The Women

132 minutes, B&W with color insert, 1939, Written by Clare Booth Luce (play) - Anita Loos and Jane Murfin (screenplay), Directed by George Cukor, Starring - Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Phyllis Povah, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler, Lucile Watson, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey, Ruth Hussey, Muriel Hutchinson, Hedda Hopper, Florence Nash.

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Ratings Key

This is a seething, satirical story about a clique of lunching, cosmopolitan, society women who get off on destroying each other's lives. It's a bloodsport. They should've changed the title to Spa Bitches.

What a cast! Meow. My God there were no other actresses left in Hollywood when this film was shot? Hisssss. There's not a single man in this film. Mewl. Well, not physically, well no I mean not visually. Purr. You never see the men. Scratch. They only appear just out of reach, on the other end of the phone, in love notes, just around that corner. Reeeer! George Cukor (Director) said, "Everything was female. The books in the library scene were all by female authors. The photographs and art objects were all female. Even the animals -- the monkeys, the dogs, the horses -- were female. I'm not sure the audiences were aware of that, but there wasn't a single male represented in the entire film, although nine-tenths of the dialogue centered around them."

It's horrible! Teehee. It's shockingly wrong! Giggle. How can they do this to each other!? Chortle. It's too dreadful! Snicker. The script is ferocious and fastpaced, so pay attention and keep your finger on the rewind button at all times just in case you blink. Make sure you bring the gauze and tape because the dialogue has a MAJOR ouch factor. Character assassinations are administered with glee and malicious delight. Check out a portion of the lines on the next page, "Quotes & Stuff."

The opening credits compare pictures of the actress' characters to animals. We have a sweet deer for Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), a panting leopard with sleazy hussey music for Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), a hissing black cat for Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell), a furry exotic monkey for The Countess (Flora) De Lave (Mary Boland), a fox for Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard), a baby sheep for Peggy Day (Joan Fontaine), an owl for Mrs. Moorehead (Lucile Watson), a cow for Edith Potter (Phyllis Povah), a tiny doe for Little Mary (Virginia Weidler) and a honkin' donkey for Lucy (Marjorie Main). As you meet the characters you'll find that they nailed 'em all.

Rosalind Russell is GOD in this film. When she gets a whiff of dirt or gossip she looks like a junkie that's been dry for days who just stumbled into a Columbian Cartel warehouse. She salivates and schemes and lives to tear everybody up, especially when it's one of her friends.

Rosalind Russell and Paulette Goddard beat the shit out of each other in the cat fight of the century. It took 3 days to shoot and there doesn't seem to be a stunt double in sight. Goddard complained to "Life" magazine that she had black and blue marks over 90 percent of her body, while Russell suffered from a dislocated shoulder.

There are 135 speaking parts in this film and they're all women. Wardrobe and makeup were expected to be chaotic considering all of the Divas present in this film. Cukor said, "We ran everything like boot camp. There were specific regulations and schedules everyone had to adhere to. Each department was told to be polite and to accommodate everyone within reason, but at the first sign of star temperament, I was to be called." A hundred coiffures were created and no 2 were alike. Adrian (one name only) designed 237 different outfits with Norma Shearer changing 24 times throughout the film. $50,000 worth of real jewelry is worn by 3 stars in one scene. Cukor did not permit the actresses to see the costumes designed for the other players until they arrived on set ready to work in an attempt to quell the posturing wars.

1939 was an amazing year for film. Besides The Women, Gone with the Wind, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Of Mice and Men, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights, Beau Geste, Dark Victory, and Goodbye Mr. Chips were released, just to name a few.