today actress happily gain weight and dye their hair and dress like slob and and lose their glamor for a role and and bette davis be probably the actress who start the trend . even a a pretty young woman who occasionally wear designer clothes and constance bennett type makeup in film and davis be willing to ravage herself in order to create a character on the outside as well a the inside . her determination be amply demonstrate here in her breakout film and of human bondage and in which she star with leslie howard a philip carey . davis play mildred and a slutty and manipulative and greedy low life to howard masochistic and club foot philip . he first meet her when she a waitress and and she allow him to take her out to dinner and theater while she frolic with a wealthy old man ( alan hale sr. ) . in truth and mildred be repulse by philip club foot . on his part and philip seem to enjoy the abuse of her open flirtation and her coolness toward him . he allow mildred to bleed him dry financially in between boyfriend who drop her when they tire of her and while he blow off a couple of truly lovely woman ( kay johnson and france dee ) . when he get the gumption to throw her out and mildred trash his apartment and rob him and force him to withdraw from medical school and lose his lodging . of human bondage look rather stilted today in part . though leslie howard be a wonderful actor and attractive and his acting style be of a more formal old school and and a a result and he tend to date whatever he in . he shin in material like his role opposite davis in it love i be after or the petrified forest which call for his kind of technique . his dated acting be even more obvious here because davis be forge new ground with a gritty and edgy performance that would really make her name . if she seem at time over the top and she come from the stage and and the subtlety of film act would emerge later for her . contrast this performance with the restraint and warmth and gentleness of her henriette in all this and and heaven too or the pathos she bring to dark victory . she be a true actress and a true artist . davis really allow herself to look like holy hell while mildred deterioration be absolutely pathetic a philip seem to gain strength a her spirit fade . an excellent film in which to see the burgeoning of one of film great star .