Old Acquaintance (1943)

To me, this movie is perfection.

hyped garbage

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Captivating movie !

Mom and I used to watch 1940s movies on TV in the 50s. She liked this one, starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins as two childhood friends who become competing authors. Hopkins' character is quite plainly crazy, but in reality, she was quite insecure about Davis's fame. They had this big feud, though you sure couldn't tell it from the film. My Mom never dreamed of what was going on in real life with those two. At least, I don't think she did.

Bette Davis gets my vote for all-time best female actress. I have many of her films on DVD...but I'm not tempted to purchase this one. But, it's not because of Bette Davis.One reason is that, in my view, the film sort of wanders. I got to thinking that if someone asked me what the film was about in ONE sentence, I couldn't tell them. It would take a paragraph...or more.But importantly, this film finally answered a question I have long had. Was Miriam Hopkins a really good actress? After watching this film a couple of times, I have come to the conclusion that the answer is NO! NO! A thousand times NO! I think she is horrible and over-the-top in this film, and frankly I have grown tired of her frequent performances as a foolish ninny. Perhaps some others agreed, since after this film she didn't make another movie for 6 long years. If you want to watch a horrid performance, perhaps this is a good reason for you to watch this film. And the famous scene where Bette Davis violently shakes her (which even Davis claims she enjoyed doing in a realistic manner)...shaking her was not enough. She should have slapped her a few times, as well.Davis' performance her is quite good. Isn't it always? This is the "good Davis" you'd probably enjoy knowing.Gig Young has a supporting role here, and it's nice to see another of his early films where he showed a flair for drama, rather than his later films where he seemed to always show up as the lead male actor's best pal. John Loder, as Hopkin's husband, is very pleasant here, and he's in a role that is very sympathetic. And, Esther Dale is wonderful, as always, playing the maid.In terms of plot, in my view it wanders. You're unlikely to be able to get a grasp of where the story is going. At first this is refreshing when you assume Mariam Hopkins book is going to be awful and she will hate Bette Davis for telling her so. Instead, Hopkins goes on to write pop books that sell, while Davis writes deeper books that don't sell, but impress the critics. And so the film takes off in a different direction than you expect, and continues to do so throughout.I enjoyed Bette Davis here, and most of the rest of the cast, but Mariam Hopkins is so awful it's entertaining...but for all the wrong reasons. Still, it's worth watching at least once.

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.

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.