THE OLD MAID (Warner Brothers, 1939), directed by Edmund Goulding, teams Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins (in Warner Brothers debut) for the first time. Being strong-willed women playing strong-willed women, they work against each other with equal standing. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Zoe Atkins, and novel by Edith Wharton, THE OLD MAID is definitely prime Bette Davis drama. Of her four top-releases of 1939, with DARK VICTORY being her most admired (even by Davis herself), THE OLD MAID is a superb production that, in later years has become one of her least televised and revived. George Brent, Davis's most frequent co-star, working together for the ninth time, has only a few scenes during its opening passages, while comedienne, Louise Fazenda, attempts dramatic fare here for what proved to be her final movie role. Being the first movie for which Davis' character is named Charlotte, a name she would use again in NOW, VOYAGER (1942) and HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964), THE OLD MAID is Davis' Charlotte at classic best.
Set during the Civil War, the story opens in 1861 with the wedding of Delia Lobell (Miriam Hopkins) to Jim Ralston (James Stephenson). Two years prior, her fiance, Clem Spender, has left her before returning to her and become a proper husband. Not wanting to wait for his return and become an old maid, Delia breaks off her engagement to marry another. The very day of her wedding, a telegram arrives of Clem's arrival. Feeling it would be of bad taste for Clem to show up on Delia's wedding day, Charlotte (Bette Davis), Delia's cousin who also loves Clem, meets him at the train station with the news, which upsets Clem. He comes to a showdown with Delia, who refuses his love, and leaves. During the wedding ceremony, Charlotte follows Clem to comfort him. Clem later enlists in the war promising to return to Charlotte. After Clem is killed in the war in 1864, Charlotte opens a daycare nursery in 1866 for war orphans, taking a special interest in Clemtina (Marlene Burnett), known only to the family Doctor, Lanksell (Donald Crisp), to be Charlotte's daughter. With Charlotte's plans to marry Jim's brother, Joe (Jerome Cowan), she reveals to Delia that Clemtina to be her out of wedlock daughter with Clem being the father. Both surprised and angered, Delia talks Joe into releasing Charlotte from her marriage. After Delia's husband dies, she arranges for Charlotte and Clemtina to move in with her and her two children for companionship. With this arrangement, and Charlotte unable to reveal Clemtina's past, lets it be known Charlotte to be the Clemtina's spinster aunt with Delia passed off as her mother. Years later in 1884, the now adult Tina (Jane Bryan), having developed her love and compassion towards Delia, resents her "Aunt" Charlotte, who, in her eyes, has become a spiteful old maid, unaware of how her sacrifice is really hurting her. Others in the cast include William Lundigan (Lanning Halsey), Cecilia Loftus (Grandma Henrietta); Rand Brooks (Jim) and DeWolf Hopper (John Ward).
THE OLD MAID is further evidence of being perfect movie material that could never be remade with equal standing. Davis is believable first as a carefree youth with transformation to a bitterly spinster aunt. Fortunately, her aging, as well as Hopkins, do not go overboard with heavy wrinkles from the make-up department. Miriam Hopkins proves her worth in being just as good in a secondary role than she is in the lead. Her performance as the conniving cousin with good-hearted intentions makes this worth viewing. Jane Bryan, in her fourth and last opposite Davis, is delightful in posture as a free-spirited girl who resents her "aunt's" criticism for her actions. Her closing segment in the story is truly heart rendering.
Unseen on television since the 1960s, THE OLD MAID came out of mothballs in the 1980s with cable broadcasts on Cinemax, Showtime and Turner Network Television before becoming a permanent fixture on Turner Classic Movies. Formerly distributed on video cassette in the 1980s, it's currently available on DVD, assuring rediscovery to a movie that deserves further recognition than it deserves. Next and final Davis and Hopkins teaming, OLD ACQUAINTANCE (1943) is also worthy recommendation as well. (****)
Set during the Civil War, the story opens in 1861 with the wedding of Delia Lobell (Miriam Hopkins) to Jim Ralston (James Stephenson). Two years prior, her fiance, Clem Spender, has left her before returning to her and become a proper husband. Not wanting to wait for his return and become an old maid, Delia breaks off her engagement to marry another. The very day of her wedding, a telegram arrives of Clem's arrival. Feeling it would be of bad taste for Clem to show up on Delia's wedding day, Charlotte (Bette Davis), Delia's cousin who also loves Clem, meets him at the train station with the news, which upsets Clem. He comes to a showdown with Delia, who refuses his love, and leaves. During the wedding ceremony, Charlotte follows Clem to comfort him. Clem later enlists in the war promising to return to Charlotte. After Clem is killed in the war in 1864, Charlotte opens a daycare nursery in 1866 for war orphans, taking a special interest in Clemtina (Marlene Burnett), known only to the family Doctor, Lanksell (Donald Crisp), to be Charlotte's daughter. With Charlotte's plans to marry Jim's brother, Joe (Jerome Cowan), she reveals to Delia that Clemtina to be her out of wedlock daughter with Clem being the father. Both surprised and angered, Delia talks Joe into releasing Charlotte from her marriage. After Delia's husband dies, she arranges for Charlotte and Clemtina to move in with her and her two children for companionship. With this arrangement, and Charlotte unable to reveal Clemtina's past, lets it be known Charlotte to be the Clemtina's spinster aunt with Delia passed off as her mother. Years later in 1884, the now adult Tina (Jane Bryan), having developed her love and compassion towards Delia, resents her "Aunt" Charlotte, who, in her eyes, has become a spiteful old maid, unaware of how her sacrifice is really hurting her. Others in the cast include William Lundigan (Lanning Halsey), Cecilia Loftus (Grandma Henrietta); Rand Brooks (Jim) and DeWolf Hopper (John Ward).
THE OLD MAID is further evidence of being perfect movie material that could never be remade with equal standing. Davis is believable first as a carefree youth with transformation to a bitterly spinster aunt. Fortunately, her aging, as well as Hopkins, do not go overboard with heavy wrinkles from the make-up department. Miriam Hopkins proves her worth in being just as good in a secondary role than she is in the lead. Her performance as the conniving cousin with good-hearted intentions makes this worth viewing. Jane Bryan, in her fourth and last opposite Davis, is delightful in posture as a free-spirited girl who resents her "aunt's" criticism for her actions. Her closing segment in the story is truly heart rendering.
Unseen on television since the 1960s, THE OLD MAID came out of mothballs in the 1980s with cable broadcasts on Cinemax, Showtime and Turner Network Television before becoming a permanent fixture on Turner Classic Movies. Formerly distributed on video cassette in the 1980s, it's currently available on DVD, assuring rediscovery to a movie that deserves further recognition than it deserves. Next and final Davis and Hopkins teaming, OLD ACQUAINTANCE (1943) is also worthy recommendation as well. (****)