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.

The context for this film makes it a lot more interesting to watch. Several years before this movie was made, Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins also starred in "Old Maid". During this filming, the two volatile actresses fought like dogs. It got so bad that Davis even ended up sleeping with Hopkins' husband--and they truly hated each other. In fact, the acrimony between them was far worse than the much publicized feud between Davis and Joan Crawford. How they got these two together for another film is curious, but Davis must have enjoyed it immensely, as she played a woman who was practically a saint and Hopkins was forces to play someone who is thoroughly despicable.

The film begins in the 1920s. Davis is returning to her old home town after man years' absence. In the interim, she's become a well-respected author and the town is gearing up for her return. However, of all the people anticipating, the one who has put the most energy into it is Hopkins. It seems she and Davis grew up together and Hopkins has grand plans about their reunion. However, it soon becomes obvious that Hopkins really wants to be the center of attention and when others intrude on her plans, she becomes furious and behaves like a child. Davis and Hopkins are able to patch things up--mostly because Davis (like she did throughout the film) made a lot of allowances for friend. In other words, she bit her tongue and remembered how much she cared for her.

During this tempestuous reunion, the very shallow Hopkins announces that she thinks it must not be that difficult to become a famous author and she's decided to become one, too! A normal friend would have been annoyed, but Davis takes this in a good-natured way. Amazingly, after a few more years, Hopkins IS a famous author. While not as well-respected as Davis, her books are smash successes. Unfortunately, while she is now rich and famous, her immaturity and selfishness have been allowed to blossom. Though in love with herself, he daughter is more like a household object and her husband can't stand her. Eventually, the husband divulges to Davis that he loves her and asks her to marry him, but Davis is too good a person and sends him packing.

Over time, Davis and Hopkins remain friends. However, as throughout the entire film you wonder why! After all, Hopkins is thoughtless and self-centered. But, Davis is always her friend--helping her raise her daughter (since the husband had long since left). Hopkins' horridly selfish life gets more and more difficult for those around her and the viewer is left to wonder how much longer this will go until Davis kills her. Well, this does lead to one of the best showdowns in film--the scene between them is a true classic. However, by the end, even after this big showdown, the two are reunited as friends--a very dissatisfying ending for an otherwise perfect film.

While there is a lot more to the film than this (including a subplot involving Gig Young and the grown daughter of Hopkins),but this is really not all that important--the fireworks between Hopkins and Davis are. That is THE reason to watch this film. And, despite the DVD having a short entitled "Old Acquaintance: A Classic Woman's Picture" and having commentary by a gay man throughout the commentary track, I hate when films are seen as a 'woman's film'--"Old Acquaintance" is a wonderful film regardless who watches it! This is one straight man who had a thoroughly wonderful time watching!

By the way, I have read quite a bit about both actresses and can say that both had enormous egos and many around them hated them (though there were many exceptions as well). But, at least in the case of Davis, despite being a rather nasty person, she was a heck of a terrific actress. As for Hopkins, her temperamental nature appears to have led to her once-promising career to have fizzled soon after "Old Acquaintance".

'Old Acquaintance' is the second film that Bette Davis made with Miriam Hopkins. The first being 1939's 'The Old Maid', a very good film. So there were high hopes somewhat, and the fact that Franz Waxman was on board as composer and that the premise sounded really interesting furthered my interest. Vincent Sherman also did some good films. It was amazing though that there was a reunion with Davis and Hopkins, considering that their hatred of each other was so well-publicised (just as much as the notorious feud of Davis and Joan Crawford).

After seeing it, my impression of 'Old Acquaintance' was that it was a very good film. Melodramatic certainly and unashamedly so (like 'The Old Maid'),but very atmospheric and entertaining. The performances of and chemistry between Davis and Hopkins are the main reasons to see 'Old Acquaintance', being electrifying in the way that some of the rest of the film is not. There are so many great things with the film besides these two, but it is with them where it really comes to life.

Davis is beautifully restrained, as the infinitely more likeable of the characters, and conveys a lot of emotion without resorting to over-exaggerated histrionic. Very like her performance in 'The Old Maid', sorry for comparing but considering that the two films have a few things in common it is hard not to. Like that film too, Hopkins is less subtle and has a very machiavellian character. A character that she plays to the fever-pitch hilt to the point it's almost scary. Their chemistry together really scorches and thrillingly so, and the often mentioned moment where Davis shakes Hopkins is one of the most satisfying scenes of any of Davis' early films.

They are not the only reasons to see it as said. 'Old Acquaintance' is sumptuously designed and shot. It is also sympathetically directed while still allowing the two stars have fun. Waxman's score sweeps and swells with so much passion and haunting beauty of tone, fitting the film's dramatic tone without over-emphasising. The script is intelligent and sharp, not low on substance either. Loved too the tension in the story and for obvious reasons too. Gig Young, Anne Revere and Esther Dale do well with what they have, though they deserved more.

It is a shame though that the rest of the cast don't register that much, part of the problem for most being that the supporting roles are mostly too small and written dully. The male characters have nothing to them at all. The weak link of the cast and the film is John Loder, have not seen a performance this bland or wooden in a fortnight.

Like a good deal of melodramas at the time, the ending is too pat.

Summing up, has its problems but very good and fabulous in the cases of Davis, Hopkins and their chemistry. 8/10