User reviews

A classic woman's film in the best sense of the word, "Old Acquaintance" was remade by George Cukor as "Rich and Famous" and echoed in the final scenes of Pedro Almodovar's "La Flor de Mi Secreto." Such is the enduring appeal of this tale of a friendship between two women that continues throughout their lives despite rivalries, temperament, and love affairs. Of course with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins as the women, the film rises from melodramatic soap opera to a higher level. Davis plays Kit, a serious, sensitive writer, whose interests lie principally in her work. Hopkins plays Millie, a self-absorbed woman who envies her friend's success, but is determined to have everything: a writing career, a home, and a family. While Kit writes critically lauded books and plays, Millie produces a steady stream of best selling romantic novels. While Millie becomes wealthy beyond measure, Kit remains appreciated if not rich. However, Kit's warmth attracts the affections of not only Millie's increasingly estranged husband, but also her neglected daughter.

Thus, the stage is set for emotional clashes between the two writers that provide Davis and Hopkins with some juicy material. Hopkins in particular chews the scenery, wrings her hands, and emotes outrageously. Davis, on the other hand, underplays her role more than usual, although the Davis eyes and inflections remain. Perhaps she understood that the histrionics of more than one actress would be too much for the audience to bear. However, during one classic outburst, Davis unexpectedly does steal a scene from Hopkins and provoke a startled laugh from the audience. With two strong women at its center, the men in "Old Acquaintance" understandably play support. John Loder is all bland good looks as Millie's husband, and a handsome Gig Young does little besides look handsome and play the too-young romantic interest for Davis.

With the exception of Deidre, Hopkins' daughter, the other major female roles also involve working women. Although Davis's maid may be a domestic, she does work and earn her own living. The reporter who interviews Hopkins and Loder is a gender-neutral role, but perhaps to emphasize the centrality of women to the story, another strong actress, Anne Revere, was cast. In fact, besides Loder and Young, most of the men in the film play waiters, taxi drivers, night clerks, playboys, and drunks. Newcomer Dolores Moran, who plays Deidre, was out of her league with Davis and Hopkins and comes across as shallow and unconvincing. Her erotic gyrations to seduce Gig Young in a listening booth and her defiant dalliance with an older playboy are at odds with the character and image of Kit, who was supposedly Deidre's role model.

Fast paced, lush, and romantic, "Old Acquaintance" is one of those movies that "they just don't make anymore." The dialog is delicious, the performances occasionally border on camp, and the direction is sure-handed. With a box of chocolates, a wad of Kleenex, and a bottle of flat champagne, Bette and Miriam are the perfect friends for a rainy afternoon.

Long before "Beaches" and "The Turning Point", there was the film "Old Acquaintance" (1937?). Focusing on the familiar theme of longtime friendship that is tainted by jealousy and competition, one of the most remarkable things about it is that Davis actually plays the "nice" one this time around. "Old Acquaintance" begins with Kit (Davis), a writer who turns out books that appeal to female intellectuals, returns home to visit her old friend Millie (Hopkins). Kit and Millie basically grew up together, and despite Kit's seriousness and drive and Millie's concern for all things material, the two have forged a friendship that is pretty tight. When we first meet the two, Millie, married and pregnant with her first (and only) child, decides that she too can become an authoress, only she is going to write what she thinks the public wants; torrid potboilers (ala Danielle Steel) that are high on the sappy melodrama, and low on the substance meter. When Millie finds eventual success and becomes extremely wealthy, churning out book after book, her husband Pres (Loder), and child, Didi begin to feel neglected and eschewed, thanks to Millie's highly materialistic and "queen bee" attitude. They both turn to Kit, who has managed to stick around through all of this, Pres falling in love with her, and Didi looking to Kit as a surrogate mother. Despite Kit having reciprocal feelings for Pres, she insists that they can never come to fruition since Millie is her best friend, so he divorces Millie and leaves. Years later, still a success, Millie finds out that Kit and Pres were in love at one point, and despite the fact that neither followed through with their feelings, Millie blames Kit, now an accomplished and respected playwright, eventually turning Didi, now in her late teens, against her. The drama is further heightened when Kit finally agrees to marry Rudd (Young), her younger lover, right when he meets and falls in love with Didi, causing further conflict and heartache until Kit and Millie are left with the prospect of only being left with the other, despite their serious issues over the years.

