Jezebel (film) - Plot

Plot

Spoiled, strong-willed New Orleans belle Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is engaged to banker Preston 'Pres' Dillard (Henry Fonda). In retaliation for Pres refusing to drop his work and accompany her while she shops for a dress, she orders a brazen red one for the most important ball of the year, one where white dresses for unmarried women are expected. All of Julie's friends are shocked, but no one can convince her to give up her whim.

At the Olympus ball, every woman on the floor is dressed in white. Pres and Julie's entrance is met with shock and disdain by all present. She finally realizes the magnitude of her social blunder and begs Pres to take her away, but by this time, he is implacable. He forces her to dance with him. All the other dancers leave the floor, finally leaving them alone. When the orchestra stops playing at the instruction of one of the ball's sponsors, Pres orders the conductor to continue. Pres and Julie finish the dance alone, with the assemblage looking on.

Afterwards, Pres takes his leave of Julie, implicitly breaking their engagement. In a final bit of spite, Julie slaps him in the face by way of farewell. Aunt Belle Massey (Fay Bainter) urges her to go after Pres and beg his forgiveness, but she refuses, arrogantly confident that he will return to her. Instead, he goes north on business. Julie shuts herself up in her house and refuses to see visitors.

A year later, Pres finally returns, to help Dr. Livingstone (Donald Crisp) try to convince the city authorities to take measures against an outbreak of yellow fever. Before Pres can stop her, Julie humbles herself and begs for his forgiveness and a return of his love. Then Pres introduces her to his Northern wife Amy (Margaret Lindsay).

Dismayed, Julie eggs on her admirer, skilled duellist Buck Cantrell (George Brent), to quarrel with Pres, but the scheme goes awry. Pres's inexperienced brother Ted (Richard Cromwell) is the one who is goaded into challenging Buck. In an unexpected twist, Ted emerges victorious; Buck is fatally shot.

Then something happens that overshadows everything else. As Dr. Livingstone had warned repeatedly, a deadly epidemic of yellow fever sweeps the city, as it had done numerous times before. Pres comes down with it and, like all other victims, is to be quarantined on an island. Amy prepares to go along to care for him, risking her own life, but Julie stops her. She tells the Northerner that she does not know how to deal with the slaves and Southerners on the island. She begs to go in her place, as an act of redemption. Amy, first has to know whether Pres loves her or whether he loves Julie. Julie assures Amy that Pres loves Amy, because if he had any love for Julie, Julie would have taken Pres from Amy. Amy then agrees to permit Julie to go with Pres.