Often thought of as a "neglected" Bette Davis film, Payment on Demand is a good, solid marital drama blessed with a spot-on star turn from the actress. Payment was overshadowed by the fact that it came right after All About Eve, and was considered inferior stuff after that true classic. On its own terms, however, Payment is an intriguing and involving look at a couple in the throes of divorce. True, it's a bit manipulative and more interested in scoring dramatic points than in delving with total honesty into the problems surrounding this marriage (and it also loses some impact due to having adhere to the Hays Code), but even so, Payment packs a nice punch and does manage to take a more truthful look at some of the issues it presents than many other films of the era would. And while it may be manipulative, the screenplay is also undeniably engaging, thanks in large part to the assured manner in which Curtis Bernhardt directs it. For example, while he makes sure there are plenty of fireworks scenes, he also finds opportunity for quieter moments, such as the opening "I want a divorce" segment for Barry Sullivan. Davis is in altogether excellent form -- a harridan one moment, a mass of vulnerability the next. Sullivan does quite well, and Jane Cowl is marvelous in a supporting role. Leo Tover's cinematography, especially in the flashbacks, is especially noteworthy.