The Letter (1940)

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Film Music Structure for The Letter

Number Scene Type Time Theme Variant Gesture On-screen
1 opening title sequence 0:00:00 Signature WB Shield
2 0:00:08 Letter Bette Davis
3 0:00:11 Hammond A The Letter
4 0:00:25 Hammond B Cast list
5 0:00:44 Hammond A Cast list
6 establish location 0:00:58 Plantation Plantation sign
7 0:01:21 Native Men sleeping in hammocks at the plantation
8 NIF Native Uncut
9 murder scene 0:02:57 Hammond A Shimmery Leslie stands over the dead body
10 0:03:43 Hammond A Revolver Leslie talks with the workers
11 0:04:12 Native 2 Leslie talks with the workers and asks them to leave
12 0:04:29 Underscoring (Mysterious) Leslie leaves the room
13 0:04:42 Hammond A Mysterioissimo Worker looks around the room
14 0:04:55 Hammond A Crying Leslie cries in the other room
15 action scene 0:05:14 Runners Workers run through jungle
16 0:05:50 Mr. Hammond Has Been Shot Boy tells Robert that Mr. Hammond has been shot
17 0:06:04 Underscoring (Dramatic) Worker talks to Robert
18 transition 0:06:11 Hammond A Distressed Robert arrives at the plantation
19 0:06:21 Underscoring (Tense) Robert goes in the house
20 advance plot NIF Hammond A Not in Film
21 0:12:42 Underscoring (Tense) Leslie relates the situation before the murder
22 0:13:14 Hammond A The Story Leslie says she loves Robert
23 0:13:28 Hammond A Deception Leslie gets emotional and talks about the struggle
24 0:14:07 Hammond A Risoluto Leslie gets back up to continue her story
25 0:14:31 Hammond A Tragic Leslie tells her story
26 0:14:42 Hammond B Screwyoso Leslie tells her story
27 0:15:10 Letter Sarcastic Men accept Leslie's story
28 0:15:28 Letter 2 Robert comforts Leslie
29 0:15:53 Andante Doloroso Men walk outside to look at dead body
30 0:16:09 Hammond A Dark Men look at dead body
31 0:16:38 Creeping Man creeps across the screen
32 0:16:48 Film wipe Film wipe
33 0:18:36 Murder Howard explains that Leslie could be charged with murder
34 love scene 0:18:55 Hammond A Shimmery Leslie stares at the moon
35 0:19:26 Hammond B Screwyoso Leslie closes the blinds
36 0:19:45 Letter Sarcastic Leslie looks at Robert
37 0:20:07 Letter 2 Robert embraces Leslie
38 0:20:33 Kiss Robert kisses Leslie
39 advance plot 0:21:46 Hammond A Delicato Men admire needlepoint
40 0:22:26 Hammond A The Story Leslie speaks with Howard
41 0:22:41 Letter Sarcastic Leslie and Howard leave
42 0:22:58 Hammond A Ominous Leslie leaves the house and Mrs. Hammond appears
43 establish character 0:23:27 Mrs. Hammond Mrs. Hammond enters the shed to find the body of her dead husband
44 0:24:12 Mrs. Hammond Appassionato Mrs. Hammond looks at her husband
45 transition 0:24:33 Law Office Sign for Mr. Joyce's law firm
46 advance plot 0:30:04 Hammond A Mysterioso Howard in his office
47 0:30:23 Hammond B Screwyoso Howard grabs the letter
48 0:30:45 Mrs. Hammond Lawyer Howard speaks with his secretary
49 0:30:58 Hammond A Walking Leslie leaves the cell to go to the visiting room
50 0:31:24 Waiting Howard waits for Leslie
51 pivotal scene 0:34:20 Hammond A Tense Howard tells Leslie about the letter
52 0:34:35 Deception Leslie lies about the letter
53 0:34:47 Hammond A Deception Leslie starts to worry about the letter
