talk about your tour de force . m davis dominate a talented cast and expensive backdrop a the vainglorious southern belle julie or jezebel of the piece and cow her spiky fiancé henry fonda into allow her to wear a scandalous red dress to the ball where the great and the good be all in attendance to pass judgement on her misplaced show of bravado . a mortified fonda tough it out in one of the most memorable scene a the universally white frocked female dancer vacate the floor and too affront to share space with davis and with the aftermath see fonda move away and bring back a year later a yankee wife . davis reaction to this and her ultimate sacrifice a redemption and when she later tend to fever infected fonda at the movie climax encompass the main plot to this grand old piece of hollywood costume drama . there be some disaffect matter here though and particularly the patronising of the southern negro and all yes be and clap yo hand even if this be the way old dixie treat it coloured inhabitant it still painful to view the coarse stereotyping . allowance make for this and this be a compelling showpiece for davis and whose physical and emotional energy drive the film along . watch out for the justly celebrate scene a davis drop a magnificent curtsy to fonda in a grand show of humility in her huge white dress and you almost think she drop through a trapdoor .