Monday, February 05, 2018
Old Acquaintance
- Commentary: I initiated a new category for this movie, "women's-movie", directly at the suggestion of one of the special features on the movie disk that talks about how this movie is one of a genre of women's movies that went through a heyday in the 40's. I'm sure I have other women's movies in my scroll to the left. I'll be searching them out and tagging them as soon as I publish this write-up.
The friendship described in this movie between Kit Marlowe and Millie Preston is, in spirit, the exact duplicate of a friendship of which I'm a part: begun in childhood for reasons other than mutual attraction; carried on throughout the years partly through habit, partly because one of the members insists and the other does not refuse; one member painfully self-aware, the other dangerously clueless. I'll bet every woman has had (or still has) one such relationship. That, I think, is the attraction of this movie. Even if the superficial details diverge, the emotional details do not. This kind of relationship is superbly presented in this movie, including the ending in which the viewer, I think, is likely to feel sorry for Kit, even as her bravery in this relationship is understood and approved.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis Kit Marlowe Miriam Hopkins Millie Drake Gig Young Rudd Kendall John Loder Preston Drake Dolores Moran Diedre Drake Phillip Reed Lucien Grant Roscoe Karns Charlie Archer Anne Revere Belle Carter Esther Dale Harriet Marjorie Hoshelle Margaret Kemp/Fan Club Leader Francine Rufo Child Diedre Ann Doran Music Store Saleslady
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1943
Directed by Vincent Sherman.
Labels: bette-davis, drama4, miriam-hopkins, popcorn-and-soda2, women's-movie1
