Old Acquaintance (1943)

Old Acquaintance (1943)

Bette Davis is a serious literary writer who’s enjoyed mild success. She returns to her hometown to visit her childhood friend played by Miriam Hopkins who’s married to John Loder. Hopkins’s character yearns for a life of her own outside of the trappings of her husband and daughter and is inspired by her friend’s visit to try and get her trashy romance novel published. Davis helps her out and of course Hopkins becomes a big success much to the chagrin of Davis and her now neglected husband Loder. Years later Davis is dating Gig Young whom she thinks is about to propose to her but who has actually now fallen for Hopkins’s daughter Dolores Moran. Hopkins’s character wants to reconcile with her own estranged husband Loder who is uninterested but does seem attracted to Davis’s worldly sophistication. The career woman Davis gets an opportunity to be a martyr as she allows Young to pursue Moran and then a savior for Moran who almost makes a mistake with Philip Reed’s character.

Anne Revere (National Velvet (1944)) plays a writer who figures out the relationship between the two women and more. My favorite exchange in this film (filled with great lines) is when Revere’s character comments to Ms. Davis’s that "at least when you (Davis) publish a book it’s a good thing and not like grinding out some sausage." She then recognizes that Ms. Hopkins’s character (to whom she was obviously referring) has overheard and (embarrassed) says "maybe I should just slit my throat" to which Hopkins not missing a beat replies "well there’s a knife on that table over there". Roscoe Karns also appears as a reporter; Esther Dale plays Davis’s longtime maid and confidant.

One of the things that makes this film so enjoyable is the on screen loathing between Davis & Hopkins no real friends off the screen either though they share a great final "reconciliation" scene together – the derivation of the film’s title. Directed by Vincent Sherman this John Van Druten (Gaslight (1944)) play was converted into a screenplay by Van Druten and Lenore Coffee (Four Daughters (1938)). Later remade as Rich and Famous (1981) with Candice Bergen and Jacqueline Bisset.

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