MovieChat Forums > Old Acquaintance (1943) Discussion > In retrospect

In retrospect

posted 16 years ago by we2
9 replies | jump to latest

I always loved Miriam Hopkins. This movie is her tour de force. It's the script that's over the top. Director Sherman, who has rep as being a womans director, must have had fun with this one. They played it like a parody of all the terribly written 30's dramas. However due to Miriam playing this with unmuted energy, Bette Davis' performance here is one of her best. Usually she plays the highly energetic wounded woman (many time unbearablly so), but, being the consumate pro, let Miriam steal the show. Basically this script is undefined; sometimes even comedic, but always unbelievable. Tragic in the end, it left me scratching my head as to what emotion Sherman wanted to leave the audience with. Well worth the time, this is an entertaining classic. Just a side note: All the men in this film are stiff indians who bear an uncanny physical likeness to one another. Classical Hollywood at its best.

Cate Blanchette reminds me so much of Hopkins. Anyone else see the physcial resemblance?

my favorites are Harlow and Garbo. I guess I'm just an old fashion guy

[–] Devinm1978 15 years ago

I thought Miriam Hopkins was terrific in this film. It's her character and the way it was written, and not Miriam's performance, that is slightly comedic. Her antics at times do upstage Bette Davis's character and I do think you are 100% correct - Bette the movie star probably wanted to kill her for this but Bette the professional made the right choice in letting her do.

Most of my favorite Bette Davis performances, the ones I think are her best, are when she was played opposite other women (this film, All About Eve, The Old Maid, Baby Jane). I think she was at her best when she met her match - other actresses who were just as ambitious and talented as she. I remember a quote where she said something like 'so what if I never worked with Gable, Cooper, or Grant? They had their movies and I had mine' and I think this is so true - Davis was one of the only screen divas whose presence was almost masculine in its complete overpowering of the screen (Katharine Hepburn and Mae West are the only other 2 I can think of). Putting Davis opposite one of those matinee idol hunks just wouldn't have worked - perhaps that's why she was often paired with lightweights (George Brent, pre-stardom Humphrey Bogart, the young Henry Fonda).

My only regret is that she and Hopkins didn't make more films together. Or that she never starred with Stanwyck or Hepburn. Ah, the wishes of a classic film fanatic!

[–] Crawfordfan 15 years ago

"My only regret is that she and Hopkins didn't make more films together. Or that she never starred with Stanwyck or Hepburn."

An ingénue Davis starred in the early Stanwyck vehicle, 'So Big' (1932)! Not a highlight of either woman's career, but worth checking out!

[–] TheDuchessofM 15 years ago

I see Reese Witherspoon when I look at Miriam Hopkins. But I LOVED her in this film. I couldn't work up enough hate for her because her husband married her, knowing full well the type of personality she had.

[–] jackboot 14 years ago

Director Sherman, who has rep as being a womans director, must have had fun with this one.

Sherman has stated in interviews that he hated that label of being a "woman's director".

From his smug boasting of his affairs with his actresses, and naming names publicly of his conquests, like Bette Davis, maybe he should have been branded a "womanizing director".

[–] supertrav77 14 years ago

Miriam Hopkins is undoubtedly one of the most under-appreciated actresses of the golden age. Because she was at Paramount for many years and TCM doesn't own the rights to that catalogue, her movies don't get played nearly as often as they should (ditto Constance Bennet, Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, etc).

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] cookiela2001 13 years ago

<< Miriam Hopkins is undoubtedly one of the most under-appreciated actresses of the golden age. >>

One of the only earlier films I've seen her in is Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. She's excellent in it, although I'm not sure if it's real "talent" (whatever that really is) that makes her so watchable, or just very electric charisma.

I would like to see The Story of Temple Drake, which is based on an interesting, notorious novel.

[–] netshopper-2 14 years ago

Miriam was fine but not on Bette's level. I thought she did better in this than she did in The Old Maid. This film was done during the tail end of her popularity.

Her face at times reminded me of Joan Van Ark circa Knot's Landing.

[–] kenny-164 10 years ago

about the ending, I would not call it happy or unhappy. In fact I loved it for what I consider, if one accepts the characters as written (which is somewhat debatable that one should), a realistic ending for them. I suppose the ending does not rule out future romantic relationships for either or both of them with other men, but as far as the time and circumstances addressed by the ending, it makes sense. Their friendship has survived, and they value it the more highly for its having survived. I like it.