{"id":40692,"date":"2018-08-07T09:56:12","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T16:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40692"},"modified":"2022-02-21T23:02:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T06:02:21","slug":"old-maid-the-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40692","title":{"rendered":"Old Maid, The (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine not waiting forever.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Poster-204x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"204\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-40693\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Poster-204x300.jpg 204w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Poster-87x128.jpg 87w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Poster.jpg 340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen her cousin (Miriam Hopkins) marries a wealthy man (James Stephenson) rather than waiting for her fiance (George Brent) to return home, Charlotte (Bette Davis) &#8212; who&#8217;s loved Brent all her life &#8212; has an affair with him before he heads to the Civil War and is killed. Davis secretly gives birth to a girl named Tina (Marlene Burnett), whose identity she conceals by managing an orphanage. When Hopkins learns the truth about Tina, she prevents Davis from marriage with her husband&#8217;s brother (Jerome Cowan), and convinces Davis to let her adopt the girl &#8212; but soon Davis&#8217;s resentment begins to build, especially as grown Tina (Jane Bryan) cares more for Hopkins than her strict &#8220;Aunt Charlotte&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bette Davis Films<\/li>\n<li>Donald Crisp Films<\/li>\n<li>Edmund Goulding Films<\/li>\n<li>George Brent Films<\/li>\n<li>Miriam Hopkins Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Spinsters<\/li>\n<li>Suffering Mothers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;standard Victorian soap opera about unrequited love, sexual frustration, female rivalry, class obligations, and other sacrifices&#8221; benefits &#8212; &#8220;it goes without saying&#8221; &#8212; &#8220;from the casting of the two classy stars&#8221;. He notes that while he wishes &#8220;the two would have at least one hysterical screaming session&#8221; &#8212; and that &#8220;Davis in particular is just too restrained&#8221; &#8212; it&#8217;s fun watching Davis &#8220;young, in hoop dress and blond curls: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-65710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Curls-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and old in her severe old-maid hairstyle&#8221;. (I&#8217;m not quite sure why he refers to this as <em>fun<\/em>, other than comparing how Davis aged in real life with how she&#8217;s &#8220;cinemagically&#8221; aged here.) Peary adds that &#8220;you&#8217;ll smile watching the two females resolve their problems&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-65711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-Hopkins-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and it&#8217;s true that the &#8220;final few scenes &#8212; for which you should have your hankies handy&#8221;, are touching. However, this dated &#8220;suffering mama&#8221; story &#8212; based on a novella by Edith Wharton, which was turned into a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Zoe Akins &#8212; is only must-see for fans of Davis and\/or Hopkins (whose performance is refreshingly restrained).  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bette Davis as &#8220;Aunt Charlotte&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40695\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Davis2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Tony Gaudio&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography1.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography1-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Old-Maid-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s worth a look. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0031750\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/353\/the-old-maid#articles-reviews?articleId=29904\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2528davi.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1939\/08\/12\/93945887.html?action=click&#038;contentCollection=Archives&#038;module=ArticleEndCTA&#038;region=ArchiveBody&#038;pgtype=article&#038;pageNumber=19\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine not waiting forever.&#8221; Synopsis: When her cousin (Miriam Hopkins) marries a wealthy man (James Stephenson) rather than waiting for her fiance (George Brent) to return home, Charlotte (Bette Davis) &#8212; who&#8217;s loved Brent all her life &#8212; has an affair with him before he heads to the Civil War and is killed. Davis secretly gives birth to a girl named Tina (Marlene Burnett), whose identity she conceals by managing an orphanage. When Hopkins learns the truth about&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40692\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40692"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81587,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40692\/revisions\/81587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}