The Women

Plot synopsis:
Based on the 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce, The Women follows the lives of a handful of wealthy Manhattan women, focusing in particular on Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), the cheerful, contented wife of Stephen and mother of Little Mary. After a bit of gossip flies around the salon these wealthy women visit, Mary's friend and cousin Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell) learns from a manicurist, Olga (Dennie Moore), that Mary's husband has been having an affair with a predatory perfume counter girl named Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). A notorious gossip, Sylvia delights in sharing the news with Mary's other friends, and sets up Mary with an appointment with Olga so that she hears the same rumor about Stephen's infidelity. While Mary's mother, Mrs. Morehead (Lucile Watson), urges her to ignore the gossip concerning the affair and continue on as if nothing has happened, Mary begins to have her own suspicions about her husband's increasingly frequent claims that he needs to work late, and decides to travel to Bermuda with her mother to think about the situation and hope that the affair and the rumors surrounding it will fade. Upon her return from Bermuda a few weeks later, feeling well-rested and more sure of herself, Mary heads out to a fashion show at a high-end clothing store and learns that Crystal is in attendance, trying on clothes from the show in a dressing room across the hall. Sylvia joins Mary and baits her into storming into Crystal's dressing room and confronting her about the affair. Crystal is completely unapologetic about her ongoing affair with Stephen and is satisfied with her "meal ticket," but does reveal that Stephen's strong feelings of sentiment prevents him from seeking a divorce from Mary in order to marry her. Heartbroken and humiliated by the revelation of the affair, Mary leaves quickly. The meeting will not fade from gossip circles, however, and the situation is only exacerbated by Sylvia, who manages to turn the whole affair into a tabloid scandal by recounting, with physical embellishment, the entire confrontation story to a notorious gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyester (Hedda Hopper). To save her own pride, Mary chooses to divorce her husband despite his efforts to convince her to stay. Mary explains the divorce to her daughter Little Mary (Virginia Weidler), and the household prepares for Mary's departure.Leaving on a train to Reno where she will spend the necessary weeks until their divorce is legal, Mary meets several women with the same destination and purpose: the dramatic, extravagant Countess De Lave (Mary Boland); Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard), the tough cookie chorus girl; and, to her surprise, her good friend Peggy Day (Joan Fontaine), a sweet, shy girl. Upon reaching Reno, Mary and her new friends settle in at a ranch to await their final divorces, and are given plenty of advice by Lucy (Marjorie Main), the plain-spoken and gruffly warm-hearted woman who runs the ranch. Time passes at the ranch, and the women discuss their marriages and impending divorces; the Countess tells tales of her multiple husbands and seems to have found another in Reno, a young cowboy named Buck Winston, whom she will marry shortly; Miriam reveals she has been having an affair with Sylvia Fowler's husband and is in Reno to get a divorce from her current husband so that she can marry him; and the women convince Peggy, who has discovered that she is pregnant, to surrender her pride, call her husband, resolve their misunderstanding and end the divorce proceedings, which she successfully does. During this time, Sylvia Fowler arrives at the ranch, since her husband has requested a divorce. When Sylvia discovers that Miriam is set to become the new Mrs. Fowler, a catfight ensues. Mary succeeds in breaking the fight up, ending with Miriam convincing her that she, too, should forget her pride, and her newly awarded divorce, and call her husband and try to patch things up. Just then, the phone rings. The call is from Stephen who informs Mary that he and Crystal have just been married.Eighteen months pass, and the story picks up in Stephen Haines' apartment, where Crystal, the new Mrs. Haines, is taking a bubble bath and talking on the phone to a new lover. Little Mary enters the bathroom and overhears the conversation, before being shooed away by Crystal, who has no time or patience for her. Through Crystal's interaction with Little Mary and the phone conversation, it becomes clear that Stephen has grown weary of Crystal, but seems to be sticking with her since he has no other options. Sylvia Fowler, who is now friends with Crystal, visits during this time, too, and figures out with whom Crystal has been speaking and having an affair. It is