The Old Maid

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The Old Maid

1939

1h 35m

Drama

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4 Reviews

75%

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500+ Ratings

After disappearing for two years, Clem Spender (George Brent) returns on the day his former fiancée, Delia (Miriam Hopkins), is marrying another man. Her cousin Charlotte (Bette Davis) sneaks away with Clem, who enlists in the Union Army the next day and dies soon after. Charlotte and Clem's child, Clementina, grows up not knowing critical Charlotte is her mother. Jealous of Charlotte's affair, Delia pretends to be Clementina's mother, sabotaging mother and child's relationship.

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Russell Maloney

The New Yorker

The characters are well conceived, they react credibly, and they actually develop as the action progresses. The story is adult, insofar as it is concerned with something beyond getting a certain girl into the arms of a certain man. But how dull it is!

Sep 6, 2018

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

A well-oiled assembly of betrayals, vendettas, and maternal passion plays

Nov 11, 2009

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Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Bette Davis at the peak of her acting chops, a brilliant, melodramatic role.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 1, 2008

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Jul 19, 2005

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Sharon C

I love anything that Bette Davis is in!! She is very beautiful in this film. And of course her acting is spot on. No one will ever surpass her acting accomplishments. This film is the usual pot boiler from the 40s with George Brent. Why he was in so many films is a mystery. He couldn’t act.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Angela M

I found the film very engaging due to the incredible acting of the two female leads. What could not be said or shown by Charlotte’s character due to her heart wrenching situation was so carefully crafted by the young Davis, I was just left stunned by the end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/26/25

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Steve D

It has been done better but the acting is great.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/11/24

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william d

Overwrought, and frankly a bit boring, melodrama.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

I liked the movie very much! It kept me guessing throughout. I love the old movies as you just never know whats going to happen next. Plus the actors are so much more talented than some actors of today and the plots more interesting! This film was made in 1939 and was beautifully written, directed and the talent was superb! You just don't see that much today.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

Excessive melodramatic histrionic film with a plot that would be impossible to realize in real life. But in the movies, anything goes...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Edmund Goulding

Director

Bette Davis

Charlotte Lovell

Miriam Hopkins

Delia Lovell Ralston

George Brent

Lt. Clem Spender

Donald Crisp

Dr. Lanskell

Jane Bryan

Clementina

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Synopsis

After disappearing for two years, Clem Spender (George Brent) returns on the day his former fiancée, Delia (Miriam Hopkins), is marrying another man. Her cousin Charlotte (Bette Davis) sneaks away with Clem, who enlists in the Union Army the next day and dies soon after. Charlotte and Clem's child, Clementina, grows up not knowing critical Charlotte is her mother. Jealous of Charlotte's affair, Delia pretends to be Clementina's mother, sabotaging mother and child's relationship.

Director: Edmund Goulding
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 1939, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 35m

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