The Old Maid (1939)

Do things in life get so complicated that all seems to be a chain of desperate movements within a spider's web of confusion? Can human relations turn out to be so intensely complex and unendurable? Can pretense culminate through years in order to burst out at last or make the heart still for good? Something quite rare in real life, perhaps, but quite frequent on the screen. One of classic representatives of a drama where so much is being felt yet so much being left unsaid is a play by Zoe Akins which inspired screenwriter Casey Robinson and director Edmund Goulding to adapt it to the screen in 1939. Initially, it had been a project by Lubitsch within the Paramount studio with the leading roles planned for Judith Anderson and Helen Menken. That, however, had not materialized. Instead, this Warner Bros production stands out as one of the key entertainments of its time. Goulding's subtle direction can be analyzed as a model from different points; Robinson proved to be faithful to the theatrical source making only some little alternations for the moral requirements of the Code; Tony Gaudio's cinematography boasts of some outstanding moments with striking undertones of images...but those important aspects are not where the movie's true strength lies. It does lie in the cast who make a rather 'unattractive' (for today's viewers) content highly interesting.BETTE DAVIS and MIRIAM HOPKINS in the roles of 'Mrs Stubborn' and 'Mrs Serious,' as the two sisters nickname each other, have equal screen time as female co-stars. That makes THE OLD MAID not merely a vehicle for the Warner Bros star (Davis) but a highly unique, sometimes extremely controversial collaboration of the two. The treasure of skill and movie's major merit is not really hers (Davis's) but theirs...It is impossible to say whose performance is better; that would never be an idea of looking at the film. It is enough to state that the two prove unusual talents and extraordinarily generous acting. The lives of the two actresses crossed at the moment, faced conflicts. Consequently, those emotions are excellently put into all the effect they achieve together on the screen. While Davis was an important star of Warner studios at the time, Hopkins, unfortunately, remained underrated though she already had some great roles behind her. As far as Bette Davis is concerned, I totally agree with New York Times reviewer Frank S Nugent who observed: "Miss Davis has given a poignant and wise performance, hard and austere of surface; yet communicating through it the deep tenderness, the hidden anguish of the heart broken mother." Her portrayal, with the time span of one generation, is supplied with undeniably broad emotions and torments that she pays seeing herself in her own daughter - the girl who was hers only when being very little and who, as a teenager, can call her nothing else than 'aunt Charlotte.' She is a very sympathetic character and easily identified with by various female viewers – there lies the heart of a temperamental maid and a broken mother. Meanwhile, Miriam Hopkins, 'the least desirable companion on a desert island' as the Harvard Lampoon labeled her, proves to be a top notch talent here depicting various tricks of emotional crush with ease. Her Delia is a sort of 'forever young'... a woman of sophisticated appeal and harsh inaccessibility desirable for the kind of role she portrays. But the tensions reach climax when the two women are together. Among many scenes, I would mention the Christmas scene when the time comes for bitter words...though everyone's supposed to be jolly...In between them, as an object of their jealous love, comes Jane Bryan as a young, vibrant, temperamental 'foundling' CLEMenTINA. 'When she talks, she laughs; when she walks, she dances,' as Dr Lanskell (Donald Crisp) nicely defines her. Miss Bryan, though given a considerably limited but significant screen time, gives a lively performance and steals one or two moments of attention from others. Being very memorable here, we can say that she is, in a way, the third female top notch performer. Her movements before the camera, her vibrant gestures, her acting in general call the attention even of the most 'pretentious' viewers. In the supporting roles, a mention should be made of a mainstay of old Hollywood classic (especially in Bette Davis film), Donald Crisp as Dr Lanskell. His remarks are cutting at moments and his presence filled with positive portrayal of an elderly, experienced guy. George Brent, given the role thanks to Bette Davis (the first choice was Humphrey Bogart), has his few moments of good acting as Clem though the role is quite marginal.Finally, I would like to address the appealing psychology of the film. It accurately depicts the culmination of feelings within the wretched scapegoating of other people, sometimes even those who have more rights to something or somebody than we do. Mind you that many scenes take place on staircase that marks the undertone of higher and lower status within favoritism. Charlotte is the scapegoat of the events and yet...there is some hope for her, too... when a great day comes. The finale is so touching because of its simplicity at a relatively satisfactory pace. THE OLD MAID reminds us of universal laws that govern human relations where one loving deed redresses many bitter ones.Let me quote Frank S Nugent who observed something quintessential about this old Hollywood classic: "Scenically, it is a trifle on the static side, which could not be avoided altogether. But dramatically, it is vital, engrossing and a little terrifying." Indeed, its drama has not dated and, though a sweet tearjerker at certain moments, it may wonderfully absorb the viewers of today. Who makes it 'vital, engrossing, little terrifying' if not the PERFORMERS? Thank you Bette, Miriam and Jane! Thank you all!

