The Women

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: Start with a great cast-- Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell--and what else could you expect but a fabulous movie. This movie kind of makes you glad you weren't rich back in the 1930's. I wonder how all those society matrons felt about this movie back then, as it was a terribly unflattering portrayal of wealthy females. Norma Shearer sometimes forgets that she's in the "talkies" and pantomimes wildly, like the year was 1919 instead of 1939 (scene at the end where Stephen comes back to her), but she's still very good in the role of Mary Haines, the long-suffering wife of an unfaithful husband. George Cukor really knew what he was doing as he guided this cast, and deserves kudos as well. This is an EXCELLENT movie.

Rating:
Summary: Top Glamour
Review: One of the greatest (and still most underrated) Hollywood comedies, about the lives, lies and tricks of few high-society "friends". Cukor is superb in its direction; he looks so comfortable directing only women, that this is one of his "gay-est" films. Not even man appeared as an extra, the women full the screen, with wonderful gowns, hilarious dialogue and catty fights. Norma Shearer in her heartbreaking speciality; she knows how to learn us the inmensity of the problem if Joan Crawford steals your man. Joan Fontaine is lovely, and Paulette Goddard and, specially, Rosalind Russell (our beloved Roz) are incredibly funny. Joan is terrific as well as Crystal Allen; she's at her best, when she proclaims: "There's name for you, ladies, but it doesn't use in the high society...outside of a kennel"

Rating:
Summary: 1939 was a wonderful year
Review: 1939 was a great year for the movies! "Gone With the Wind", "Wizard of Oz", "Rebecca", too many others to list, and "The Women". A hilarious, sharply written movie about the cattiest group of women you'd never want to meet. Unlikeable they may be, but there's not a dummy in the group, and there are no lulls in this wonderful film.

Rating:
Summary: 1939 or 1999 Women are still the same!
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Crawford is a winner at the man-stealer. The color segment for the fashion show is superb!

Rating:
Summary: An all-time classic! Not to be missed.
Review: Over two hours of classic catty lines and bitchy madness, with great stars in perfect roles. Savor every minute of the women, and be glad you don't know them!!!

Rating:
Summary: The best ---- has no time line -- works for anytime
Review: I have looked for this movie for a long time. It is the best "chick flick" I have ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Chic Flick
Review: I am a big fan of black and white movies. The movie is kept at a high tempo - never a dull moment. I recomend it to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Old Comedy At It's Best
Review: All female cast in a movie that's all about men. And frankly, it's a cast to DIE for. All of M-G-M (it WAS mgm, right?)'s top leading ladies, clawing each other to bits!

Norma Shearer plays the sympathetic wife/mother of the movie, Mary Haines; the main character. She overhears that her husband has been cheating on her, having an affair with shopgirl Crystal Allen (played by a wonderfully evil Joan Crawford). After much trial and tribulation, Mary ends up on the train for Reno to get a divorce. But in order to find out what happens in the second half of the movie, you'll have to see it yourself!

While Shearer and Crawford are both excellent in their roles, I must say that this film belongs to the two strongest supporting actresses, Rosalind Russell and Paulette Goddard. Russell plays Shearer's cousin and "best friend", Sylvia Fowler, and Goddard plays a gal Shearer becomes friends with at Reno. The cat fight between Russell and Goddard is one of the BEST examples of physical comedy I have ever had the delight of seeing (I actually watched it in slow motion once). Russell talks about a hundred words a second, so try to keep up!

Joan Fontaine, Phyllis Povah, and Virginia Weidler are all also brilliant in their supporting roles (as is Mary Boland, another personal favorite--she is just as funny as they come). So for those looking for a very different comedy, rent The Women today!

Rating:
Summary: Funniest movie ever!!
Review: This movie is the funniest I have ever seen, I have watched it numerous times and keep hearing lines I missed in the last umpteen viewings. The acting is superb (well, Norma Shearer might be just a bit over the top) but everyone else was awesome and perfectly cast. What a special movie to own, I am so glad it became available on dvd since I had tried to purchase it some time ago when it was out of print.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent film!
Review: One of cukor's very best, and well worth watching any number of times. The scenes, photography, direction, script are all razor-sharp and the acting is fantastic and fitting. So why only 4 stars? Norma Shearer, who was the low point. I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something. But as a longtime vintage film addict, including silents, I have NEVER considered Norma Shearer anything but an extremely over-rated and mediocre actress who chewed scenery and always tried to dominate her scenes. I read people raving about her, but I just never understood it. Yes even when she played Marie Antoinette, which many consider her high point. It's always been my opinion that she would've never have risen to where she did had she not been married to Irving Thalberg. That she tried to upstage is obvious in virtually all of her films. Two examples that come to mind immediately; In Her Cardboard Lover, she can't leave a room without stopping and dramatically turning around to make a point. It happens something like 19 times, and takes the focus off of Robert Taylor, who was really good in that. In He Who Gets Slapped, she tries to be the focus of all her scenes, even when she's not the main subject. She pretty much mashes John Gilbert into the background, but Lon Chaney still manages to steal the film.