I really enjoyed "Old Acquaintance" because it had all of the elements of a great melodrama; back-stabbing, unrealized and tragic love, Bette Davis. Whether she is playing the good soul or the evil one (most likely the latter), Davis does drama the best, and "Old Acquaintance" is a fine example of her work. Hopkins, who I previously have seen playing fairly harmless and airy characters in ("The Heiress") as well as endangered and misunderstood (the wrongfully accused school teacher in "These Three") really rolls up her sleeves and digs into this part with obvious relish. She is fantastic, and while you spend most of the movie hating her, you can't help but admire how well Hopkins performs the role. The supporting cast of Loder and Young are fairly solid, and Loder in particular is great as the put-upon, romantic and downtrodden husband. Part of you wants to smirk and call him a wuss and part of you wishes you could date him.

The story itself is full and solidly carries itself well from the beginning of the film until the end. Coupled with good acting and a couple of great slaps courtesy of La Davis, "Old Acquaintance" was a good, meaty film that I watched with great relish, wondering where it had been for the last 20 years I have spent watching all things classic film, and in particular, Bette Davis. There was nothing stupendous about "Old Acquaintance" that made me speak in tongues or anything, but it is a wonderful film that has fallen into relative obscurity over the years that deserves to be seen and enjoyed. 8/10 --Shelly

Just why this unusually literate, fairly intelligent and very well-acted film isn't yet available on video is a mystery. Bette Davis does a beautiful job playing writer Kit Marlowe and Miriam Hopkins, while a little overripe at times, does a fine job as her best friend and sometime nemesis, Millie Drake. The supporting cast is first-rate: Gig Young is very appealing and handsome in one of his earliest film roles, Dolores Moran is both sensitive and cheeky as Hopkin's confused daughter, and Esther Dale is splendid as Ms Marlowe's maid. The film revolves around Davis and Hopkins, their mutual friendship, jealousies via a love triangle, and their rivalry as authors: Davis is the noble, staid serious writer of quality literature, whereas Hopkins becomes wildly successful as the writer of sensational trashy love stories. The rather bland John Loder plays Millie's husband who takes a shine to Kit.

Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, the stars of the classic 1939 film THE OLD MAID, reunite for this tale which spans twenty years in the love/hate relationship of two female friends who become competitive not only professionally, but in their personal lives as well. This one is a real dandy. Davis is her inimitably intense self, and she's matched all the way by the great Miriam Hopkins who was at her peak on-screen in the '30's. While this is often referred to as Davis' picture, Miriam holds her own. These ladies are truly two of the finest actresses to ever grace the Hollywood screen and deliver Oscar-caliber performances. The confrontation scene where Davis shakes the living daylights out of Hopkins is a high example of art imitating life because Davis and Hopkins weren't exactly the best of friends in real-life either. For some reason, this gem has never been released to video, but naturally the dreadful remake with Candice Bergen and Jacqueline Bissett(RICH AND FAMOUS) has.

This must be one of the most under-rated of the Bette Davis films. At its heart is a brilliant screenplay and two extraordinary performances.

John Van Druten and Lenore Coffee have taken Van Druten's play and created a camp masterpiece. The lines are nearly as funny as those in "All About Eve" eg "Why do I always look like a ninety-year old hag when I want to look like Shirley Temple."

And Bette and Miriam, who apparently hated each other, give stunning performances. Miriam is something of a horror here, all superficial bubble and vicious back-stabbing jealousy. Bette is nicer but can be just as catty. Their scenes together are pure joy. The male characters pale next to these goddesses - it's a wonder they bother with them at all.

Don't miss this one - you'll love it!

