The Old Maid (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Old Maid' (directed by Edmund Goulding) is one of Bette Davis' greatest tearjerkers -- and that's saying a lot. Just in the same year alone - the great 1939 - she gave us a similarly affecting portrayal in Dark Victory. This film is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the Civil War & a couple decades that follow. Davis plays pretty Charlotte Lovell, who commits the sin of premarital sex; leading her to have an illegitimate baby girl. And Miriam Hopkins costars as Charlottes' cousin, Delia. You see ... Charlotte's baby's father was Delia's 1st true love, but Delia had grown impatient waiting for him to make $$, so she went & married another man.
At that time, Charlotte stepped-in to comfort him; hence, getting pregnant. Then the Civil War unfolded, where he got killed at Vicksburg. For this breach of societal practice {illegitimate baby being born}, Charlotte had to pay a hefty price. Her daughter, Christina (played as an adult by Jane Bryan) must never know her true identity; growing up to think that Charlotte is not her mom, but her old maid aunt. Delia raises Charlotte's daughter, 'Tina', along with her own 2 children. Delia knows all about Tina's true parentage, but keeps it close to her chest. And the family doctor (curmudgeonly Donald Crisp) is the only other person privy to this scandalous info.
Over time, Charlotte winds up moving in with her cousin, as Delia lets her help in raising Tina. But Charlotte becomes an embittered & strict 'aunt', being oft-pitied & ridiculed by her own offspring. Still, beleaguered Charlotte starts thinking that she wants Tina to know that she's her real mother. Everything culminates in another wedding and high melodrama as Davis & Hopkins go toe to toe with Jane Bryan's Tina placed squarely in the middle.
The last 2 minutes of this film are so poignant that I wiped away tears from my eyes – it is perfection. Everything from the way Tina reaches down to kiss 'Aunt' Charlotte goodbye on the cheek - to Davis' near faint-worthy relieved reaction - to the horse carriage taking Tina away - to the upturned camera angle capturing Davis as she follows the carriage down the street {sunlight & shadows trickling across her teary-eyed face} - to her subtly caressing her just-kissed cheek - to Delia grasping Charlotte's hand & both returning to the house as unified cousins ... I adore it all. Again: perfection.
Bette Davis made 4(!) movies in the much ballyhooed 1939 and, in each, she played completely differing characters. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Dark Victory {paying a socialite dying of a brain tumor}, a mad French Empress in Juarez, the Queen of England in The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex, and then empathetic Aunt Charlotte here in 'The Old Maid' ... the biggest hit of these 4 films. Her portrayal here is brilliant; tough on the outside, but emotionally brittle behind the veneer. Combine Bette's performance with stellar work from the whole cast {Hopkins, George Brent et al}, & the top crafts team that Hollywood could afford {directing, writing, camerawork, costumes, music} and you've got quite the tearjerker winner.
At that time, Charlotte stepped-in to comfort him; hence, getting pregnant. Then the Civil War unfolded, where he got killed at Vicksburg. For this breach of societal practice {illegitimate baby being born}, Charlotte had to pay a hefty price. Her daughter, Christina (played as an adult by Jane Bryan) must never know her true identity; growing up to think that Charlotte is not her mom, but her old maid aunt. Delia raises Charlotte's daughter, 'Tina', along with her own 2 children. Delia knows all about Tina's true parentage, but keeps it close to her chest. And the family doctor (curmudgeonly Donald Crisp) is the only other person privy to this scandalous info.
Over time, Charlotte winds up moving in with her cousin, as Delia lets her help in raising Tina. But Charlotte becomes an embittered & strict 'aunt', being oft-pitied & ridiculed by her own offspring. Still, beleaguered Charlotte starts thinking that she wants Tina to know that she's her real mother. Everything culminates in another wedding and high melodrama as Davis & Hopkins go toe to toe with Jane Bryan's Tina placed squarely in the middle.
The last 2 minutes of this film are so poignant that I wiped away tears from my eyes – it is perfection. Everything from the way Tina reaches down to kiss 'Aunt' Charlotte goodbye on the cheek - to Davis' near faint-worthy relieved reaction - to the horse carriage taking Tina away - to the upturned camera angle capturing Davis as she follows the carriage down the street {sunlight & shadows trickling across her teary-eyed face} - to her subtly caressing her just-kissed cheek - to Delia grasping Charlotte's hand & both returning to the house as unified cousins ... I adore it all. Again: perfection.
Bette Davis made 4(!) movies in the much ballyhooed 1939 and, in each, she played completely differing characters. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Dark Victory {paying a socialite dying of a brain tumor}, a mad French Empress in Juarez, the Queen of England in The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex, and then empathetic Aunt Charlotte here in 'The Old Maid' ... the biggest hit of these 4 films. Her portrayal here is brilliant; tough on the outside, but emotionally brittle behind the veneer. Combine Bette's performance with stellar work from the whole cast {Hopkins, George Brent et al}, & the top crafts team that Hollywood could afford {directing, writing, camerawork, costumes, music} and you've got quite the tearjerker winner.