By Vlad Zakh · January 29, 2026
Drama intensethought provoking
Herbert Marshall brought smooth, cultured elegance to Hollywood, and his calm, understated presence made him a favourite of directors working in sophisticated drama. The Letter threatens a plantation wife’s self-defence claim, Foreign Correspondent uncovers a European spy ring, The Little Foxes sets a greedy Southern family against its one resisting daughter, and The Razor’s Edge sends a veteran searching for spiritual meaning. The Painted Veil and Trouble in Paradise round out the list.
01 Clifton Webb features in this drama about a disillusioned war veteran who abandons wealth and convention to search for spiritual meaning.
Directed by Edmund Goulding · 2h 25m · Rated NR
Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Buy: Apple TV Store
02 Bette Davis plays a ruthless Southern matriarch scheming against her own greedy brothers to seize control of the family fortune.
Directed by William Wyler · 1h 57m
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Amazon Video
Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video
03 An American reporter uncovers a Nazi spy ring while investigating political unrest in pre-war Europe.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 2h 00m
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Stream: Criterion Channel
Rent: JustWatch TV
04 Bette Davis plays a plantation owner's wife who claims self-defence after shooting a man, but a damning letter threatens her story.
Directed by William Wyler · 1h 35m · Rated NR
Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
05 Cecilia Parker features in this drama where a neglected wife's affair is discovered by her husband, who takes her deep into a cholera outbreak.
Directed by Richard Boleslawski · 1h 25m · Rated NR
Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store
Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
06 C. Aubrey Smith features in this comedy about two elegant con artists who fall for each other while scheming to swindle a wealthy perfume heiress.
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch · 1h 23m
Stream: FlixFling · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Stream: FlixFling · Rent or buy: FlixFling
Rent: Amazon Video
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