Buck Winston, now wed to Countess De Lave, and now a successful singing radio star. Still an unrelenting gossip, Sylvia tucks this information away for use later. Meanwhile, Mary hosts a dinner for all of her Reno friends, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her divorce and their time together in Reno. When the dinner concludes, the other women head on to Casino Roof, a nightclub, for the second phase of Mary's party. But Mary suddenly begs off and decides to stay home. Upon leaving, one of the ladies mentions to Mary she would have run into Stephen, Crystal and Sylvia who will be dining together at Casino Roof. While getting ready for bed, she chats with Little Mary, who inadvertently reveals how unhappy Stephen is, as well as mentioning that Crystal is being "lovey-dovey" with someone else. This news changes Mary's mind, who decides to get out of bed, dress up and rejoin the party at Casino Roof, intent on fighting to get her ex-husband back.At the nightclub, Mary is seen lurking in the grand powder room. Sylvia and Crystal soon enter together, and Mary makes a casual statement that Sylvia will overhear so she will return to the powder room alone and Mary can fish information out of her. Mary makes sure that gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyster learns the whole story of Crystal's affair and will make it known by everyone at the nightclub. Mary manages to pit Sylvia and Crystal against each other. Crystal, however, doesn't care about Stephen's lack of affection since she'll now have Buck Winston to support her. The humiliated Countess reveals that she has been funding Buck's radio career and that without her he will be penniless and out of a job. This leaves Crystal resigned to the fact that she'll be heading back to the perfume counter to support herself, while Mary, completely triumphant, heads out the door to win back Stephen, who is waiting for her.

Tags: revenge, home movie

Review:
Director George Cukor sent Crawford home early when she caused a distraction by loudly clicking her knitting needles off camera as Shearer tried to do her close-ups.Crawford was proved right in taking the movie, it's one of her most memorable and, finally for once, villainous roles.
Roz gives the strongest performance of the film as the viciously catty Sylvia Fowler, and I don't think Shearer or Crawford knew what hit them.As for the long-suffering, hair-clutching, heavy-sighing Norma Shearer, even she was able to make the difficult role of noble Mary Haines memorable.
The female of the species goes jungle red in tooth and claw in this brilliant screen adaptation of Claire Boothe Luce's famous Broadway play--a wickedly funny portrait of 1930s society women whose lives revolve around beauty treatments, luncheons, fashion shows, and each other's men.
but when her husband steps out on her with a gold-digging perfume counter sales clerk, Mary's so-called friends dish enough dirt to make divorce inevitable whether Mary wants it or not.The script is wickedly, mercilessly funny, fast paced, razor sharp and filled with such memorable invective that you'll be quoting it for weeks and months afterward: "He says he'd like to do Sylvia's nails right down to the wrist with a buzz-saw;" "Why that old gasoline truck, she's sixty if she's a minute;" "Gimme a bromide--and put some gin in it!" And the all-female cast, which includes every one from Cora Witherspoon to Butterfly McQueen to Hedda Hopper, plays it with tremendous spark.This was the last significant starring role for Norma Shearer, one of MGM's greatest stars of the 1930s, and she acquits herself very well as the much-wronged Mary Haines.
Joan Crawford is truly astonishing as Crystal Allen, the shop girl who leads Mary's husband astray, and Rosalind Russell gives an outrageously funny performance as the back-biting gossip whose nasty comments precipitate Mary's divorce.
Even the smallest bit parts score with one-liners that have the impact of a slap in the face, and director George Cukor does an incredible job of keeping everything and every one in sharp focus.Perhaps one of the most interesting things about THE WOMEN is the way in which director Cukor ties the behavior of its characters to their social status.
Cukor allows us to sympathize with Mary (Shearer) and laugh at Sylvia (Russell), but he also requires us to pity them--and indirectly encourages grudging admiration for the devious Crystal (Crawford) and the savvy Miriam (Goddard), characters who are considerably more self-reliant.
Had it been done today, it would have been done entirely different and the excellent text by Ms. Luce would have probably been thrown away to satisfy the taste of contemporary audiences.Norma Shearer was excellent as Mary Haines, the suffering wife, who has no clue of how her husband has fallen to the charms of Crystal Allen, beautifully played by Joan Crawford.
Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine and the rest of the cast seem to be having a lot of fun while playing these women.
Norma Shearer is just outstanding; this is my favorite movie of hers.It also shows the values and thinking about women's roles at that time; but challenges them at the same time.
This movie has one of the best casts ever - Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine, Hedda Hopper and Virginia Weilder just to make a few.
I think she did an excellent job especially when she had the crying scene on the sofa (I don't think I have ever seen anybody cry that well before).Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) discovers that her husband is having an affair with money-hungry perfume sales girl Chrystal Allen (Joan Crawford).
I found the fashion show a bit dragging and too long, but it was still fun looking at all the wonderful classy fashions of that era.This hilarious comedy about women and their men can appeal to people who are not necessarily fans of old movies.
But make no mistake about it, the real villain here is Joan Crawford, shop girl, working class, and I've got no doubt is a Democrat.Norma Shearer is her opposite, tasteful, refined, and unfortunately getting a little stale with age.
Definitely not as good as the characters that Clare Boothe Luce created in this play.My favorite in the cast is Rosalind Russell.
That led to a lot of resentment around MGM.Among the supporting cast look for good performances from Joan Fontaine as the young and shy divorcée, Mary Boland as the scatterbrained Zsa Zsa Gabor of the day, Paulette Goddard who gets Russell's goat, her man, and the best of her in a chick fight and Marjorie Main as the wisecracking owner of a Reno dude ranch where the women stay when they're shedding their mates.Within two years Norma Shearer would retire from the screen and Joan Crawford in four years would leave MGM.
A classic chick flick!And, most remarkable in that there are no male actors in the movie -- yet you feel their presence throughout.The young Joan Crawford is perfectly cast as the gold digging "other woman." Norma Shearer, while not a beauty in any sense of the word, does a fine job as the beleaguered wife.
Though I think it might have been better cast with someone lovelier in the lead role.But it is Rosalind Russell though who absolutely steals the movie.
Once the novelty of an all-female cast wears off (there' nary a male extra in the backgrounds either), the movie crackles along as a small group of society women present a kaleidoscopic view of relations with men so that while men are absent physically they're ever-present in the dialogue and thoughts of this contrasting set of women-folk.
As good as Crawford and Shearer are, in their contrasting roles, it's Rosalind Russell as the treacherous, waspish Mrs Fowler, who steals the show and gets many of the best situations (her cat fight with Goddard is priceless!) and lines.
This typically uncinematic George Cukor movie may possibly be the very pinnacle of his work on screen because he had the intelligence to film it straight knowing the material and the cast would speak for themselves.
It is the zenith of the all the smart-assed, hard-boiled women's pictures of the thirties.Adapted by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin from Clare Booth Luce's hit play it's about how 'Mrs Stephen Haines', (Shearer at her very best), loses her husband to Crystal Allen, (Joan Crawford before she went all serious on us), with more than a little help from her so-called 'friends', in particular catty Rosalind Russell, (terrific), before winning him back thanks to some new-found friends, (Paulette Goddard and Mary Boland among them).
Male director George Cukor takes on an all female cast in this classic "rumor has it" film of women chasing after men, and then each other's men!
A classic to watch, will definitely go back one day, the story was brilliant and being an old soul, I love the look of the classic women and times where quarrels were settled with elegance..
The Women is a fast paced, witty and amusing "Chick Flick" Very forward thinking for its time and the relations and gossip within the women is timeless (still true to todays "Women") I thoroughly enjoyed this film from its dialogue, character development, story, cinematography.
Although this is obviously not a story of average women (this movie is set in high society New York) it is interesting to see the Salon and the subtle lavishness Fifth avenue shopping.
However, everybody is given the perfect opportunity to shine; you even (kind of) feel sorry for Joan Crawford at the end when she's received her come-uppance (but you still can't resist the urge to point at her and go "neener neener neener, ha, ha, you lost!")  Norma Shearer starts out a little slowly, but that's only part of her character.One of those perfectly cast films you'd hate to see remade.
