Wow! Such a good movie.

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Pretty Good

People are voting emotionally.

. . . then two OLD MAIDS will be great, Warner Bros. decided in 1943. In this thematic sequel to OLD MAID (1939), Miriam Hopkins and Bette Davis reprise their roles from the earlier film, with even a JEZEBEL reference thrown into the mix. This time the functions of biological and nurturing mother are switched, as it's Hopkins popping out the daughter but Davis becoming the De Facto mom. In another new wrinkle, screenwriters decide to double the number of Great Loves in the sterile life of the Davis character, and to engineer a series of implausible circumstances to have Hopkins' family snuff out ALL of Davis' opportunities for Love Connections. No doubt this was on the direct orders of the U.S. War Department's censors, who reigned supreme over every nuance of Hollywood flicks during the early 1940s. The prospect of Bette Davis birthing baby after baby on the Big Screen was viewed by the Top Brass as a less enticing reason for G.I.'s to fight their way home than Lana Turner and Betty Grable's bare legs. Though Ms. Davis' "Kit" makes a big point of nixing P.J. bottoms here, military censors were unmoved by her Nocturnal Bare-Leggedness

As powerful as Bette Davis was in Hollywood in the early 1940's, the biggest female star of her era wasn't above giving less so another performer could have more. Her subtlety in "The Great Lie" lead to Mary Astor winning an Oscar; She graciously took second fiddle to the outrageous Monty Woolley in "The Man Who Came to Dinner", and allowed Paul Lukas front burner in "Watch on the Rhine" to lead him to his own Oscar as well. For her second pairing with Miriam Hopkins, she simply reacted while Hopkins overacted, and the result was Davis stealing away the film without really trying.Like her character in "The Old Maid" (her first pairing with Hopkins), sympathy ended up being on her side, not Hopkins. At least in "The Old Maid", Hopkins allowed subtly fake charm to dominate her performance. But here, she chews the scenery with so much venom, the meat of her performance never reaches her digestive system. She makes the character of the selfish and silly housewife and mother-to-be so resentful of Davis that it seems that she actually hates every aspect of the character that Davis plays, fictional or not. Whether or not the truth of the rivalry between these two ladies off screen was true or not, Davis acts like it is non-existent, while Hopkins seems determined to upstage her co-star every chance she gets.Even when they are having meaningful heart-to-hearts, Hopkins acts entirely too grand, as if she was the diva in an opera, and the sympathy that should be there for her character (abandoned by her husband after she achieves success as a writer of trashy romantic novels) simply vanishes. After one confrontation, it is obvious that Davis's character (and perhaps Bette herself) has just had enough, quietly shuts the door, walks back to Hopkins after changing her mind about leaving, and you can hear yourself shouting, "Knock her lights out!"Hopkins, so good in her early romantic dramas, sinks to a new low here, and thus after this, was reduced to touring mostly in stock and supporting parts in films where she often bellowed her lines. The one film of her later career that somehow lacked this was a sympathetic role in "The Heiress" where she simply played the role as written. John Loder wins sympathy as Hopkins' husband who smartly walks out after simply having had enough, leaving her with barely a word. Gig Young is handsome as the younger man who proposes to Davis, all the while unknowingly in love with Hopkins and Loder's grown-up daughter (Donna Moran). If you want to see the difference between a braying performance and one with similar selfishness played with realistic acting, watch Moran's initially spoiled brat have her tantrum then slowly return to reality with a glow as she begins to see things beyond her own ego. Esther Dale gets some good moments as Davis's housekeeper, and Anne Revere has a memorable one-scene cameo as a reporter interviewing Davis. Hopkins really does well in this one scene with her reaction to Revere's embarrassment after insulting typical romantic trash novels like herself.In spite of the film's short-comings, this soap opera is fascinating to watch, and one longs to have been an extra or crew member to have witnessed what really went on. Davis makes her acting look so easy, but at times, you begin to feel sorry for everybody in the film and on the set (even Hopkins) because it seems that everybody (including her) must have had a terrible headache because of her constant ranting.

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.

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.