Chatty, entertaining and well-acted drama with comedic trimmings has lifelong friends Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins both becoming writers: Davis, the literary authoress who charms the critics but can't score a bestseller; Hopkins, the fluttery, popular novelist of romantic fiction. Director Vincent Sherman does a good job at bringing this all to a boil, and yet there's too much breathless soap opera packed into the last act (the fault of the screenwriters, working from a play) and it eventually becomes fatiguing. Still, Hopkins does a high-wire act with her performance that is quite nimble (she's pitched very high but is never grating). Davis starts off very fresh and natural, but as her character ages and becomes glamorously middle-aged, Bette's affectations and mannerisms tread a self-parody; she's good throughout the film, yet one longs for more of that earthy quality she displays in the film's first hour. A fine "woman's picture" nevertheless, with some unusually good dialogue and well-paced sequences. *** from ****

Bette Davis really has her hands full in Vincent Sherman's 1943 gem, in which she battles it out with an "Old Acquaintance". The woman vs. woman war, so prominent in the films of the 1930s, '40s and '50s, gets some serious ammunition with this classic film. As excellent as it is, it is unfortunately not available on VHS/DVD, nor does it get the recognition bestowed upon many of Davis' other, and dare I say, lesser movies.

Davis plays writer Kit Marlowe, a woman who is unable to find true happiness as she selflessly puts the needs of her childhood friend, Milly(Miriam Hopkins), ahead of her own desires. Milly, a self-absorbed, insecure - even childlike - housewife is constantly in competition with Kit. As the two woman have successes over the years, their friendship endures strains, but never totally collapses. The battle between them even extends to Milly's teenage daughter(Dolores Moran)during the later years of their lives.

Davis nails the cattiness, insecurity and self-effacing humor that embodies Kit. Hopkins also succeeds as Milly. Even though Milly's self-destructive jealousies border on tedious and Hopkins almost succumbs to over-acting, Hopkins manages to pull back the reigns just in time. As good as "Old Acquaintance" is, however, there are moments that just don't ring true. For example, why wouldn't a teenage Deirdre(Moran)recognize her own father(John Loder), even if she hadn't seen him in a decade? Surely she would have seen a photo or had a faint memory. Despite that, though, this is a great classic just waiting to be restored and released. Fine writing, classic lines, smooth direction and stellar performances are what drive this film. One of Davis' finest and a shining entry into the women's genre.

What a surprise to see Bette Davis playing a completely positive character. She looked gorgeous as well. Excellent writing and direction. Miriam Hopkins is an equal partner to Bette Davis but her over the top performance made we want to shake her, well, Bette took care of it too.

There is no contest here.....the Star, Davis runs off with the film while "the star", Hopkins rants like a drunken fishwife and makes herself look like a contestant at amateur night. I have never been a Hopkins fan and this film validates my opinion........she is shrill and over the top.

The film is another of those "women's pictures" so popular in the 30s and 40s and holds up well in that genre. I won't repeat the plot as it has been covered in other reviews. Davis is looking good as the professional woman that she portrays and although she does her typical schtick with cigarettes and hand gestures, she is a little more subdued than usual. You can almost believe her affair with the boyish Gig Young and her sorrow as it ends. You, however, can never believe that the elegant John Loder could have been married to Hopkins.......he belonged with Davis but it was not to be. My favorite scene has to be when Davis shakes the snot out of Hopkins and since it has been reported that they didn't like each other, I'm sure it was Bette's favorite scene as well.

If you like soap operas and sacrifice, then this film is for you. It's not as bad as it appears initially.

Most of the time watching this I was thinking Bette is playing the wrong female role of this move, she should be the self-obsessed narcist. She is not that good in this type of role here, the quiet contained reserved dignified loner. Olivia de Havilland would be perfect for it; Bette approaches it wrong. In wanting to be low key she comes out arrogant and passive aggressive. It's not that she is bad but seems like there is no drive to her acting, like she is just doing a job just to get it over with. The other actress is not good either, actually even worse. She is playing in a totally different type of movie, a farcical comedy not drama. Sometimes she is hilarious, but I don't think it was intentional. Or I just completely misinterpreted the genre of this movie. Only in the last scene I get it that the whole point and story of this movie is love and lifelong friendship of two women whit all the ups and downs through time. And it has a very depressing line all through it, if it was supposed to be a chick comedy, especially regarding Bette's character.