Plus, like all great classic films, there is a brilliant supporting cast that provides even more laughs and never a dull moment.
The acting of this movie was typical to the time period but great among the cast of actors is one of the greats Joan Crawford.
A 5 year old can see that the original film's success was largely a result of director Cukor's male adoration approach to the camera-work, a peak into the forbidden world of women, a la Degas.
I first saw this film on AMC; I was killing time & thought a movie with Joan Crawford would be a great way to spend a bit of time.
I absolutely love Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell, but despite their impeccable abilities to act I did not enjoy the movie.
Norma Shearer,( Mrs. Stephen Haines), losses her husband to a sexy Joan Crawford, (Crystall Allen), who is a dame that has been around the city block a few TIMES.
Rosalind Russell, (Mrs. Howard Fowler), is a so called friend of Mrs. Haines, (Mary) however, she loves to gossip behind her back a long with quite a few other ladies in the Beauty Salon, where all kinds of Catty things are talked about and Enjoyed.
At the same time men are recurrently the focus of their airy banter and take part in important functions of the action on screen, they are no more than characters mentioned but never seen.Norma Shearer plays a fashionable wife and mother who learns by way of hearsay that her husband is having an affair and leaves him.
This loss of cynical edge causes one to feel that the film's criticisms are ones that it merits itself, that every single character acts as if her function in life is defined by men, and that we are intended to ponder these childish and high-strung women who think about and act upon nothing more than the battle of the sexes..
And this opinion is coming from a woman who found nothing offensive about it and accepted the extremities of how females are portrayed, so am not sure where the ignorant allegations of those liking the film hating women have come from.So great a film 'The Women' was, that it was for me easy to overlook any minor reservations about the start being slightly cloying (had no problem with the animal-representing-characters scene and found it interesting) and a few silent film mannerisms creeping in occasionally in Norma Shearer's performance.That minor reservation aside, Shearer is a likeable and beguiling presence, very difficult to dislike.
Of course it's all exaggerated, and even fairly retrograde by today's standards, but I encourage everyone to muffle those feminist sensibilities for two hours and allow yourselves to have fun here.Norma Shearer plays the goody-goody heroine, Joan Crawford plays the deliciously malevolent villainess, and Rosalind Russell steals every scene she's in as a brassy society lady with far too much time on her hands.
It would almost be worth watching just to see how the experiment with an all-female cast works out, but besides being unique, "The Women" is also an entertaining movie that features a strong cast.
But the notable character for me in this movie is none other than Rosalind Russell, who portrays the everso picture perfect campy vixen wannabe, Sylvia Fowler, out to tell all about her high society friends.
I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought and I especially liked the end scene where all the women go at it.
A colorful cast keeps the movie lively with some lovely ladies leading the line, (there's an alliteration for ya) and keeping it interesting the whole time.
Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) treasures the company of her loving husband, but the wool is rather roughly pulled from her eyes and she is left to discover he's been stepping out with shopgirl Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford).What makes "The Women" great?
Even Goddard, more pretty than talented in roles I've seen of hers, crafts an effective identity as a Crystal-like character who winds up one of Mary Haines' sisters-in-arms.The more I see "The Women", the tougher time I have identifying anything really not good about it.
(and the irony of Joan Crawford making little Mary call her "auntie crystal"...much like "mommie dearest" in real life...) Hedda Hopper, Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard.
Norma Shearer, in the lovable role of naive Mary Haines is great, but as the studio queen, gets her moments of silent film glory.
Over 130 women surround this trio, including a gallery of memorable characters embodied by an impressive bevy of studio-era actresses from Mary Boland's over-the-top Countess DeLave to a young pre-Hitchcock Joan Fontaine as irritatingly demure Peggy to Paulette Goddard's no-nonsense Miriam to Lucile Watson as Mary's worldly wise mother to Marjorie Main as the loud Reno dude ranch operator.Even with the inclusion of a knockdown catfight between Russell and Goddard, the film gets overly dramatic at times, highlighting Shearer's penchant for grand lady mannerisms, and there is a completely excisable ten-minute fashion show shot in early Technicolor to show off Adrian's extravagant costume designs.
