In the film version of “Little Foxes,” an entirely new character, David, is added. While most of the characters in the play are obsessed with financial gain and are quite selfish, David offers a contrasting character. David provides a sense of relief against a cast of characters who are morally quite ugly. David played a significant role of offering opinions on the moral character of modeling them and giving them the way forward for all conflicts which emerged in the course of the play give the film a very calm atmosphere free from all forms of disorder. He served an important role of being a mediator in the action. David’s character adds a stark contrast to the other characters. In a sense, he demonstrates how terrible and greedy the other characters are. He makes the fact that greed rules the other characters motives more obvious. Where in the play it shows that the power was in control of the Hubbards that is totally against the production code. In the play Regina won against her brothers and husband. Even though her role was to be an evil women.
Another way that the movie departs from the original play is that many lines of dialogue are left out. In particular, we see that much of the dialogue that was left out is that which points out racist ideas that existed in the culture of the South at the time the play was written. It is interesting that the director decided to leave these points out because racist ideology was so important to the culture of that time. However, it is also important to note that some audience members may have been extremely offended by the inclusion of racist ideas in the movie. Leaving out the points of racism likely gave the movie a larger audience base.
Another huge way that the movie departs from the play is that the ending is quite different. The play leaves the viewer hanging a bit, however, the film version provides a sense of closure. It could be supposed that the movie offers a different ending because of the nature of the film industry. Unless a sequel is expected, most films need to provide a sense of closure for the audience. The ending of the movie is dependent on the characters’ action and character traits. These factors lead up to a culmination that leaves the viewer feeling that the action is actually over.
One of the major themes that can be taken away from both the film and the play is that human nature is often powered by greed. A viewer will certainly not walk away with a restored faith in humanity. Even with the missing lines, the movie explains and expresses the emotions of people more clearly. The film is also enhanced by using the very convincing acting skills of Bette Davis. Her performance unfolds beautifully and leads to the viewer having a better understanding of the action of the film and the characters that are important to the story.
“The Little Foxes” movie and film versions depart in various ways from one another. The addition of another character, the deletion of dialogue, and the change in the ending for the movie version only serve to better illustrate the themes to the audience. The film was adapted to appeal to a wider audience and fit the constraints of the film industry. In the end of both, the theme that is taken away is that greed may bring us wealth, but it can never bring us happiness.