Movie #1203 "Old Acquaintance" was another Bette Davis movie I saw (rather late I might add) after I watched "Little Foxes" on TCM (Bette Davis' night) , and again I was impressed with her work. Here she plays a completely different person --- more like the person she played in "Now Voyager" (one of my favorite Davis' films), a very giving person who understands what it means to make sacrifices for people whom you love. Here, it's the actress Miriam Hopkins that is chewing up the scenery, and I kept thinking...what if they had switched roles? I think it might have been a better film, except I don't think Hopkins could have played the other part --- she comes across pretty weak and overdone here. She's the weak link in an otherwise well done older film. I like the whole idea of the story. Two women who have been friends through thick and thin, trying to make a living from writing, and Bette gets the first big break in publishing her book and so jealousy ensues (on Hopkins' part, not on Bette's --- she's too nice and caring) Bette plays a pretty nice person all the way through --- when she is tempted to take hopkins' husband, she says it is wrong and backs off. She cares for Hopkins' daughter and explains her mother for her --- and when the girl and she are both in love with the same man, well, you can guess what has to happen. I think the best scene, the climax, the telling off of each other scene, works so well because you believe Bette's character, who finally tells Hopkins off and it is well worth the wait. I give this 4 stars out of 5 mostly for Bette!
OLD ACQUAINTANCE 1943, 1 hour and 50 minutes
Acclaimed author Kit Marlowe (Bette Davis) returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her melodramatic friend Millie Drake (Miriam Hopkins), who's now married to Kit's old crush Preston (John Loder). Trouble brews when Millie gets inspired to publish a trashy novel she's wrtten. When Millie's newfound fame outshines Kit's, the once-contented Preston becomes disillusioned with his wife's new ego -- and finds himself attracted to Kit.
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