Hollywood was still at the height of the "women's films" with stars like Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins sharing the screen in stories with romantic notions. This one is pure soap suds, but just try to look away when these two real-life enemies share the close-ups.

The two portray authors--one a sensitive, thoughtful woman (Bette Davis), the other a shrewish housewife who writes pulp fiction (Miriam Hopkins). The two share the ups and downs of a rocky relationship when the lesser writer becomes famous for her trash and loses her ignored husband (John Loder). A very young Gig Young provides some romantic interest for Davis--until she sensibly concludes that he is too young for her. At the end, the two women are left facing middle-age together and, as they sit before a roaring fireplace, toast each other to the fadeout strains of Franz Waxman's music.

All of this plays like a Cosmopolitan magazine story of the '40s but is made to seem intelligent and likeable by the sheer magnetism of Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, never better than here. Hopkins sinks her teeth into the role of a nasty bitch--and Davis is unusually even-tempered until the scene where she shakes the living daylights out of Hopkins.

Forget the 1982 remake directed by George Cukor--like most remakes, it lacked the ingredients that made the original such a treat.

Film follows the friendship of two friends from 1924 to 1943. One is "Kit" Marlowe (Bette Davis) who writes serious books that never make money. The other is Mildred Drake (Miriam Hopkins) who writes pulp novels by the dozens...and makes tons of money. Also involved is Preston Dake (John Loder) Mildred's husband, her high strung daughter Deirdre (Dolores Moran) and Rudd Kendall (a ridiculously young Gig Young) who wants to marry Kit.

Next to "Now Voyager" this is my favorite Bette Davis film. It's beautifully done with a good script, direction and acting. It's never dull and the passing of years is done great. Hopkins is WAY over the top here screeching most of her lines, marching across a room, arms flying, eyes wide open...but it fits her character. Davis is much more low-key and it works beautifully. The contrasts of the two characters is right on target. It's well known that the two actresses hated each other but it actually helps the movie. At one point Davis has to calmly reach out and grab Hopkons and shake her violently. It's a GREAT scene. The supporting cast is good too except for Loder. WAY too wooden in his role. Still this is a great movie well worth catching. Updated and remade in 1981 as "Rich and Famous". That's also a good movie but not as good as this one.

Enjoyable melodrama is even more so if you are aware of the back stage tension between the stars. Having costarred with Miriam Hopkins in The Old Maid several years previously and finding it a wearing situation Bette had no desire to do so again. She really wanted to make this with Norma Shearer but Norma turned it down and retired so Miriam was in and it became an ordeal that Bette bristled about whenever asked to the end of her life. That conflict seems to have fed into the spark between the actresses on screen and gave a lot of energy to their scenes. That energy is missing from the rest of the movie whenever either lady is not on screen because the other featured players John Loder and Dolores Moran while attractive are missing that spark that makes a star and their contributions are minor. Anne Revere, glamorized for once, has an amusing scene as a reporter who respects one of the ladies as a writer and not the other.

Old Acquaintance started as a Broadway play by John Van Druten and ran 170 performances during the 1940-41 season. It is the quintessential star vehicle and two Broadway legends, Jane Cowl and Peggy Wood played the rival women on stage. On screen the film version stars Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins and in this instance it really helped to have two women who positively loathed each other in real life. Helped enormously with their performances.

The two are childhood friends and rival authors, Bette is a writer of seriously acclaimed classics that just don't sell and Miriam is the Jacqueline Susann of the pair, a writer of potboiler trash fiction that the public eats up. For reasons never explained by the film, Miriam nurses a pent up jealousy over Bette which Davis patiently bears throughout most of the film which takes place over a twenty year period in their lives. Davis rightly can't figure it out, Miriam is the one with the husband and child both of whom she smothers with her overbearing personality.

The Broadway play which took place in only one setting, the Davis character's apartment was considerably expanded for the screen and I will say that the play's stage origins are barely noticeable. The play and the film are strictly vehicles for the two stars, the other players would dare not intrude even if their parts permitted.

