A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Spoiler Alert (just a little):I'm glad to read so many positive comments about this film. I watched it for the first time April 2013 on TCM and was really surprised by all the fine qualities (and fun) "The Great Lie" offered. Especially since I'd never heard of this film before and have been a classic film fan since my childhood.While pleased to read so many positive reviews, I find making apologies for this and that in the story unnecessary. Life is stranger than fiction. I truly do not know what is so "unbelievable" about this story? It's an unusual story but "unbelievable" - absolutely not. Less likely today with DNA and paternity tests, media coverage, internet etc....but wealthy (especially famous) women sometimes disappeared and then reappeared with their "adopted" baby, or claimed the child was their "niece" or "nephew". Many of these women were actresses.I've also read several biographies of famous people who married a second or third time without knowing their divorce had in fact NOT been finalized. I've read other biographies of famous people who led secret lives, or had two families, or had a secret love child - human drama is messy beautiful and nuanced. Although most classic movies are in black and white, they understood that life is NOT black and white.Classic film writers and audiences understood this: If it can be imagined - it's absolutely possible. We've lost our imaginations to "facts" and so called "reality." How utterly sad.Although never a fan of George Brent, he's very good in this film. I know he and Davis had an intimate relationship but not sure if it was during the time this film was made. Either way, Davis & Brent have nice chemistry. Their love is believable.This is not a typical role for Davis - she plays it perfectly though - a little restrained and subdued. Bette Davis and Mary Astor reworked much of the script and according to what's been written about the making of "The Great Lie", director Edmund Goulding, was supportive of his actors changing the script, which is kind of amazing. It may also explain why Davis and Astor have great chemistry on screen together as well. They both understand their characters loves, fears and desires and that of each other.Grant Mitchell is terrific (as always) in a small part as the anxious worried manager of Astor's, diva Sandra. Lucille Watson (and actor I've always admired and enjoyed) also in a small role which she plays perfectly as Maggie's (Davis) aunt. But it's Hattie McDaniel who makes the very most of the small role as Maggie's maid, Violet. There's a very moving scene when Pete (Brent) flies down to Baltimore (Maggie's home) and Violet and Maggie have been reading about his marriage to famous concert pianist, Sandra Kovak(Astor). Violet is so loving and protective of Maggie (Davis) as she tells off Pete (Brent) for being thoughtless and uncaring - it's really a powerful scene.There's also a musical number which seems strange to more "modern" audiences but the music and singing is beautiful. In the past, people did entertain themselves by playing music, dancing and singing. Although I realize the African American roles in this movie (in any Warner film, in any classic American movie and let's not kid ourselves, in most current U.S. movies) are one-dimensional stereotypes but if you look past this, the talent of Hattie McDaniel and her brother Sam (playing Maggie's butler, Jefferson) shines through anyway.I find the story intriguing in that there are several strong female characters. The dynamic between Maggie, Sandra and Pete is an unusual twist on the typical love triangle. The dialogue throughout is funny bittersweet and occasionally bitchy and a bit over the top (mostly Astor's diva Sandra) but there are characters like this and in real life! Yes, there truly are we've simply become dull and after years of being subjected to mostly mediocre movies forgot what real makes art real and what makes both life and art interesting and real: heart soul passion sincerity and damn good writing and acting.Mary Astor (Sandra) plays a despicable talented narcissistic manipulative character with the bitchiness and ruthlessness of, many would say, a man. I haven't figured out why it's enjoyable to watch her character's personality unfold in this drama because she never redeems herself.Astor's Sandra remains true to her narcissistic self to the very end but somehow it works. Astor won best supporting actress for this role and it's easy to see why. For those who only know Astor from The Maltese Falcon, you will be surprised by what a sublime actor she was and still is all these decades later.

