Jezebel is the name of a Queen of Israel, whose story is told in the
Old Testament of the
Bible, as told in
I Kings[?]. Jezebel was a pagan, the daughter of King
Ithobaal I of
Tyre, who married King
Ahab. The Bible blames her from turning Ahab away from the true
God, and towards the worship of her god,
Baal. She is accused of killing the prophets of the Lord, and
Elijah charges her with abominations.
Her name has come down through the centuries as a general name for all wicked women.
Jezebel is also the name of a
1938 film that tells the story of a headstrong young Southern woman during the years prior to the
American Civil War, and how her actions cost her the love of the man she truly loves. It stars
Bette Davis,
Henry Fonda,
George Brent[?],
Margaret Lindsay[?],
Donald Crisp[?] and
Fay Bainter.
The film was adapted by Clements Ripley[?], Abem Finkel[?], John Huston and Robert Buckner[?], from the play by Owen Davis Sr.[?]. It was directed by William Wyler.
The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Fay Bainter won for Best Supporting Actress and Bette Davis won for Best Actress. On the basis of this Oscar win, Davis was a strong consideration for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.
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