Shearer was a good film actor and her slight "star" affectations (see the final shot of "The Women") suit her character.
But not here."The Women" demonstrates an interesting fact about Crawford in relation to the other actors in the picture and to film history itself.Crawford and Russell were on their way "up." Shearer was about to retire.
And Russell proved the most versatile actor of the three, over many film and stage performances.Yet in "The Women," one is constantly aware that both Russell and Shearer are "acting." As wonderful and impressive as their performances are, one keeps thinking, "Damn, she's good." With Crawford, on the other hand, one forgets about the actor (her) until long after the picture's over, so convincingly does she inhabit Crystal.The same is true with "Grand Hotel," where one keeps admiring Garbo and John Barrymore's "technique," yet forgets that Flaemmchen is actually being played by Crawford until after "The End." That Flaemmchen and Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore) affectingly walk off "into the sunset" together at the conclusion of "Grand Hotel" seems fitting.
Not only were their characters meant for each other at that moment in their lives, but they were by far the two best actors on the screen.So it is with "The Women." Rosalind Russell is wonderful.
With the final scene, all her good work in "The Women" is erased in what looks like a vanity closeup with arms outstretched and Shearer's face overemoting as she rushes to welcome her errant (off-camera) ex-husband back.Not that it's a bad ending.
To remake this movie today would be a crime against humanity, especially if the director went completely insane and added men to the cast.I have to wonder, though, what the actresses thought of that opening credits where they were compared to animals.
The acting from this cast was amazing and hilarious from Shearer, Crawford, and of course Rosalind Russell.
Little Mary, although not seen in more than a handful of scenes, was an interesting piece to the story and Weidler did a great job playing her part, especially when she told off the character Crystal.
There is quite a bit to enjoy, the tight and often times witty dialogue, along with solid performances by an overall wonderful cast are definitely to this films credit.
This movie also got around many of the requirements of films at the time (there are scenes like when the women are in bubble baths suggesting nudity) by focusing on the situations with other characters.
An overall very funny comedy with a well put together all-star cast of female actors who all did an incredible job with this film..
Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford are my favorite actresses in this time period and it was amazing seeing the two be so funny in this cute film.
I really liked this film because of the all women cast.
It was interesting to watch a film with an all-female cast, and each actress gave a superb performance.
Norma Shearer is perfect as Mary Haines, and Joan Crawford is a wonderfully devious Crystal.
The cinematography in Mary's (Norma Shearer) dressing room during the scene when Sylvia (Rosalind Russell) convinces her to confront Crystal (Joan Crawford) across the hall was some of my favorite work in the film.
Mary Haines was played by Norma Shearer who is the most level headed character in the whole film besides her young daughter.
It was interesting to see a film from this time period that focused mainly on women as the main characters.
This movie has the best screenplay for a chick flick I have ever had the pleasure to watch.Brilliantly written and superbly acted by a stellar cast of some of the best actresses in 1930's Hollywood who you can tell are relishing their one liners.Norma Shearer is likable as Mary Haines and gives her warmth and feeling so the audience is with her,Joan Crawford IS Crystal Allen and you feel the role is a walk in the park for her.Joan Fontaine plays the young Peggy as the innocent she is and Paulette Goddard is loving the part of Miriam the chorus girl.Rosalind Russell is brilliantly cast as Sylvia Fowler the town gossip and she gives the role her all.I also love Lucile Watson as Mary's mother,Marjorie Main as Lucy and Mary Boland as the Countess.A brilliant movie and a must see for anyone who loves great films..
Rosalind Russell is the sharp-tongued Sylvia Fowler and these three women as well as their friends all go through some of the most incredible relationship trouble I have ever seen for a few people.What makes this movie a classic has to be the cast, but also the sharp and witty dialog that is written.
Not many movies have brought so many of the great classic film actresses together.
One incorrect comment about "This Women" is that Crawford and Shearer had "only one scene together." I watched the film again today.