SHOULD THEY BE FORGOT

Old Acquaintances, that is. Bette Davis starred alongside arch rival Miriam Hopkins in this 1943 movie about two best friends from childhood who become rivals in life and love.

Bette plays Katherine 'Kit' Marlowe, a celebrated author who writes high brow novels and is well respected.

Miriam is Millie Drake who inspired by Kit, takes up writing herself although she churns out successful novels, they are classed as trash.

Bette gets on very well with Miriam's hubby and daughter in the movie and is the saintly character whereas Miriam's Millie is an absolute witch from start to finish and only at the end do we see any redeeming qualities in her. Kit sacrifices her love for Millie's husband many years after he and Millie have split up, Millie's daughter Deedee falls for Kit's beau and Kit sacrifices her own happiness so that Deedee and her beau can marry. Kit also has her full of the spiteful and nasty Millie so shakes her rather violently. However with no men in their lives and only their work and each other, they end up toasting their enduring friendship with a glass of champagne.

Bette gets to utter some fabulous lines in this even more fabulous movie:-

There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne

Oh I would like a hag of 90 when I want to look like Shirley Temple.

The movie is enchanting enough but there's much more juice in the backstage story of Old Acquaintance. You see, Bette and Miriam had already starred in a blockbuster some 4 years earlier in 1939 with The Old Maid. Warner Bros purchased Old Acquaintance for Bette to star in with Miriam but Bette was wise to Miriam's tricks by now. Bette was also by 1943, the reigning Queen Of Hollywood with hit after hit coming out. Miriam was playing second fiddle and the director, Edmund Goulding was the supposed ringleader however, he feigned a heart attack early on and was replaced by Vincent Sherman. Bette didn't report for work but instead watched Miriam in action and finding her performance acceptable, she turned up for work herself. Bette and Miriam had history dating back years as Miriam originated the part of Julie Marsden that Bette played in Jezebel. Miriam played it on Broadway and Bette won the Oscar for it so on the first day of shooting of their previous movie, The Old Maid, Miriam showed up on set with a replica of the famous dress Bette wore in Jezebel.

Miriam was a competent actress herself but a tad insecure and resorted to scene stealing and using every trick up her sleeve to direct attention away from Bette during the shooting of Old Acquaintance. If Bette had an important scene, Miriam walked away from Bette so the camera followed her leaving Bette out of shot. Bette had some long dialogue and Miriam constantly interrupted by blowing smoke in Bette's face or stopping shooting by claiming that a button had fallen off her costume. Miriam and Bette tried to outdo each other with their sick days aswell, Miriam calling in sick constantly and filming extending well beyond the alloted time as she avoided filming any scenes with Bette.

The tension got so bad that Warner Bros refused any journalists on set on the day of Bette and Miriam's confrontation scene. Bette herself noticed that the set was full to the rafters with visitors that day but knew that Miriam would find a way to wriggle out of the scene. Bette was to cross the set and shake Miriam which in those days was considered pretty full on in cinema. The best way for someone to absorb a shaking is to stiffen up and take it although on the first take, Miriam went completely limp and looked like a rag doll. It did a few times but they finally got a satisfactory scene cut which left Bette delighted. Miriam however left movies for a while, she returned in the late 40s to play supporting parts but had alienated so much of Hollywood that no-one wanted to work with her. Bette however saw this as just another role although admitted that the character of Kit was most like herself in real life. Old Acquaintance although made in 1943 has certainly not dated and Bette and Miriam's chemistry is just wonderful. There comes a certain time in every boy's life when all he really needs is a dose of Old Acquaintance!