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| The Women (1939 film) | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Women |
| Caption | Theatrical release poster |
| Director | George Cukor |
| Producer | David O. Selznick |
| Based on | Play by Clare Boothe Luce |
| Starring | Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine |
| Music | Herbert Stothart |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Editing | George Hively |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributor | Loew's Inc. |
| Released | 1939 |
| Runtime | 132 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Women (1939 film) is an American comedy-drama directed by George Cukor and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, adapted from Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 play. The film features an ensemble cast including Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell, and is notable for its all-female principal cast and its satirical exploration of socialite life in Manhattan, fashion, and marital infidelity. Praised for sharp dialogue and performances, the film has become a cultural touchstone cited in studies of Hollywood, gender, and adaptation.
The narrative follows Mary Haines, a well-to-do Manhattan socialite whose life among New York high society unravels after she learns of her husband Stephen Haines's affair with a showgirl, Crystal Allen. The story interweaves scenes at the Waldorf-Astoria, couture salons on Fifth Avenue, and Broadway dressing rooms, tracking rivalries among socialites, gossip exchanged in tea rooms, and the machinations of divorce lawyers in the New York court system. Mary confronts adultery, navigates friendships with women such as Sylvia Fowler and Peggy Day, and undergoes a transformation from complacent wife to independent woman, culminating in social retribution and personal reinvention amid the theatrical and fashion worlds of Manhattan.
The ensemble cast includes Norma Shearer as Mary Haines, Joan Crawford as Crystal Allen, Rosalind Russell as Sylvia Fowler, Mary Boland as Mrs. Morehead, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine in supporting roles, with performance contributions by actors associated with MGM repertory. The film showcases actresses renowned on Broadway and Hollywood stages, linking theatrical tradition to cinematic star systems exemplified by studios such as RKO Radio Pictures and Paramount Pictures, while reflecting casting practices influenced by producers like David O. Selznick and executives at Loew's Inc.
Adaptation rights to Clare Boothe Luce's play were acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during Hollywood's studio era dominated by figures such as Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg's legacy at MGM. George Cukor, noted for directions in theatrical adaptations and for working with actresses including Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo, helmed the film, emphasizing sophisticated staging, costume design, and ensemble dynamics. Costume designers drew inspiration from Paris couture houses and New York dressmakers, connecting Hollywood costume departments to ateliers frequented by designers associated with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Production design referenced Manhattan locales including the Waldorf-Astoria and the fashion district, while cinematography by Joseph H. August combined stage lighting techniques with MGM's photochemical practices. The screenplay adapted Luce's dialogue, incorporating studio censorship considerations under the Motion Picture Production Code administered by Joseph Breen and the Production Code Administration.
Critics and scholars have read the film through lenses including feminist critique, social satire, and star studies. Themes include female friendship and rivalry, consumer culture in relation to couture and department stores like Macy's, the institution of marriage vis-à-vis divorce proceedings in New York courts, and performativity in Broadway production culture. The film's all-female principal cast has been analyzed within studies of Hollywood gender representation, aligning with academic conversations involving figures such as Laura Mulvey in film theory and historians examining the studio system. The text also engages with class distinctions represented by society columns in periodicals such as The New York Times and Life, and with celebrity culture intersecting with publicity practices shaped by agencies like William Morris and the Hollywood press corps.
Upon release, contemporary reviewers in periodicals including The New York Times and trade papers like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's wit, costume design, and performances, particularly highlighting Rosalind Russell's comic timing and Norma Shearer's nuance. Some critics debated the film's fidelity to Clare Boothe Luce's original play and Cukor's cinematic choices. Over time, retrospective criticism has placed the film within canons of classic Hollywood comedies and melodramas, cited in filmographies of Cukor and in studies of 1930s American cinema that also discuss the broader cultural contexts of the Great Depression, the New Deal era, and the Hays Code.
The film performed respectably at the box office for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's slate in 1939, a year that also saw releases like Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, contributing to discussions of studio economics and star vehicles in Hollywood's Golden Age. Its enduring legacy includes influence on portrayals of women in ensemble comedies, its status as a source text for feminist film scholarship, and its frequent programming in retrospectives at institutions such as the American Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art. Fashion historians cite the film for its depiction of period couture, and the film remains a reference point in studies of adaptation from Broadway to Hollywood.
The property has inspired stage revivals of Clare Boothe Luce's play and a 2008 contemporary film adaptation directed by Diane English, featuring an ensemble cast and modernized setting. The narrative's themes have also informed television treatments and cultural references across media, from sitcom pastiches to discussions in film studies curricula at universities such as UCLA and NYU, demonstrating the work's adaptability across different historical moments and production contexts.
Category:1939 films Category:American films Category:Films directed by George Cukor