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IMDbPro

Old Acquaintance

  • 1943
  • Passed
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
Bette Davis and Gig Young in Old Acquaintance (1943)
Trailer for this classic starring Bette Davis
Play trailer2:15
1 Video
20 Photos
DramaMusicRomance

Old friends Kit Marlowe and Millie Drake adopt contrasting lifestyles: Kit is a single, critically acclaimed author while married Millie writes popular pulp novels.Old friends Kit Marlowe and Millie Drake adopt contrasting lifestyles: Kit is a single, critically acclaimed author while married Millie writes popular pulp novels.Old friends Kit Marlowe and Millie Drake adopt contrasting lifestyles: Kit is a single, critically acclaimed author while married Millie writes popular pulp novels.

  • Director
    • Vincent Sherman
  • Writers
    • John Van Druten
    • Lenore J. Coffee
    • Edmund Goulding
  • Stars
    • Bette Davis
    • Miriam Hopkins
    • Gig Young
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    3.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Vincent Sherman
    • Writers
      • John Van Druten
      • Lenore J. Coffee
      • Edmund Goulding
    • Stars
      • Bette Davis
      • Miriam Hopkins
      • Gig Young
    • 48User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Old Acquaintance
    Trailer 2:15
    Watch Old Acquaintance

    Photos20

    Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis, John Loder, Dolores Moran, and Gig Young in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Dolores Moran and Gig Young in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis, Esther Dale, and Miriam Hopkins in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis and Gig Young in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)
    Bette Davis in Old Acquaintance (1943)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bette Davis
    Bette Davis
    • Katherine 'Kit' Marlowe
    Miriam Hopkins
    Miriam Hopkins
    • Mildred 'Millie' Drake
    Gig Young
    Gig Young
    • Rudd Kendall
    John Loder
    John Loder
    • Preston Drake
    Dolores Moran
    Dolores Moran
    • Deirdre'DeDe' Drake
    Phillip Reed
    Phillip Reed
    • Lucian Grant
    • (as Philip Reed)
    Roscoe Karns
    Roscoe Karns
    • Charlie Archer
    Anne Revere
    Anne Revere
    • Belle Carter
    • (as Ann Revere)
    Esther Dale
    Esther Dale
    • Harriet
    Frances Louise Ward
    Frances Louise Ward
    Abigail Adams
    • College Girl
    • (uncredited)
    Brandon Beach
    • Bartender
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Biby
    Edward Biby
    • Garden Room Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Gordon B. Clarke
    Gordon B. Clarke
    • Usher at Radio Broadcast
    • (uncredited)
    Jimmy Conlin
    Jimmy Conlin
    • Frank - Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    Oliver Cross
    • Nightclub Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Ann Doran
    Ann Doran
    • Music Store Saleslady
    • (uncredited)
    Bess Flowers
    Bess Flowers
    • Club Patron
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Vincent Sherman
    • Writers
      • John Van Druten(screenplay) (play)
      • Lenore J. Coffee(screenplay)
      • Edmund Goulding(contributor to screenplay) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bette Davis personally requested the casting of Norma Shearer in the role of Mildred Drake. Shearer refused the role and the part went to Miriam Hopkins.
    • Goofs
      Kit is in bed smoking a cigarette. The cigarette is almost to her finger and the next moment it is longer.
    • Quotes

      Kit Marlowe: Deidre, come out from behind that screen.

      [a pause]

      Kit Marlowe: Deidre, come out, or do you want me to come back there and drag you out.

      Deirdre Drake: [emerging from behind screen] How did you know I was there?

      Kit Marlowe: My dear, I was hiding behind screens before you were born.

    • Connections
      Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Bette Davis (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      Auld Lang Syne
      (1788) (uncredited)

      Traditional 18th century Scottish music

      Played during the opening credits and at the end

    User reviews48

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Old Rivalry
    Long before "Beaches" and "The Turning Point", there was the film "Old Acquaintance" (1937?). Focusing on the familiar theme of longtime friendship that is tainted by jealousy and competition, one of the most remarkable things about it is that Davis actually plays the "nice" one this time around. "Old Acquaintance" begins with Kit (Davis), a writer who turns out books that appeal to female intellectuals, returns home to visit her old friend Millie (Hopkins). Kit and Millie basically grew up together, and despite Kit's seriousness and drive and Millie's concern for all things material, the two have forged a friendship that is pretty tight. When we first meet the two, Millie, married and pregnant with her first (and only) child, decides that she too can become an authoress, only she is going to write what she thinks the public wants; torrid potboilers (ala Danielle Steel) that are high on the sappy melodrama, and low on the substance meter. When Millie finds eventual success and becomes extremely wealthy, churning out book after book, her husband Pres (Loder), and child, Didi begin to feel neglected and eschewed, thanks to Millie's highly materialistic and "queen bee" attitude. They both turn to Kit, who has managed to stick around through all of this, Pres falling in love with her, and Didi looking to Kit as a surrogate mother. Despite Kit having reciprocal feelings for Pres, she insists that they can never come to fruition since Millie is her best friend, so he divorces Millie and leaves. Years later, still a success, Millie finds out that Kit and Pres were in love at one point, and despite the fact that neither followed through with their feelings, Millie blames Kit, now an accomplished and respected playwright, eventually turning Didi, now in her late teens, against her. The drama is further heightened when Kit finally agrees to marry Rudd (Young), her younger lover, right when he meets and falls in love with Didi, causing further conflict and heartache until Kit and Millie are left with the prospect of only being left with the other, despite their serious issues over the years.

    I really enjoyed "Old Acquaintance" because it had all of the elements of a great melodrama; back-stabbing, unrealized and tragic love, Bette Davis. Whether she is playing the good soul or the evil one (most likely the latter), Davis does drama the best, and "Old Acquaintance" is a fine example of her work. Hopkins, who I previously have seen playing fairly harmless and airy characters in ("The Heiress") as well as endangered and misunderstood (the wrongfully accused school teacher in "These Three") really rolls up her sleeves and digs into this part with obvious relish. She is fantastic, and while you spend most of the movie hating her, you can't help but admire how well Hopkins performs the role. The supporting cast of Loder and Young are fairly solid, and Loder in particular is great as the put-upon, romantic and downtrodden husband. Part of you wants to smirk and call him a wuss and part of you wishes you could date him.

    The story itself is full and solidly carries itself well from the beginning of the film until the end. Coupled with good acting and a couple of great slaps courtesy of La Davis, "Old Acquaintance" was a good, meaty film that I watched with great relish, wondering where it had been for the last 20 years I have spent watching all things classic film, and in particular, Bette Davis. There was nothing stupendous about "Old Acquaintance" that made me speak in tongues or anything, but it is a wonderful film that has fallen into relative obscurity over the years that deserves to be seen and enjoyed. 8/10 --Shelly
    helpful•21
    3
    • FilmOtaku
    • Jul 19, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 27, 1943 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Stare poznanice
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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