Academy Award winner Bette Davis stars as the well-respected author Kitty Marlowe, who returns to her small town birthplace where her life becomes embroiled with a now-jealous Old Acquaintance. Despite Millie Drake's (Miriam Hopkins) life as a happy wife and mother, she becomes envious of Kitty's success -- and writes a trashy novel that is published with huge success. As Millie's fame soars and vastly eclipses that of Kitty, Millie neglects her husband (John Loder), who leaves her after making advances on Kitty, and begins a feud that lasts for decades.