Satan Met a Lady (1936) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Satan Met a Lady
Year: 1936
Director: William Dieterle
Country: US
Language: English

One of author Dashiell Hammett’s finest works, The Maltese Falcon has received the adaptation treatment three separate time, most famously in 1941 with Humphrey Bogart. Few know that before John Huston directed that cinematic classic there had already been two previous attempts at the material. I have already reviewed the 1931 pre-Code titled Maltese Falcon, but I have not yet mentioned this 1936 Crime comedy starring Bette Davis. 

 Sardonic detective Shane (Warren William), thrown out of one town for bringing trouble, heads for home and his ex-partner's detective agency. The business is doing poorly, but things are looking up When when pretty Valerie Purvis walks in the next day willing to pay over the odds to put a tail on the man who did her wrong.

The general tone of the film is meant to evoke The Thin Man, rather than a gritty crime noir. In fact, the first sequel to the Nick and Nora canon, After the Thin Man, came to theaters just five months after this, so this film was made in the wake of that series' popularity on purpose. Warren William is solid substitute for William Powell, he's a charismatic onscreen presence that allows even the mean-spirited jokes to get a few laughs. 

Bette Davis called this film "junk". After being successful in The Petrified Forest (1936), Davis wasn’t interested in playing villain. I'd say she pulls off a fine performance, the character fits well in the confines of a crime comedy. Her evil-ness is less serious and more comic book villain. Despite her disinterest in the picture, her brilliance oozes out every frame. The script does her tremendous favours with lines like "Would you mind taking off your hat in the presence of a lady with a gun?"

Despite Satan Met a Lady taking far too many liberties with its source material, it's charming and humorous enough to get a solid recommendation. It's a memorable little picture that doesn't feel too dated despite being made in 1936. Well directed, written and scored, this left me thoroughly impressed.