"The Nanny" Review

 

by Daniel White

A dame who generates a myriad of emotions in people, Bette Davis was a larger-than-life figure from the Golden Age of Hollywood (and beyond). Important, imposing and influential, Battling Bette was something of a crusader, at times fighting for the artistic integrity of the film actor. Though La Davis often inhabited strident, commanding women in her acting career, on occasion, she tackled less boisterous characters. Whether stepping back, allowing Mary Astor to effectively chew the scenery in The Great Lie, or playing second fiddle to Monty Wooly in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Bette would sometimes expose her quieter, complacent side.

Playing second banana did not translate into being second-rate. She was very often compelling in these "support" parts. Proving, a subdued Davis is not less interesting, just less loud. Produced by Seven Arts and Hammer Films, The Nanny (1965), in which Davis plays the title character, is one of those roles. She's an orderly, unobtrusive domestic, placidly performing her chores. Following on the heels of "Baby Jane" and "Charlotte", The Nanny is a subtler psychological thriller. For most of the movie, Nanny (no other name, just Nanny) is a model of circumspection.

Working in the London home of a woman Nanny cared for as a child (Wendy Craig) and her husband (James Villiers), the film opens with the hysterical mother's adolescent son returning from a two-year stay in a sanitarium. Blamed for the drowning death of his younger sister, Joey (William Dix) is a surly little brat, who harbors an extreme dislike for Nanny. It seems he knows something about Nanny that belies her helpful, retiring nature.

Directed by Seth Holt, The Nanny takes its time to develop a head of steam. Careful not to reveal too much too soon, the movie unfolds guardedly. And so does Davis. Playing a woman of supreme self-containment, it isn't until the last half hour or so that she becomes undone. It's an interesting portrayal that Miss Davis delivers, despite little help from a screenplay spotty on motivation. Concluding with an all too pat excuse for Nanny's erratic behavior, the film still provides enough satisfactory chills to warrant watching. Along with a restrained, composed Bette Davis (until she's not), it's a welcome counterpart to the overwrought Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, and the Southern Gothic, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. Both Jill Bennett co-star as an auntie with a sick ticker, and Pamela Franklin, inexplicably wearing a bad wig.

With Harry Waxman's stark B&W cinematography letter perfect, The Nanny is currently available on YouTube.