The Anniversary

This 1968 black comedy was the last film in which Davis dominated with her legendary persona. In a sense it is the last "Bette Davis" film. Whales of August, Burnt Offerings, and Death on the Nile followed, but the part of Mrs Taggart, a domineering widow complete with eye-patch, is pure Davis and she has a field day, making this film an absolute must for her fans. Though it's stage origins show, and the film doesn't really begin until Davis makes her entrance, it is an entertaining comedy with an excellent supporting cast, funny, bitchy, dialog, absurdest humor and a tone similar to Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? and The Lion in Winter both of which began as plays. The prolific Roy Ward Baker who directed everything from a Night to Remember(1958) to The Vampire Lovers (1970) is not a visionary; the direction, editing, camera placement and set design are all adequate, but just imagine what Almodovar would do with this material!

Even though her husband popped his clogs some ten years before, Mrs Taggart still makes an occasion of her wedding anniversary to him by making sure that her sons join her at the family home so they can celebrate together.

The build up to the event sees her sons describing her as akin to a force of nature that can't be controlled and as a fierce matriarch. This seems fitting when she finally makes her entrance on screen as she is played by none other than Bette Davis who is on flying form and attacks her role with relish. Not just that but she has a fantastic wardrobe topped off with an eye patch!

It's obvious that Mrs Taggart will keep her boys in place by means necessary whether it be manipulation, knowing secrets that her sons would rather be kept private to be used at any given moment like some kind of trump card that she keeps up her sequinned sleeves and by finding any weaknesses that her sons or their partners possess.

It's fitting that this film was made by Hammer Films as whilst on the surface it's a very black comedy, it also works as a horror film with Davis demolishing all around her like a very stylish and catty version of Godzilla.

The tone here is high camp which is why it works so well. If this was presented as more serious it wouldn't have been half as much fun and Davis would have been wasted.

Davis didn't want to take the role but only changed her mind when her friend Jimmy Sangster rewrote the script for the screen from the stage version. Sangster had penned the excellent screenplay for Davis' earlier film, The Nanny (also highly recommended).

There was also animosity between cast members with 'serious stage actress' Sheila Hancock witnessing the way Davis was pampered over and given the attention deserving of a star of her stature and being utterly alienated by it. C'est la vie.

This engaging dark comedy stars the incomparable Bette Davis in one of her best latter-day screen roles as a merciless one-eyed mother who uses wedding anniversary(although her husband has been dead for quite some time) as an excuse to lure her spineless sons into her lair and demonstrate her strange hold over them. This year is a particular feast for the mother when the youngest, a somewhat promiscuous chap, announces that he's going to settle down and get married. And better yet, the eldest and most spineless of the brood discloses that he will be moving out of the country so mumsy will leave him alone once and for all. Will things turn out as planned? You"ll just have to find out yourself when you watch this stylish, darkly witty, and perversely entertaining tale that could have been written especially for its star.

On the celebration of the anniversary of Mrs. Taggart (Bette Davis), her three dominated sons come to her house for the dinner party. Terry (Jack Hedley), Henry (James Cossins) and Tom Taggart (Christian Roberts) work in construction, in a business that belonged to their father and is presently managed by their manipulative mother. Tom brings his pregnant fiancée Shirley Blair (Elaine Taylor) to tell his mother that they will marry each other; Terry brings his wife Karen Taggart (Sheila Hancock) and they secretly intend to emigrate to Canada; and Henry is gay and loves to wear women's underwear. During the night, the mean Mrs. Taggart uses the most despicable means and tricks to get rid off Shirley and Terry and keep her sons close to her.

The theatrical "The Anniversary" is certainly among the darkest comedies I have ever seen. This is the first time I see this movie, and I immediately recalled the polemic "Festen" that now I can see was visibly inspired in the idea of "The Anniversary". Bette Davis is awesome, giving another stunning performance in the role of the wicked Mrs. Taggart. Her witty lines are cruel, manipulating her sons as if they were puppets. The rest of the cast is also excellent, giving the necessary support to highlight the presence of Mrs. Davis. If the viewer likes black humor, he or she will certainly love this little gem. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Aniversário" ("The Anniversary")

plays Mrs. Taggart, the controlling and manipulative mother to three sons. She oversees every aspect of their lives, the family business - which she owns outright - employs them and she works hard at scaring away any woman they bring into the family.

The Anniversary is the annual celebration of Mrs. Taggart's wedding anniversary to the boys' dead father. A macabre event in itself it is made more horrendous by her constant belittling of her sons, their women and her grandchildren. They are all targets of her caustic wit and cruelty.

Bette Davis is her usual glorious self in the starring role. Wonderfully gowned and housed with a matching eye-patch, she steals every scene she is in with flair and drawl, withering all including her grandchildren - all mere fodder for her verbal cannonballs.

And the ending is quite a surprise. Wait for it! 7 out of 10.