The Letter (1940) [IN PROCESS - Information may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies]

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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 Leslie The Letter
4 0:00:25 Leslie B Cast list
5 0:00:44 Leslie Rubato Cast list
6 establish location 0:00:58 Plantation Plantation sign
7 0:01:21 Native Men sleeping in hammocks
8 NIF Native Uncut
9 murder scene 0:02:57 Leslie Shimmery Leslie stands over the dead body
style music to establish the Southeast 0:03:43 Leslie Revolver A pistol lies on the steps
11 0:04:12 Native 2 Leslie talks to the workers
12 0:04:29 Underscoring (Mysterious) Leslie leaves the room
13 0:04:42 Leslie Mysterioissimo A shadow appears
14 0:04:55 Leslie Lacework Worker picks up Leslie's lacework
15 action scene 0:05:14 Runners Workers run through jungle
16 0:05:45 Mr. Hammond Has Been Shot Worker runs in
17 0:06:04 Underscoring (Dramatic) Robert leaves
18 transition 0:06:11 Leslie Maestoso Robert arrives at the plantation
19 0:06:21 Underscoring (Tense) Robert goes in the house
20 advance plot NIF Leslie Not in Film
21 0:12:42 Underscoring (Tense) Leslie gets up
22 0:13:14 Leslie The Story Leslie gives her story
23 0:13:28 Leslie + Deception Rising Leslie continues her story
24 0:14:07 Leslie Risoluto Leslie continues her story
25 0:14:31 Leslie Tragic The scene of the crime
26 0:14:42 Leslie B Screwyoso The bottom of the stairs
27 0:15:10 Letter Sarcastic Robert comforts Leslie
28 0:15:28 Robert and Leslie Robert comforts Leslie
29 0:15:53 Andante Doloroso Men go to look at dead body
30 0:16:09 Leslie Dark Men look at dead body
31 0:16:38 Creeping Man creeping in the dark
32 0:16:48 Film wipe Film wipe
33 0:18:36 Murder Leslie reacts to the mention of murder
34 love scene 0:18:55 Leslie Shimmery 2 Leslie stares at the full moon
35 0:19:26 Leslie B Appassionato Leslie closes the blinds
36 0:19:45 Letter Sarcastic Robert looks at Leslie
37 0:20:07 Robert and Leslie Leslie looks in the drawer
38 0:20:33 Kiss Robert kisses Leslie
39 advance plot 0:21:46 Leslie Delicato Men admire needlepoint
40 0:22:26 Leslie The Story Leslie speaks with Howard
41 0:22:41 Letter Sarcastic Leslie and Howard leave
42 0:22:58 Leslie 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 Leslie Mysterioso Howard in his office
47 0:30:23 Leslie B Screwyoso Howard grabs the letter
48 0:30:45 Mrs. Hammond Lawyer Howard speaks with his secretary
49 0:30:58 Leslie 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 Leslie Tense Howard tells Leslie about the letter
52 0:34:35 Deception Leslie lies about the letter
53 0:34:47 Leslie Deception Leslie starts to worry about the letter
54 0:35:11 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie Risoluto Howard reads the letter to Leslie
62 0:37:21 Leslie Tragic Howard talks to Leslie
63 0:37:34 Leslie B Screwyoso Howard talks to Leslie
64 0:37:54 Leslie Shimmery Howard talks to Leslie
65 0:38:20 Collapse Leslie collapses on the ground
66 advance plot 0:38:57 Leslie Resigned Howard talks to Leslie in the hospital
67 0:39:25 Leslie B Con Moto Leslie asks Howard about the letter
68 0:39:32 Leslie 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 Leslie Despair Leslie despairs
71 0:40:57 Leslie + Deception Rising Howard says he doesn't despise Leslie
72 0:41:12 Robert and Leslie Howard says he will do what he can to help Leslie
73 0:42:17 Robert and Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie Delicato Howard and Leslie talk about lacework
82 0:52:33 Leslie B Ethereal Howard and Leslie talk
83 0:52:55 Leslie Tragic Howard and Leslie talk
84 0:53:10 Leslie B Screwyoso Howard and Leslie talk
85 transition 0:53:20 Leslie Leaving Howard and Leslie leave the house
86 0:53:35 Leslie 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 Leslie Glass Curtains Leslie removes the shawl from her head
96 1:01:57 Leslie B Glass Curtains Leslie approaches Mrs. Hammond with the money
97 1:02:21 Glass Curtains Glass curtain music continues as we hear Leslie B; Leslie approaches Mrs. Hammond
98 1:02:40 Mrs. Hammond Glass Curtains: Contempt Leslie stoops down to pick up the letter
99 1:02:50 Leslie 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 Leslie Restless Robert asks about the letter
104 1:14:57 Leslie Wild Robert waits for a response
105 1:15:08 Distress Robert confronts the lawyer
106 1:15:28 Leslie Molto Agitato Robert argues with Leslie
107 1:15:45 Underscoring (Dramatic) Robert asks to see the letter
108 1:16:14 Robert and Leslie Tragic Robert reads the letter
109 1:16:36 Leslie Confession Leslie confesses to Robert
110 1:17:35 Mrs. Hammond Confession Leslie confesses to Robert
111 1:17:52 Leslie Deception Leslie confesses to Robert
112 1:17:59 Leslie Tragic Leslie confesses to Robert
113 1:18:13 Leslie B Ethereal Leslie confesses to Robert
114 1:18:32 Leslie Dramatic Leslie confesses to Robert
115 1:19:00 Robert and Leslie Mournful Robert cries after hearing the confession
116 transition 1:19:41 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie Foxtrot No.3 Leslie leaves the party, stares at the moon, and is worried
126 1:25:39 Leslie Distraught Leslie cries
127 1:26:07 Underscoring (Mysterious) Leslie talks to Robert
128 1:26:36 Leslie Ethereal Leslie and Robert look at each other
129 1:26:52 Underscoring (Tense) Leslie talks to Robert
130 1:27:06 Robert and Leslie Tense Leslie talks to Robert
131 1:28:04 Deception Lohengreenish Robert asks for Leslie's love and devotion
132 1:29:01 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie 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 Leslie Reckoning Mrs. Hammond walks away and we see Leslie's dead body
145 NIF Robert and Leslie The Body
146 resolution 1:33:58 Foxtrot No.3 Camera pans to the party going on in the house
147 1:34:18 Leslie Foxtrot No.3B Leslie's lacework
148 1:34:28 Leslie Ending Camera pans to the moon and The End title appears
149 end title sequence 1:34:41 Letter End credits
150 1:34:44 Leslie End Title End credits