WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[JackFavell]

One of the reasons you couldn't find a photo is that I mis-identified her! The correct manicurist, the one we all love to hear gossiping about Mary is actually Dennie Moore. Sorry about that!

I love her, she's just about my favorite person in the movie! By way of atonement for my mistake, I found several pics of her:

[feaito]

Girls, thanks to your exchanges, yesterday I watched "The Women" (1939) for the third time, noticing and pay attention to much more things now.

By the way, the actress who plays Olga, the manicurist who reveals Stephen's affair with Crystal to Norma is Dennie Moore, who also appeared as a maid who flirts with Kate Hepburn? in "Sylvia Scarlett" (1935). I don't know which manicurist was played by Mimi Oliveira.

I did notice Barbara Pepper, Josephine Whitwell, Aileen Pringle, Mary Young, Betty Blythe, Peggy Shannon (beautiful) and many more; also Florence Nash (Nancy, the authoress) resembles Mary Nash (the jealous nurse of "The Rains Came" (1939), Mrs. Rottenmeier of "Heidi" (1938) and the nasty owner of the Boarding School in "The Little Princess" (1939)) a lot, so they must be sisters or at least related...

Witty, witty, witty...there are a couple of exchanges which especially made me laugh...i.e.: when Nancy tells the Countess (tojours l'amour, l'amour....ha ha ha) to chin up and MIriam says "both of them"...or when Sylvia tells Crystal that she's gotten her "into some of our very best homes" and she answers: "Yes, with some of their very best insults."...I had to listen to that exchange twice....superb!

I agree that all the actresses are in top form, but Crawford and Russell are especially impressive. To think that Joan would play in 1950 Harriet Craig which Roz had played in 1936...Norma is excellent, but some gestures or posturing reminiscent of perhaps her Silent Film period (like Tess or Wen stated) is apparent....Roz and Joan look more modern in her acting styles.

[feaito]

I also must add that Joan Fontaine looked beautiful, so fragile, so delicate, so slim....a peach! And the eye-popping Virgina Grey (her beauty in this film is flawless) who plays the Crystal's wisecracking co-worker....I recall reading tha Gable had an affair with her sometime, after Lombard died. Can't blame him. She was a dish. She appeared afterwards in the '50s in "All That Heaven Allows" with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. Didn't she?

Paulette Goddard was a force of nature in this film; Marjorie Main a blast! Virginia Weidler so professional (she demonstrated her talent as Mimsy in "Peter Ibbetson" in 1935) and I agree with you girls that the scene of her crying in the closet doesn't match the previous one; seems artificial and filmed and inserted later. Lucile Watson...rightly compared with and all-too-wise owl....I had a grand night and went to sleep very late and I'm paying the consequences today!

I want to watch the inferior but nevertheless enjoyable "The Opposite Sex" (1956), if only, for Aggie Moorehead, Dolores Gray and Ann Sheridan.

[feaito]

WEN I was writing the first post when you posted the correction Re. Dennie Moore (i'm very slow ), so don't consider that part...

[charliechaplinfan]

Maven, I believe that saleswoman was Aileen Pringle, but I'm not sure, there are so many salesladies in this movie!

Alison, thanks for figuring out which movie was the one with Ida - I should have remembered it was the one with George Sanders. I just have trouble with those titles! I like both Boomerang! and While the City Sleeps... how can you not like a movie with that cast? Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is the one that let me down... I guess I expected more since it was Lang, and I think I'd just watched Secret Beyond the Door right before it and was blown away by it. Lang's later films with Dana are direct, straightforward crime dramas, and I guess I was expecting something more... Langian.

Where the Sidewalk Ends is another of those 4 word Dana films I get mixed up.... I think that one's Otto Preminger though. Or is it Elia Kazan? Oh the confusion!

Isn't there another one with Gene Tierney, a noir film, that might be Where The Sidewalk Ends. I do agree about Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, considering the leads and the director, I expected more of a bang to finish with, Joan and Dana were lacking chemistry, I think it was Joan because I found her rather lacklustre or at least I found her character rather lacklustre, she didn't have a great deal to do.

I had a merry old time today with State Fair, I've never seen either version, oh my, I love my musicals, Dana Andrews and I'm quite partial to Jeanne crain too so it's a surprise that I haven't come to it before. As musicals go it doesn't boast the biggest roster of songs but the ones it uses it certainly makes the most of. I know we've discussed before the fact that Dana Andrews could sing but doesn't here but he only has a chorus to sing with Jeanne, could it be that he sang that one? I'm in love with the whole State Fair, from casting Fay Bainter as the mother, to the beautiful Jeanne, to the slightly too made up Dana who was lovely anyway, Dick Haymes and Vivian Blaine too who had the most songs to sing. Definetly one to watch again. And why have I never sat next to a man like Dana on a rollercoaster? I'm like Jeanne although never stupid enough to stand up, never met a handsome man on one though.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've only seen The Women the once, I'm Norma's girl through and through, she might be a bit too perfect in character but I prefer the way she plays her part rather than Joan and Roz who I find a bit overblown, in life wouldn't the lines be blurred more? Wouldn't Roz be more subtle, Joanie too? I find Norma's playing more natural, Joanie and Roz often playing women who are larger than life. Seeing as this is one of the last of their films that I've come to I've always seen Norma as subtler actress, more consistent with Joanie less consistent but capable of putting in a performance that steals a picture, like in Grand Hotel when she stole it from everyone.

