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Dreadfully Boring

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Bette Davis is the whole show in this film that again recycles the "evil twin" plot. Two sisters, Margaret (rich, widowed, and condescending), and Edie (poor and slovenly) begin to talk again after years of estrangement. Because of a simmering grudge over Margaret's late husband, Edie kills Margaret and assumes her identity and lavish lifestyle. Margaret's boyfriend Tony (Peter Lawford) soon figures out the switch, tries blackmail, and is mauled to death by Margaret's huge dog. Karl Malden plays Edie's police detective boyfriend, and although he's good, Malden just looks confused all the time. Since no one could get away with crime in a 1964 movie, Edie is sentenced to death as Margaret for poisoning her husband!The movie moves along swiftly, aided by such old pros as Jean Hagen, Ken Lynch, and George Macready. There's a strange subplot about religion that really doesn't add very much to the plot. However, watching Peter Lawford wrestling with a stuffed dog head is worth the price of admission. There's also very good direction by Davis' old costar Paul Henreid. It's no classic, but this is wonderful for fans of Davis, who easily steals the show.

Edith Phillips (Bette Davis) meets up with her estranged twin sister Margaret de Lorca at Margaret's husband Frank's funeral. Edith has her money losing cocktail lounge while Margaret is lording her wealth over her. Frank was courting Edith originally until he had an affair with Margaret. After Margaret's claim to be pregnant, Edith never talked to them again. Margaret tells Edith that the child died before a year old but the family chauffeur recalls that she was never pregnant. Later, Edith lures Margaret to her lounge where she kills Margaret and assumes her identity. She makes Margaret up to look like her having committed suicide. People have their suspicions including Margaret's lover Tony Collins (Peter Lawford) who starts blackmailing her. Edith's boyfriend police sergeant Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden) continues to investigate her supposed suicide and also the death of Frank de Lorca.Bette Davis is a powerful force. That's what this movie gives with her on the screen. Director Paul Henreid could have tightened up some of the scenes to elevate the tension. For example, the scene of Edith setting up Margaret's body as a suicide takes forever. It could have been done better and with more intensity. No matter what, Bette Davis exudes screen presence.

This would have gotten a 10 if Davis had pulled off the crime but this is Hollywood and that can't be damn.I love this type noirish movie---yes it is a bit of a run on attraction from Baby Jane but it is still decent.It just irks me that Hollywood never lets them get away with things there was a very similar movie Hollow Triumph that is worth watching.To get a movie where the bad guys win you need to turn to cynical Europe...The Double Hour is good. This is a lot better than Sunset Boulevard...watchRecommend.

Amazingly enough, this is NOT the first or only film Bette Davis played herself and her evil twin sister! In fact, the film is highly reminiscent of the very enjoyable A STOLEN LIFE that Ms. Davis made with Glenn Ford back in 1946. Here, because she's quite a bit older, the romantic aspect of the film is changed, however. Instead of Davis hating her evil sister for stealing her boyfriend and impersonating her to get him back, the film begins with the death of this boyfriend--who the sister had apparently stolen two decades earlier. Filled with justifiable anger over this and the swell life the scummy sister now has (where she is quite rich, while the nice one struggles to make ends meet), the nicer sister decides to make up for lost time--killing the wicked sister and assuming her life. While the plot is clichéd and a bit silly (especially how they try to disguise the use of doubles in the beginning), the film is enjoyable and good for laughs--as it's often over the top. It's like a fun "bad film"--great for those who love watching Davis or Crawford in their juicy 1960s roles.The biggest difference in the two films is that in A STOLEN LIFE, one sister clearly was good and the other clearly was bad. The good one only stole her sister's identity after she died accidentally. However, the "good" sister in DEAD RINGER isn't exactly good--just not as rotten as her sister. Plus, unlike the previous film, she murders her sister in cold blood--feeling entitled to what her wicked sister has. And, interestingly enough, she was pretty much right--the nasty sister's life was by all rights hers--though killing her was a bit...um...extreme. The way that it's done and showing Davis stripping the corpse of her possessions is quite creepy--with more of a 1960s grittier style. Unfortunately for the surviving sister, her plan, though interesting, isn't completely thought out and soon comes to haunt her. How this happens and what happens next is something you'll have to see for yourself.Now this brings up the biggest problem with the film. Davis' plan is just too spur of the moment and dumb. There are just too many loose ends to make it a better film. Clichés such as the dog instantly "knowing" which sister is which and the fact that the twin would have different fingerprints aren't really addressed well. I would assume that when an identical twin dies it would be standard practice to ensure which of the two had actually died--especially in cases where foul play is suspected.Overall, this is a very improbable but very interesting film. You'll probably enjoy watching it--even if it is all very hard to swallow.