I found this movie on DVD at my local library. No surround sound and no extras, but a nice presentation anyway.
The title needs to be understood first. Evidently an "old settler" was the slang used to describe a middle aged woman who was single and had no immediate prospects. Here Phylicia Rashad plays Elizabeth, an "old, old settler" in her early 50s but still looking good. But most of all is her personality, kind and gentle, the kind any good man would be attracted to.
She shares her small apartment in WW II with her sister (and real life sister) Quilly (Debbie Allen), just a shade younger, but a whole lot more cynical. And most times hard to bear. She really gets charged up when she finds out that Elizabeth has corresponded with a man down south who is coming to Harlem and will rent their tiny extra room.
Bumper Robinson plays Husband, a 20-something coming to town to find his girlfriend, Lou Bessy, from back home. She has gotten in with the wrong crowd, even has a small child being raised elsewhere by a relative. Husband (that's his name) finds her, but Lou Bessy isn't the girl he used to know. Meanwhile, he and Elizabeth, in spite of their age differences, begin to enjoy each other's company.
SPOILERS. Husband and Elizabeth begin dating. They kiss. He tells her he has fallen in love with her. He wants to take her back home. He tells her he is finished with Lou Bessy who hangs out with the criminal element. He gives her a ring. But Quilly remains doubtful. She cautions her sister. Lou Bessy shows up, drunk, is disrespectful, Elizabeth throws her out of her apartment, slaps her, then Lou Bessy says as she is leaving, "I'm going to steal Husband from you just to show you I can." Elizabeth packs her things, waits for Husband, all night, he never shows up, Quilly was right, the movie ends with the two sisters once again holding onto each other, it may be all they have to depend on.
The title needs to be understood first. Evidently an "old settler" was the slang used to describe a middle aged woman who was single and had no immediate prospects. Here Phylicia Rashad plays Elizabeth, an "old, old settler" in her early 50s but still looking good. But most of all is her personality, kind and gentle, the kind any good man would be attracted to.
She shares her small apartment in WW II with her sister (and real life sister) Quilly (Debbie Allen), just a shade younger, but a whole lot more cynical. And most times hard to bear. She really gets charged up when she finds out that Elizabeth has corresponded with a man down south who is coming to Harlem and will rent their tiny extra room.
Bumper Robinson plays Husband, a 20-something coming to town to find his girlfriend, Lou Bessy, from back home. She has gotten in with the wrong crowd, even has a small child being raised elsewhere by a relative. Husband (that's his name) finds her, but Lou Bessy isn't the girl he used to know. Meanwhile, he and Elizabeth, in spite of their age differences, begin to enjoy each other's company.
SPOILERS. Husband and Elizabeth begin dating. They kiss. He tells her he has fallen in love with her. He wants to take her back home. He tells her he is finished with Lou Bessy who hangs out with the criminal element. He gives her a ring. But Quilly remains doubtful. She cautions her sister. Lou Bessy shows up, drunk, is disrespectful, Elizabeth throws her out of her apartment, slaps her, then Lou Bessy says as she is leaving, "I'm going to steal Husband from you just to show you I can." Elizabeth packs her things, waits for Husband, all night, he never shows up, Quilly was right, the movie ends with the two sisters once again holding onto each other, it may be all they have to depend on.