54 0:35:11 Hammond A Risoluto Leslie decides how to defend her having written the letter
55 0:35:39 Denial Leslie denies writing the letter
56 0:36:08 Letter Agitato Leslie changes her mind and admits to having written the letter
57 0:36:16 Letter Frantic Leslie defends her actions as having written the letter
58 0:36:22 Underscoring (Tense) Leslie explains why she wrote the letter
59 0:36:42 Hammond A The Story Leslie tells Howard more lies about the letter
60 0:36:53 Underscoring (Tense) Howard takes out the letter
61 0:37:07 Hammond A Risoluto Howard reads the letter to Leslie
62 0:37:21 Hammond A Tragic Howard talks to Leslie
63 0:37:34 Hammond B Screwyoso Howard talks to Leslie
64 0:37:54 Hammond A Shimmery Howard talks to Leslie
65 0:38:20 Collapse Leslie collapses on the ground
66 advance plot 0:38:57 Hammond A Resigned Howard talks to Leslie in the hospital
67 0:39:25 Hammond B Con Moto Leslie asks Howard about the letter
68 0:39:32 Hammond A Plotting Howard and Leslie plot their next move
69 0:40:00 Law Office The Plea Howard asks Leslie to be honest
70 0:40:33 Hammond A Despair Leslie despairs
71 0:40:57 Hammond A Deception Howard says he doesn't despise Leslie
72 0:41:12 Letter 2 Howard says he will do what he can to help Leslie
73 0:42:17 Letter 2 Triste Howard disapproves of Leslie's lack of faithfulness to her husband
74 dinner 0:48:42 Sociable People having dinner
75 0:49:41 Hammond A Uneasy They discuss the trial
76 0:49:58 Sociable Ending Pleasant conversation
77 advance plot 0:50:37 Lento Mysterioso They plan to get the letter
78 0:51:14 Lento Mysterioso Expressivo Howard is upset about committing a crime
79 0:51:41 Hammond A Ominous Leslie and Howard sitting in the room
80 0:51:49 Mrs. Hammond Howard and Leslie wait for Ong Chi Seng
81 0:52:07 Hammond A Delicato Howard and Leslie talk about lacework
82 0:52:33 Hammond B Ethereal Howard and Leslie talk
83 0:52:55 Hammond A Tragic Howard and Leslie talk
84 0:53:10 Hammond B Screwyoso Howard and Leslie talk
85 transition 0:53:20 Hammond A Leaving Howard and Leslie leave the house
86 0:53:35 Hammond A Screwyoso Howard and Leslie walk away
87 0:53:54 Mrs. Hammond Grandioso Howard and Leslie drive to meet with Mrs. Hammond
88 0:54:15 Chinese Quarter Howard and Leslie enter the Chinese Quarter
89 0:55:30 Chinese Shop Howard and Leslie enter a shop in the Chinese Quarter
90 0:56:29 Mrs. Hammond Mysterioso Howard and Leslie wait in the shop
91 0:57:04 Mrs. Hammond Dagger Leslie looks at a Chinese dagger
92 conflict 0:57:27 Mrs. Hammond Slowly Howard and Leslie walk into the back room
93 0:59:08 Glass Curtains Mrs. Hammond enters through the glass curtain
94 1:00:13 Mrs. Hammond Glass Curtains Leslie pays Mrs. Hammond
95 1:01:27 Hammond A Glass Curtains Leslie removes the shawl from her head
96 1:01:57 Hammond B Glass Curtains Leslie approaches Mrs. Hammond with the money
97 1:02:21 Glass Curtains Leslie faces Mrs. Hammond, then Mrs. Hammond throws down the letter
98 1:02:40 Mrs. Hammond Glass Curtains: Contempt Leslie stoops down to pick up the letter
99 1:02:50 Hammond B Glass Curtains: Dark Leslie faces Mrs. Hammond again and looks at the letter