Old Acquaintance in the hands of players less capable of Davis and Hopkins would be a disaster. But with the two of them it is one camp treat.

It's a little case of fact melding with fiction in Old Acquaintance. Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins had an off-screen feud, due to Bette having an affair with Miriam's husband. Brought together by the studio for a publicity stunt, they actually promoted Old Acquaintance by posing for photos with boxing gloves.

The movie focuses on two women who used to be friends but grow apart due to life choices. Bette is a carefree, independent, confident career woman. Miriam is a pregnant housewife married to John Loder. When Bette comes for a visit, everything changes. Miriam miraculously sells a romance novel she wrote on the side, vying for Bette's confidence and career drive. Bette envies Miriam's homelife and becomes attached to her husband and child. Years pass, and the wedge between them deepens, especially as the backstabs become more frequent.

If you liked the animosity between the two actresses in The Old Maid, you'll probably want to check this out. It's definitely not a disappointment, and Bette Davis has one really great scene towards the end to show off her acting chops. It is a bit painful, though, knowing that these two women had to go to work together every day when they hated each other, with great reason. But on the upside, they both look very pretty and get to wear some nice costumes!

I have seen this film many times, and each time is a pleasure. The cast is outstanding, the chemistry of Davis & Hopkins is amazing!! (supposedly they hated each other off screen). I do not own a copy of this film , can anyone help at a reasonable price.. I seems to be out of print... worth seeing again and again

This is a strange movie in several respects.

First, perhaps, is the strong contrast between the understated acting of Bette Davis and the very over-the-top style of Myriam Hopkins.

Second: I kept wondering why Hopkins would have accepted to play such an unsympathetic part.

Third: The male lead, John Loder, though very suave and charming, also comes off as unsympathetic when we learn that he simply abandoned his wife and young daughter for 10 years with no contact.

Fourth: I could not for the life of me understand why Davis' character maintained her so-called friendship with Hopkins' character. Hopkins' character constantly put her down, derided her, was selfish, etc.

There are, in short, a lot of unexplained holes in this movie.

Davis does a good job acting. I honestly don't know what to make of Hopkins' performance. If this is a woman's picture, I can understand why men would not have wanted to be dragged to see it. Too much of it is just too hard to believe.

This never comes up in Bette's "Best Of" lists, but it is very enjoyable and well-acted. I'm not fond of the ending, but due to it being the early 40s I am giving a little leeway there.

Bette plays Kit Marlowe, a serious novelist. Her best friend from childhood is Millie Drake. When Millie sees Kit's success she thinks she can do it too, and surprisingly she is successful with steamy pulp fiction. However, having money turns Millie into a not-so-nice person. She has a good husband, Preston, who she alternately ignores and bosses around, and a daughter Deidre. Meanwhile, Kit aches for the life Millie has....

I do love this little exchange. It accurately describes long standing friendships. Kit tells Preston, "Millie remembers the same things I do, that's important. For instance, she's the only person I know who still remembers when I used to be called Chunky." He tells her, " I'd think you wouldn't want to remember that." She replies, a little sadly, "But one does. Funny, one does."

Bette was very likable in this movie. Usually she comes across as a little aloof or standoffish but in this one she is very relatable. Maybe it's the cute bob she's wearing.

I didn't much like this Bette Davis women's picture from 1943.

It starts out promisingly enough, with Davis as a successful writer paying a visit to childhood friend Miriam Hopkins. Always competitive, Hopkins decides she wants to be a writer too, and finds tremendous success writing popular entertainments while Davis struggles to find an audience for her more artistic endeavors. If the film had continued to examine the relationship between these two artist friends, it might have been engaging. However, it instead goes off on a bunch of standard-issue romantic tangents, all of it the stuff of dull soap opera, none of it very interesting, that feels like a hundred other movies you've seen before from the same time period.

Davis gives one of her best performances up to a point, until the material abandons her. The less said about Hopkins' hysterically unfunny performance, the better.

Grade: C