old-age makeups: The Old Maid

The movie

‘Longings that no man can fathom’: ah well, that explains why it left me cold.

Delia (Miriam Hopkins) breaks her engagement to Clem, in favor of wealthy Jim. Cousin Charlotte (Bette Davis) comforts Clem – putting it delicately – and becomes pregnant. Clem dies in the war before he can marry her, and Charlotte raises her illegitimate daughter as a ‘foundling’. When Jim’s brother falls in love with Charlotte, Delia destroys the forthcoming wedding out of spite, and eventually adopts Charlotte’s child for herself. Charlotte grows old and bitter – a maiden aunt rather than a mother to her child.

The makeup

Perc Westmore aged Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins. At the time Bette was about thirty-one and Miriam was thirty-seven; so both actresses also had to be aged down as well.