[feaito]

I've only seen The Women the once, I'm Norma's girl through and through, she might be a bit too perfect in character but I prefer the way she plays her part rather than Joan and Roz who I find a bit overblown, in life wouldn't the lines be blurred more? Wouldn't Roz be more subtle, Joanie too? I find Norma's playing more natural, Joanie and Roz often playing women who are larger than life. Seeing as this is one of the last of their films that I've come to I've always seen Norma as subtler actress, more consistent with Joanie less consistent but capable of putting in a performance that steals a picture, like in Grand Hotel when she stole it from everyone.

She indeed stole that picture from everyone, especially from Garbo.

[CineMaven]

Hola Feaito. I'm glad you watched "The Women." Isn't it just an absolute hoot? It's so great that on this board so many folks' enthusiasm and recommendation for a movie broadens one's mental library.

I'm still looking for my elusive saleswoman. ( See the video below and you'll see her at 1:57. ) I looked at the above posts and I still don't see her. I'm starting to get obsessed. Yes...yes to the Russell / Crawford exchange, Feaito, of "Yes with some of their veddy best insults." I love the way Crawford mockingly uses a rich and snobby accent. This was a cat ( sales ) gal fighting for her life. Now one shouldn't steal another one's husband, ( never good form ) but I'll have to watch it again to see Crawford navigating her way through high society. The job of women back then seemed to be to get married. You could fill a college course with "Women's" movies where their life revolved around getting a man, keeping a man. It really was like a Job. And the one gal who had a discernable job, well she was what "nature abhors, an old maid. A frozen asset." Woweeeee. Nobody wants to be a frozen asset.

According to IMDB, Mary Nash and Florence Nash are, indeed, sisters. I enjoyed the mother & daughter exchanges between Shearer and Lucile Watson: "I was a married woman before you were born." Or "I know my sex." There was also a moment so quick, so deep ( for me ) that I really wait for. In Reno, Shearer is going on about how she's kind of over Stephen and it's the way Paulette Goddard says to her quietly "You're lying," that catches me.

I found Fontaine the most annoying character in the movie so I have to get past her, ( those mousy wives and virgins bore the pants off me * ) but ahhhhh Virginia Grey. I always liked her. She was with Lana down Me-hi-co Way in "Love Has Many Faces" and appeared in "Madame X." Acerbic and beautiful. Bringing up Goddard again, ( may I please? ) I just have to say from the moment on the train when she puts down her embroidery to walk over to Boland and Shearer, her walk says it all. Oh yeah, and I love Shearer saying and gesturing "They say he had to grow a Van Dyke beard to keep her from seeing him laughing." Princess Mara, that beautiful model with the flowing red and white cape, was actually married to actor Sidney Blackmer. I found this out in my search for my elusive SalesWoman.

Some resourceful editor put together some of the witty lines from the movie. If anyone has a moment, check it out and relive the glory of "The Women":

[youtube][/youtube]

* I only said that to imitate Crystal in the dressing room. I have nothing against virgins or mousy wives.

[CineMaven]

Alison, would you be inclined to see ”The Women” a couple of more times? Did you like the movie? I’m a big fan of Pre-Code Norma. Her Mary Haines was The Perfect Wife ( is their such a creature...uhmmm...besides Myrna Loy? ) - Partnership / Lovin’ / Maternalling. But it wasn’t enough to keep Stephen from straying. ( Well, Stephen was like shooting fish in a barrel for Crystal anyway. )

Crawford and Russell overblown? Well, the characters in real life, yeeeeup. But in a movie? NAH! We have to see the Type very quickly. You know, cinematic shorthand. And all these wives were Types of Women. From what I’ve read, Russell was reluctant taking this part of Sylvia Prowler Fowler because she was mostly playing more subdued parts. You know, she was the designated hitter for Myrna Loy. That Sylvia was over-the-top gave her pause.

“The Women” was screen at TCM’s 2012 film festival. That was the perfect way to see it. Big screen. Packed house. Roars of laughter.

BTW, I love Jeanne Crain.

[feaito]

I'm still looking for my elusive saleswoman. ( See the video below and you'll see her at 1:57. )

Could she be Grace Goodall?

[knitwit45]

I'm still looking for my elusive saleswoman. ( See the video below and you'll see her at 1:57. )

Could she be Grace Goodall?

??

[feaito]

Thanks Knitty. She resembles her, but looks older -perhaps- in this picture.

[knitwit45]

Westward the Women is on tonight, 5:00pm CST

Great movie!!!

[RedRiver]

I'm Norma's girl through and through, she might be a bit too perfect in character but I prefer the way she plays her part rather than Joan and Roz who I find a bit overblown

I'm going to practice my political skills and agree with everybody! This spellbinding ensemble is a group of sharply drawn, effectively exaggerated caricatures. Except for Norma. Her character is the thread that holds it all together. It's the enviable role of "straight woman to a bunch of nut jobs," and she plays it to perfection. She's the one who can't be over the top. If she were, it wouldn't work.

As for the rest of the cast, I'm Ravin' with the Maven! We have to see the Type very quickly. You know, cinematic shorthand I've never heard that described more efficiently. It must be infuriating to good actors to be called upon to oversimplify. Yes, you have the talent to be subtle, explorative; to develop believably. But there's no time for that! We need a blunt, clear image, and we need it now! What actors CAN do is not always what we need them to do. Cinematic shorthand, indeed!

[CineMaven]

I'm going to practice my political skills and agree with everybody!

Oh brother Red. What a politician you are....

...and you get MY vote!!!