election Ball, meet the men they will eventually marry. The eldest sister, smart,hard working Louise, meets charming, Frank Medlin (Errol Fylnn)a newspaper man who is just passing thru town. Both are passionately in love with another, but Frank's immature character and drinking problem add extra strife in the marriage. And then disaster strikes when the great San Frtancisco Earthquake occurs adding more troubles to their woes. The middle girl. motherly domestic Grace, picks a "respectable" man in town and dreams of a fine house and family. But Grace gets a small dose of reality when she finds out how "respectable" her husband is when he is tempted with another woman. The youngest sister, Beautiful, Man Killer, Helen lives by her own rules and childlike whims. Even though she more or less marries an older man for money, she suffers the society disdain for her choice. She does not really want to hurt anyone or anybody but sees romantic life as more practical while wishing she could really fall in love someday.The only downside is the plot is that it is somewhat soap operaish. At the end of the movie, it will leave you hanging for the final fate of the sisters. They are seen standing in strong unionism, staring up toward the camera, side by side, arm and arm. The scene was probably put in to show their strong and faithful solidarity to one another. When one is in trouble, they will always be there for one another at every turn.