This is one of those women's films that you have to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy. The chemistry between the two female stars (Bette Davis and Mary Astor) is so powerful, and what is nice here is that the two stars got along famously; In fact, Davis handed the juice over to Astor (a veteran star since the 1920's) on a silver platter, and the result is so much more interesting than if Davis had played the scheming role and Astor the heroine. You know you're in for a good time when Astor offers Davis a cigarette and Davis declines, saying that she's just had one.The storyline concerns government worker George Brent's drunken marriage to classic pianist Mary Astor that ends as quickly as it began because he finds out her previous divorce was not final. Brent should have been forewarned; One character describes Astor as quite striking; In fact, she is literally. She has no qualms in slapping her masseuse across the face for working on her sore arms too hard. Once sobered up, Brent decides he'd rather be with the kinder Davis, and they are wed, which sets Astor up for revenge. She vows she'll break them up, and announces to Davis while Brent is away on business that she is pregnant. But Brent is believed to be dead, and Davis steps in with a plan to give the baby a name. The only stipulation is that Davis will raise it, and Astor will make no claims. But like a bad penny, Brent turns up, and Davis fears all will be revealed, especially when Astor goes out of her way to bond with the now one year old child.Fiery Astor is the entire show, and watching the battle of bitchy Mary and benevolent Bette, you are truly gripped. The silliness of Astor and Davis in the middle of a desert preparing for Astor to give birth is like Henry Fonda pushing Lucille Ball to Florida in a wheelchair in "The Big Street", but somehow, it all becomes palatable, and the ridiculousness of it actually makes it more fun. Toss in Astor beating out a beautiful classic tune on the piano (Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op. 23"), a sudden musical number sung by Hattie McDaniel and the servants on Davis's ranch and the scene where Astor goes crazy in the desert, practically destroying the shack the two are staying in, and you have one of the most memorable melodramas of the 1940's, a soap opera plot that has been repeated over and over on daytime television. Lucile Watson, Grant Mitchell and Thurston Hall offer amusing bit performances, while McDaniel seems to be playing the wife of her real-life brother, Sam McDaniel. This isn't a classic like "Now Voyager", but it's all unpretentious and fun, and that's what classic Hollywood cinema is all about.

"The Great Lie" released in 1941, was made at the height of Bette Davis' fame at Warner Brothers. It's not a very well-known film, and it also stars Bette's frequent co-star, George Brent, and Mary Astor is on hand as well. The three principle stars get mixed up in a sort-of love triangle. George Brent plays Peter, a playboy of sorts, who marries Sandra (Mary Astor) a vain, self-centered pianist. They marry on a whim, find out the marriage is not legitimate; so Peter, realizing he still loves Maggie (Bette Davis) then marries her! Wow...after aviator Peter flies to Brazil and is assumed dead, Sandra discovers she is pregnant. Being that she is career-focused and about as maternal as a rattlesnake, she agrees to allow Maggie to raise the baby. Well, lo and behold, Peter turns up after a year, not dead at all. Maggie lies to him and tells him the baby is hers. Sandra shows up, agrees they had a bargain, but now that Pete is alive, well, she wants him back and the baby. What to do? What saves this improbable and somewhat ridiculous story is the performances of Bette Davis and Mary Astor. Astor clearly has the more delicious part, playing a totally self-absorbed diva and throwing off catty one-liners at Davis. Bette plays her part as more maternal and traditional, but she is not above giving Astor an occasional look that could kill. This film, while certainly not great, shows the real talent of Bette Davis. One of her genuine strengths as an actress was to be able to take the occasional mundane scripts Jack Warner threw at her and turn them into something real. There are also able supporting performances by the reliable Hattie McDaniel and Lucile Watson as well. Worth checking out just to see Davis and Astor go at each other a couple of times.

For many fans of classic films, this is a fun favorite, mainly because of the performances of Bette Davis as Maggie and Mary Astor as Sandra. George Brent plays a playboy, Pete, who marries concert pianist Sandra, only to find out a few days later that her divorce wasn't final. Apparently (though this isn't explained) he was involved with Maggie shortly before, but she refused to marry him because he's a drunk. However, she does marry him.There's a problem, though, which is that Sandra turns up pregnant. Then Pete is missing in Brazil somewhere and is believed dead. Maggie talks Sandra into having the baby and letting her and Brent raise it, in exchange for supporting Sandra financially, and she can continue with her concert career unfettered. The two go to a cabin in Arizona where Sandra, a big drinker with other lousy habits, can be supervised.Well, it's pretty hilarious and only gets better. Davis and Astor give as good as they get to each other, with Sandra screaming that she's an artist who can't get nourishment from a lettuce leaf, and Maggie offering to make her a sandwich. And we all know what happens - Sandra is a nasty you know what and reneges big time.This is truly a wonderful movie for some reason - actors in those days were able to make you believe anything and go right along with it, and take the plight of the characters seriously. This is probably because the stories were character-driven and audiences invested in the people and therefore bought the story.Well-directed by Edmund Goulding, the performances are wonderful from the women, Davis, Astor, and Hattie McDaniel as Maggie's maid, who again proves her strong acting abilities. Brent, who made a career out of supporting these huge female stars, is good.Can't beat this one for entertainment.