The Women

Rating:
Summary: Gala Of Gals
Review: This review refers to "The Women" (1939)....

If I could only pick one year of movies to collect, I wouldn't think twice. 1939. This was a year the filmmakers consistently made movie magic. Films that still hold up today as great entertainment. Films that have those special moments we all remember. The glamorous stars defined(and still do) Hollywood. The Academy had their hands full with such great films as "Gone With The Wind", "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington", "The Wizard Of Oz", "Stagecoach", "Wuthering Heights", "Ninotchka", "Love Affair", "Dark Victory", "Of Mice and Men" and "Goodbye Mr. Chips". And those were only the nominated films. There were many other greats, among them, this little gem, starring all the best and the brightest (well, not quite all ) women "movie stars" of the 30's. And these women, along with their esteemed Director, George Cukor, have left us with a piece of cinematic history to be savored for many more years to come.

In this wonderfully charming and sometines poignant comedy, we find an upper crust circle of women, who are savvy, very modern(for the 30's),extremely chatty(gossipy), and at times can be, as Joan Crawford puts it to the others, "... there's a name for you ladies, and it isn't used in high society...outside of a kennel". The women, are all very different from each other, yet seem to thrive on the each other's highs and lows.

Norma Shearer, is Mary Haines, a happily married (or so she thought), wife and mother. As always the wife is the last to know. The circle is all abuzz with the fact the Mary's hubby Steven(who is a big part of the story, but never seen, as this is an all female cast), is having an affair with a lowly perfume counter salesgirl. It's a fun and glorious romp with this group, as we follow them through their everyday lives. We are treated to Spa treatments, luncheons, a fashion show(the only scene done in glorious color),and the divorce train to Reno, as we learn all the details of the Mary's saga, as well as the trials, tribulations and changing relationships of the others. You can't help but to become involved with their hopes, dreams and..schemes!

So here's the list: As already mentioned, Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford are the main attractions...add to them, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland, Phyllis Povah, Hedda Hopper, and stealing the show with a million laughs...Rosalind Russell(her outfits alone will have you rolling), and you've got yourself a really wonderful piece of cinema. Other fabulous faces of the thirties to look for include Virginia Weilder(who was also the little sister in "The Philadelphia Story", Ruth Hussey, Marjorie Main and Butterfly McQueen.

It's a treat for any lover of black and white classics, and a must have for the pleasure to view all these great ladies of the silver screen together.

Enjoy this Gala of Gals....Laurie

Rating:
Summary: The Most Fabulous MGM Movie You'll Ever See
Review: Between Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer (who were famously enemies at the MGM Studio) and Rosiland Russel, this film is a Must-See movie which stars an all-woman cast (no men in this movie) who are catty, bitchy, back-stabbing, and gossipy. The fashion show is amazing. There is no person who shouldn't see this movie.

Rating:
Summary: What a great movie!!!
Review: If you haven't seen "The Women," do yourself a favor and see it any way you can - I checked out the video from my local library. I've never been a Norma Shearer fan, but she's good here...however, the movie belongs, in my humble opinion, to Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland, and, of course, Rosalind Russell. The catfight between Goddard and Russell is, by itself, worth the price of the video or DVD. So is Marjorie Main's brief part. Boland is hilarious. Goddard is delicious. Crawford is great in her part. Shearer, in keeping with the times, is a bit stilted in her role, but she plays it well, anyway. The dialogue is fast and kicky and great fun. The clothes are beautiful. They just don't make movies like this anymore!!!

Rating:
Summary: Classic Chic Flick
Review: Holds your attention the entire way through at its 2 hr and 13 min running time. Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford steal the show and Rosalind Russell of Auntie Mame fame gives one of her best performances. I appreciated Cukor's brilliant use of color for the fashion show sequence and some of the cinmatography throughout the film is truly thrilling. The ending is the best part of the film with a comical and fast paced cat fight and Crawford getting her come uppance.