The Old Maid

Sort of beautiful in its simplicity.

Another great Davis/Hopkins vehicle. Hopkins is slightly less of a bitch in this one, so I like "Old Acquaintance" better. Each of these movies, however, has enough intense superdiva acting for a dozen regular movies. Seriously, though, Davis' soliloquy when she speaks to her absent daughter Tina in a gentle and loving tone she would never permit herself to use in person is an incredibly moving moment, one I will certainly choose to watch again.

Pauline Kael: "Bette Davis doesn't have much talent for masochism. When she attempts the sacrificial-mother roles, she builds the character so painstakingly that she loses her flair and turns mealy. She's an unwed mother, forced to turn over her 5-year-old daughter to--of all people--Miriam Hopkins, then must watch as the daughter grows up treating her contemptuously as a spinster aunt. Full of tight-lipped renunciation, Davis gives what might be called a creditable performance."

Classic.

The Old Maid (1939) is all about the end. Difficult not to shed a happy-sweet tear....

One of Davis' finest.