Bette Davis plays the title role here about as well as it can be played. She is a controlled out of wedlock mother who had an affair with her sister's (Miriam Hopkins) former fiancé. This was an era where this is not supposed to happen. A lot of these folks had worked together in 1938 Jezebel so another get together in 1939 is amazing as this movie is another of the also ranks of this landmark year of Hollywood movies. There is so much strain between the sisters, the doctor who knows the secret, and the daughter with them that the men get little more attention than wearing suits and being props to the women.Still, the film is quite engaging. Most interesting is the little girl Clementina steals the Doctors hat at the child care facility her mother is running. In the last sequence the doctor is in over 20 years later in the movie, he still has that same hat. Think it would have been very interesting is Aunt Charlotte had stolen his hat late in movie, just as a symbol of her frustration over her sister becoming her daughters mom. Powerful drama here and fine performances.

Interesting movie with great acting. Delia is a very selfish and mean person (the actress did a great job at portraying the character). She is spiteful and manipulative. She ruins charlot's life and almost ruins her daughters just because her cousin had a baby with the man she broke up with. She married, but unfortunately her husband died. Instead of moving on, she ruins Charlot's chance of marrying a nice wealthy man by making up a lye, even though Charlot was going to tell the truth about her daughter, which he probably would have accepted. She lets Charlot and her daughter move in, but never discourages her to tell her she is her mother (she was only like two then) and makes her believe she is an orphan who came to live with them. Later, when they find out that her being an orphan would prevent her daughter from marrying, her Delia convinces Charlet to allow her to adopt her. On her wedding day she was going to tell her the truth, but never does.

If anyone knows which of Edith Wharton's novels was made into a play by Zoe Atkins and then filmed by Warner Brothers let us all know on this board. I searched Wikipedia on Edith Wharton and couldn't figure out exactly which of her works this could be. The screen credit doesn't tell as you see and it certainly isn't The Age Of Innocence or Ethan Frome or any of her more well known works. My gut tells me its quite a bit different from what Wharton originally wrote. By the way the Internet Broadway Database doesn't tell you anything either.It does tell you that The Old Maid ran for 305 performances on Broadway in the 1935 season and starred Judith Anderson and Helen Menken in the roles that Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins play here. Davis and Hopkins are cousins. Miriam's the bright and pretty one and apparently gets first crack at the men. One she had on a string for a while was George Brent who as the story opens arrives back in Philadelphia expecting to take up where he left off with Hopkins. But Hopkins has decided she wants wealth and security and marries solid Jerome Cowan instead.Davis who's had a thing for Brent volunteers to meet him at the station and break the news. Of course Brent insists on a confrontation just before the wedding, but being the gentleman he always is on the screen, backs off and congratulates the bride. And before he goes off to war Davis gives him a grand send off.But Brent leaves the film early, being killed in the siege at Vicksburg and leaves Davis something to remember him by. Something she can't explain in proper Philadelphia society. Kindly doctor Donald Crisp arranges for a trip out west for her health where she has a baby girl and later comes back and starts an orphan asylum, the idea to build a forest to hide her family tree.The rest of the story is pure soap opera, 19th century style with Hopkins eventually adopting the girl and Davis coming to live with her as 'Aunt Charlotte' to her own daughter played when she grows up by Jane Bryan. There's a lot of tension in the air and the fact that Davis and Hopkins hated each other in real life probably helps the performances. But these two women have put across a lot worse than The Old Maid.What this board could use is someone who knows Edith Wharton and her work and can tell the rest of us what the original story was and how close this was to the story. My gut just tells me that this soap opera was far from what Wharton intended.