Old Acquaintance **** (1943, Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, Gig Young) – Classic Movie Review 2,696

The polished 1943 comedy romantic drama film Old Acquaintance stars Bette Davis as Kit Marlowe and Miriam Hopkins as the bitchy Millie Drake. Davis said: ‘Miriam was her usual self. Director Vincent Sherman said he felt like an umpire in a fight ring.’

Director Vincent Sherman’s polished 1943 film Old Acquaintance stars Bette Davis, who plays Katherine (Kit) Marlowe in this Warner Bros comedy romantic drama movie version of John Van Druten’s play that enjoyed a modest Broadway success in 1941 with 170 performances.

The original director Edmund Goulding (who was replaced before shooting by Vincent Sherman) brought in Miriam Hopkins for the part of the bitchy Mildred (Millie) Drake, since the two actresses had teamed together so well on screen in The Old Maid.

And, perhaps surprisingly, Davis approved the choice of her co-star, although she expected fireworks on set as Hopkins had a reputation for being difficult, and of course so did Davis. Both had battled on and off screen on The Old Maid and Davis had accused Hopkins of unprofessional conduct. Davis said of her on Old Acquaintance: ‘Miriam was her usual self. Sherman said he felt like an umpire in a fight ring.’

The 20-year tale follows the careers of two novelist friends, Kit, a critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful author and playwright, and Millie, the writer of a string of bestselling trashy novels. It is a loving but competitive relationship sorely tested by troubles in teens, illicit romance, Millie’s troubled husband Preston Drake (John Loder), Kit’s intention of marrying the decade-younger Rudd Kendall (Gig Young), and Millie’s errant daughter Diedre (Dolores Moran).

[Spoiler alert] Kit finally gets enough of Millie’s messing and slaps her (and how Davis must have enjoyed filming this scene!) but the duo end up toasting each other over champagne.

Dressed in costumes by Orry-Kelly, the well-heeled two stars kick up a storm in this beautifully crafted, highly enjoyable movie, with an excellent cast. Also in the cast are Philip Reed, Roscoe Karns. Anne Revere, Esther Dale, Ann Codee, Joseph Crehan, Pierre Watkin, Marjorie Hoshelle, George Lessey, Ann Doran, Leona Maricle, Francine Rufo, Frank Mayo, Jimmy Conlin, Frank Darien, Creighton Hale, Jack Mower, Charles Sullivan, Philip Van Zandt, Herbert Rawlinson and Charles Jordan.

Davis said later: ‘I always felt this could have been a super film if we had only filmed the Van Druten play. The addition of the early life of the two characters was definitely contrived and movie-ish.’  For this she had to blame playwright Van Druten and Lenore J Coffee, co-authors of the screenplay.

It was remade as Rich and Famous in 1981 with Candice Bergen and Jacqueline Bisset.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2,696

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Movie Queen (Bette) by Graeme Jukes 2015.