100 1:03:08 Mrs. Hammond Solemn Leslie and Howard leave
101 trial 1:08:54 Mrs. Hammond Bitter Leslie sees Mrs. Hammond as they leave the courtroom
102 party 1:09:09 Sociable Leslie and Robert meet with friends
103 conflict 1:14:42 Hammond A Restless Robert asks about the letter
104 1:14:57 Hammond A Wild Robert waits for a response
105 1:15:08 Distress Robert confronts the lawyer
106 1:15:28 Hammond A Molto Agitato Robert argues with Leslie
107 1:15:45 Underscoring (Dramatic) Robert asks to see the letter
108 1:16:14 Letter 2 Tragic Robert reads the letter
109 1:16:36 Hammond A Confession Leslie confesses to Robert
110 1:17:35 Mrs. Hammond Confession Leslie confesses to Robert
111 1:17:52 Hammond A Deception Leslie confesses to Robert
112 1:17:59 Hammond A Tragic Leslie confesses to Robert
113 1:18:13 Hammond B Ethereal Leslie confesses to Robert
114 1:18:32 Hammond A Dramatic Leslie confesses to Robert
115 1:19:00 Letter 2 Mournful Robert cries after hearing the confession
116 transition 1:19:41 Hammond A Guilty The full moon on a dark night
117 advance plot 1:19:49 Foxtrot No.1 A Leslie getting ready for the party
118 1:20:02 Mrs. Hammond Foxtrot Ong is seen in the mirror dropping something
119 1:20:05 Foxtrot No.1 B Leslie getting ready for the party
120 1:20:53 Hammond A Foxtrot Leslie looks at the full moon, then sees the knife
121 1:21:15 Mrs. Hammond Foxtrot 2 Leslie looks around to see who left the knife
122 party 1:21:36 Foxtrot No.1 C Leslie goes to the party
123 1:22:12 Foxtrot No.2 Leslie dances at the party
124 1:23:25 Foxtrot No.3 Robert talks to friends at the party
125 climax 1:25:08 Hammond A Foxtrot No.3 Leslie leaves the party, stares at the moon, and is worried
126 1:25:39 Hammond A Distraught Leslie cries
127 1:26:07 Underscoring (Mysterious) Leslie talks to Robert
128 1:26:36 Hammond A Ethereal Leslie and Robert look at each other
129 1:26:52 Underscoring (Tense) Leslie talks to Robert
130 1:27:06 Letter 2 Tense Leslie talks to Robert
131 1:28:04 Deception Lohengreenish Robert asks for Leslie's love and devotion
132 1:29:01 Hammond A Very Slow Leslie says she loves the man she killed then cries
133 1:29:32 Mrs. Hammond Dirge Leslie heads towards the door
134 1:29:49 Mrs. Hammond Missing Dagger Leslie opens the door
135 1:30:02 Hammond A Climactic Leslie finds that the knife is gone
136 1:30:30 Shadow Leslie leaves the house
137 1:30:42 Native Climactic Leslie wanders through her garden
138 1:31:18 Deception Appassionato Close-up of Leslie
139 1:31:36 Hammond A The Moon Leslie watches the moon go behind a cloud
140 1:31:55 Mrs. Hammond Ambush Leslie moves through the gate
141 1:32:48 Hammond A Deliberate Mrs. Hammond approaches Leslie with a knife
142 1:33:01 Mrs. Hammond Revenge Mrs. Hammond stabs Leslie
143 1:33:31 Policeman A policeman comes to investigate but does nothing
144 1:33:42 Hammond A Reckoning Mrs. Hammond walks away and we see Leslie's dead body
145 NIF Letter 2 The Body
146 ending 1:33:58 Foxtrot No.3 Camera pans to the party going on in the house
147 1:34:18 Hammond A Foxtrot No.3B Leslie's lacework
148 1:34:28 Hammond A Ending Camera pans to the moon and The End title appears
149 credits 1:34:41 Letter End credits
150 1:34:44 Hammond A End Title End credits