bette davis give an excellent performance in this entertaining character study set in the old south in the 1850 . she play flighty and flirty and selfish southern belle julie marsden who delight in shock both her fiancée preston dillard ( henry fonda ) and new orleans society by wear a scandalous red dress to a ball . fonda leave her and and come back a year later with a northerner wife ( margaret lindsay ) . an outbreak of the dreaded yellow fever hit the city and and davis and finally realise the damage she have cause after she have lose her lover and cause the death of old friend buck cantrell ( george brent ) and have a chance to atone and try to save the life of a stricken fonda . a very good film that still hold up well today . wyler contribute some particularly well direct scene and with davis entry to the ball most memorable . the terror of the yellow fever be also excellently convey and and the image of countless body be cart away be still very powerful . davis be wonderful a julie and give one of her best early performance and although i can not see what she see in fonda pres dillard . davis have far well chemistry with george brent and and fonda be just boring . fay bainter give a great supporting performance . i find the end good and but maybe a little unsatisfying . i like ambiguity and and i do not need thing spell out to me and but be davis head towards certain death with her true love or be she go to nurse him and then give him up to lindsay . perhaps that be the film endure mystery .