May 16 Henry Fonda

Happy Birthday to Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan.

TCM celebrated Henry Fonda’s birthday with a movie marathon. I watched That Certain Woman staring Bette Davis. Henry plays a rich man’s son from a socially prominent family. Henry comes back from Europe and calls Bette whom he has been seeing for several years. He is excited to talk with her and after spending dinner with the family goes to take a drink with Bette. He wants to marry her but Bette does not. She wants Henry to be tough, an independent man and not use his fathers money. He decides to meet all her conditions and they get married. A few hours after they are married Henry’s father find them. The men argue and the father hit’s the son. The father feels that Bette is not good enough for his son or for his family. Bette tries to get Henry to leave with her, but Henry tries to convince his father that Bette is the best person for him. Bette leaves and vows to wait for him as long as it takes.

Bette has a child. The father had the marriage annulled. Four years pass. Their friend Ian Hunter dies. Henry comes to see Bette to pass along his condolences. He married a woman in Paris. He was driving drunk and caused his wife to be injured and be in a wheelchair. He states that he and his wife thought about adopting a baby and that he wanted to help her. Bette did not react well to this, thinking that he was going to take her son away. He only wanted to help her. Bette finally tells Henry that the boy is his son. He is very happy. He plans to leave his wife and leave with them for Europe.

Henry tells his father about the boy and the father files a retraining order so Bette cannot take the child out of the country. Henry is upset about this and defies his father. While Bette is packing Henry’s wife comes to visit. She wants her to take her husband away so he wont feel tied to her. Henry comes the Bette’s apartment. They talk and Bette decides the best thing is for Henry to stay with his wife. Bette decides the best thing to do is to give their son to Henry. “I’ve always been bad luck to men.”