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| The Women - 1939 |
Coming up next is 1939's "The Women", a film that features the stories of a group of interconnecting women (and not a man in sight - not a picture, not even a male animal).
The film's impressive cast includes Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Lucile Watson, Phyllis Povah, Virginia Weidler, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey, Ruth Hussey, Hedda Hopper, Florence Nash, Cora Witherspoon, Dennie Moore, Barbara Jo Allen, Esther Dale, Butterfly McQueen, Barbara Pepper, and Terry.
At a popular women's beauty salon, a chatty manicurist (whose specialty color is "Jungle Red") lets it slip that society lady Mrs. Stephen Haines has some competition in regards to her husband.
Mrs. Stephen Haines (Mary) is blissfully unaware that her husband is straying. Everyone in town, however, seems to know about it. And her closest "friends" are just dying to let her in on the secret.
It isn't long before Mary learns the awful truth herself. She's so upset that she leaves the salon before finishing her manicure.
Mary's mother urges patience and silence. If she keeps quiet, she will save her marriage. If she doesn't, the end is near. Mary doesn't feel that silence is necessarily the answer.
However, after a chat with Stephen, Mary decides to put some distance between them and take her mother to Bermuda for a few weeks.
While she's gone, Mary's "friends" decide to take the opportunity and scope out Stephen's other woman. Her name is Miss Crystal Allen, and she is a perfume salesgirl with attitude.
Once she returns to New York from Bermuda, Mary attends a fashion show with her girlfriends, who are just dying to spill the news about Crystal.
They don't have to wait long. Crystal herself appears and starts buying up clothes left and right with Stephen's money. Mary confronts her and warns Crystal to stay away from her daughter. Naturally, the meeting gets blown out of proportion.
Back at the salon, the showdown between Mary and Crystal is all the girls can talk about.
Mary decides that enough is enough and makes plans to go to Reno to get a divorce. Stephen sends her a corsage before she leaves. Though she doesn't want the divorce, Mary doesn't see any other choice.
She gets some unexpected company on the trip to Reno when her friend Peggy also decides to get a divorce from her own husband. Peggy doesn't want a divorce either, but she's got her pride to think of.
Also headed for Reno are two other ladies, the Countess De Lave (Flora) and Mrs. Miriam Aarons. The Countess always perks up when speaking of "l'amour". "Oh, l’amour, l’amour, how it can let you
down. But, how it can pick you up again, too, dearie," she says with a grin.
Their six-week sojourn in Reno is hosted by Lucy, a no nonsense type of woman who runs a ranch for hopeful divorcees. Mary and Peggy enjoy letters from their friends in New York and hearing the news from back home.
However, the arrival of a familiar face soon throws the whole happy group into chaos.
And a secret held by Miriam Aarons causes there to be kicking, biting, screaming, and stomping.
On the day her divorce comes through, Mary desperately wants to call Stephen and call the whole thing off. Miriam urges her to do so and gives her a sort of pep talk.
Sadly, when Mary does hear from Stephen, it's only because he wanted to inform her that he married Ms. Crystal Allen that very morning as soon as he knew the divorce had come through.
Two years later, we find Crystal living in the lap of luxury. However, Stephen has tired of her and she is carrying on with another woman's husband.
Since their time in Reno, the girls get together every year in a sort of celebration. Flora muses, "Oh, isn't it wonderful to see all our lives so settled...temporarily?"
Mary doesn't go out with them to a nightclub later, though they press her to. She stays home and chats with her daughter, who tells Mary that Stephen and Crystal's marriage has soured and Stephen regrets ever divorcing Mary. This naturally perks Mary right up.
Mary excitedly begins to get ready. A plan is forming in her mind on how to get Stephen back once and for all. Her mother wonders what on earth is going on. "I've had two years to grow claws, Mother. Jungle Red!" exclaims Mary triumphantly.
The next thing we know, Mary is at the nightclub working out the final details of her plan.
And, oh, it's a doozy! I won't spoil how everything unfolds. Just know that Crystal gets her comeuppance and is left without a dime and headed right back to the perfume counter from whence she came.
Crystal tries to get the final word in as she departs defeated. "And by the way, there’s a name for you ladies,
but it isn’t used in high society...outside of
a kennel," she says.
But it's Mary who has the last laugh as she runs toward Stephen with stars in her eyes.
Cast rundown:
Norma Shearer.................................Mary Haines
Joan Crawford..................................Crystal Allen
Rosalind Russell................................Sylvia Fowler
Mary Boland.....................................Countess De Lave
Paulette Goddard..............................Miriam Aarons
Joan Fontaine...................................Peggy Day
Lucile Watson...................................Mrs. Morehead
Virginia Weidler.................................Little Mary Haines
Marjorie Main....................................Lucy
Virginia Grey.....................................Pat
Ruth Hussey.....................................Miss Watts
Hedda Hopper...................................Dolly DuPuyster
Florence Nash...................................Nancy Blake
Cora Witherspoon..............................Mrs. Van Adams
Dennie Moore....................................Olga
Barbara Jo Allen................................Receptionist
Esther Dale.......................................Ingrid
Butterfly McQueen.............................Lulu
Barbara Pepper..................................Tough Girl
Terry................................................Dog At Salon
And that's it for The Women. This has turned out to be one of my absolute favorite movies. It's been remade a couple of times, most notably in 1956 as "The Opposite Sex" and again in 2008 as "The Women". Honestly, I don't know how you could improve on the original.
This film also includes a fashion show in glorious Technicolor. The director eventually said that he felt this scene shouldn't have been in the movie. I think it's very well done.
