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The Little Foxes

Play trailer Poster for The Little Foxes 1941 1h 56m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Regina Hubbard Giddens (Bette Davis) and her scheming brothers, Oscar (Carl Benton Reid) and Ben (Charles Dingle), plan to get rich from a cotton mill, but first they must tap into the wealth of Regina's sickly husband, Horace Giddens (Herbert Marshall). The trio attempts to marry Regina's daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright) to Oscar's son Leo (Dan Duryea). When that plan fails, their schemes devolve into theft and blackmail, driving an irreparable wedge between family members.

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The Little Foxes

Critics Reviews

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Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 08/29/2022
8/10
An excellent occasion for Davis to show her chops as a villain. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 03/02/2018
Bette Davis could freeze almost anyone with her icy stare, the practiced look of a woman who's learned how to operate in the man's world of business, in director William Wyler's film version of Lillian Hellman's chilly play... Go to Full Review Neil Cohen Echo Magazine 07/29/2007
5/5
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 05/30/2007
A-
When viewed today, the hysterical melodrama seems creaky. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 11/16/2006
B+
Significantly (and surprisingly) the nasty tone of Hellman's morality drama about corruption and greed in a Southern clan remained intact, allowing Bette Davis (in a role that Bankhead originated on stage) to shine as the amoral and immoral matriarch Go to Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette 09/16/2005
4/5
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Audience Reviews

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John C @RT96064918 6d Most reviewers miss the point: This play and its film are a scathing indictment of capitalism that resulted in Hellman being falsely accused of being a communist during the McCarthy era and blacklisted in Hollywood for years. Each character in the family and their dialogue represent aspects of a voracious monopoly capitalism Additionally, Hellman illustrates disdain with which labor is exploited, especially in the treatment of African American servants who compliantly and feverishly respond to the family’s condescending orders. This is not a play simply about a 1900’s Southern family. Lest audience miss the point, the brother of the Bette Davis character announces to her in one of the final scenes, "Someday people like us will be running the country." See more Garry A @heavyg Apr 11 The family in this movie is so greedy! Bette Davis is fun to watch. She plays the diva role so well. See more Richard N @Pauldc1066 Jan 2 At the time, Davis’ performance in this film was considered the finest performance by an American actress. This is the role that Davis should have won the Oscar for. It’s just incredible. Masterclass in acting. Her performance is one of several reasons why Bette Davis is the Greatest American Actress.WOW! If you have never seen this movie, I urge you to do so. See more Mike P @RT09890132 02/17/2025 Kind of a Victorian Era version of Succession or Dallas; where members of a greedy family claw their way to the top of the inheritance chain... This is one of those movies that nobody remembers, but it had a big influence ... And the acting is all around superb. See more Julian S @akajulianscott 11/30/2024 It’s worth the watch for Davis’s chillingly steely portrayal of the villain alone. See more Alec B @Alec97 01/03/2024 Some things are lost in translating Hellman's play to the screen (inevitable I suppose) but Davis is perfection. See more Read all reviews
The Little Foxes

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Cast & Crew

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William Wyler

Director

Bette Davis

Regina Giddens

Herbert Marshall

Horace Giddens

Dan Duryea

Leo Hubbard

Teresa Wright

Alexandra Giddens

Richard Carlson

David Hewitt

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The Little Foxes

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Movie Info

Synopsis Regina Hubbard Giddens (Bette Davis) and her scheming brothers, Oscar (Carl Benton Reid) and Ben (Charles Dingle), plan to get rich from a cotton mill, but first they must tap into the wealth of Regina's sickly husband, Horace Giddens (Herbert Marshall). The trio attempts to marry Regina's daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright) to Oscar's son Leo (Dan Duryea). When that plan fails, their schemes devolve into theft and blackmail, driving an irreparable wedge between family members.
Director
William Wyler
Producer
Samuel Goldwyn
Screenwriter
Alan Campbell, Lillian Hellman, Arthur Kober, Dorothy Parker
Distributor
Embassy Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Company, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 21, 1941, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 31, 2020
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Mono