Karl Malden and Peter Lawford fill out the cast, but the film belongs to Davis, and she clearly relishes the film's every excess, owning the script like a tailor-made gown. Indeed, much of the pleasure in watching DEAD RINGERS is the fun of seeing Davis play with such little restraint, and the movie makes use of every Davis mannerism imaginable.

This movie will never make any critic's short list, and over her long career Davis certainly made a great many finer films and gave a great many more artful performances. But as a late-night popcorn fest for Bette Davis fans, DEAD RINGERS is hard to beat.


Worth watching for Bette, as always...   May 11, 2003
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is the second time Bette co-starred with herself; the first time was in "A Stolen Life"; however, do not look for that sort of quality here...the poor sister of the rich sister, Bette kills off her richer sibling and adopts her persona, and moves from her tawdry digs into the magnificent mansion in Beverly Hills. (The old Doheny estate, and the location for "Cinderfella" and "The Loved One.")
I enjoy Peter Lawford in anything, a truly underappreciated actor and a really nice man. He is enjoyably slimy in this role, and adds the right note for the jaded, rather tired boyfriend. Karl Malden is sad, and you feel sorry for him;; he was so devoted to the poor sister...the star of the show is Ms. Davis, and the fabulous house and grounds. Don't look for high, quality drama here, but rather, an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.
(NOTE: The Doheny estate, built in the early 1920s, is specatacular, and boasts several streets with signs for it's 25 acres of grounds, and it has a children's playhouse with fireplace and kitchen, etc., that rivals anything I've ever seen...and three guest houses, larger and more magnificent than most mansions! Also a bowling alley, a real movie theatre and over 30 bedrooms in the servants quarters. There was murder there, around 1929, the father caught his son with the butler, and shot and killed him; the son was put away in an asylum. Quite a history, and quite a setting...)


Check out the bonus commentarys and documentaries on this!   June 1, 2004
 5 out of 9 found this review helpful

According to DVDReviews.com: Bonus material will include a commentary by Charles Busch (Die! Mommie, Die!) and Boze Hadleigh (author of Bette Davis Speaks and the two interview books, Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians), an all-new documentary Double Take: Bette vs. Bette, the featurette Behind-the-Scenes at the Doheny Mansion and a theatrical trailer. Sounds like great fun!

And btw, Busch is also doing a commentary track with Patty McCormack on Warner's new release of THE BAD SEED!


B-MOVIE WITH "A" LIST ACTORS: a footnote to Davis' career!   August 7, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

"Dead Ringer"(1964) (not to be confused with "Dead Ringers" 1988) is the story of rival twin sisters Margaret DeLorca and Edith Philips, both played by Bette Davis. Years earlier Margaret married a wealthy so and so who once courted Edith but has since passed away. Edith's sudden appearance at his funeral sparks Margaret to invite her sister back to her mansion for drinks after the service. However, Margaret's cavalier attitude toward life and her not so subtle snubs at Edith's decidedly down to earth life style (she owns a bar on the east side that is in danger of foreclosure) drives Edith to distraction. She concocts a diabolical revenge scenario on a bluff, gets her Margaret to come to her apartment, and then murders her. Making it look like a suicide, Edith steals Margaret's clothes and identity, returning to her sister's mansion as though nothing had happened. However, Edith's cop boyfriend, Sergeant Mike Hobbson (Karl Malden) begins to suspect that something is afoot from the start, though even he can not conceive that his one time girlfriend is impersonating her own sister. However, the transition from frump to Trump is a difficult one for Edith. Eventually eschewing into social graces, Edith's cover is blown when Margaret's old time, loud mouth friend, DeDe Marshall (Jean Hagen) invites her to a party at which Margaret's former lover, Tony Collins (Peter Lawford) is in attendance. The deceptions run high as Edith slowly comes to realize that Tony and her sister murdered Margaret's husband. When Tony discovers Edith's fraud he blackmails her into keeping his secret.
Filmed at a time when Davis' career had begun the slow decline into B-movie oblivion, "Dead Ringer" emerges as something of a red herring. The film is directed by Davis' "Now Voyager" costar, Paul Henreid and the roster of talent amassed, including George Macready, Estelle Winwood and Philip Carey is impressive. Still, what emerges for the experience is more schlock B-romance with a Lizzy Borden spin than high octane suspense. Davis held out long and hard before securing the dual role. She had previously played twins in "A Stolen Life" so the rehashing must have seemed like a solid choice. Unhappy circumstance that the film itself emerges as little more than a footnote - one of many for its star - on her way toward becoming a relic from Hollywood's golden age.
There is a lot to celebrate in Warner Brother's DVD transfer. The anamorphic image is remarkably clean, with a very solid and beautifully rendered gray scale, deep blacks and excellent contrast levels. Only during the split screen shots of the two sisters do we get a hint of film grain. The rest of the transfer is ultra smooth and sumptuous to look at. There are several fleeting hints of edge enhancement and some extremely minor pixelization, but neither distracts from your viewing pleasure. The audio is mono but with a considerable - if tacky punctuated punch. Extras include a very brief featurette with Davis biographer, Boze Hadleigh, a thorough audio commentary with Hadleigh and Charles Busch, a vintage featurette shot during production on the film and a theatrical trailer.