“The Women”

Northern Advocate, 4 May 1940, Page 10

“The Women”

Coming as an answer to that perennial question: “What do women talk about when they’re alone ” “The Women,” filmisation of Clare Boothe's outstanding stage success, has. an allstar cast of 135 women, headed by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell. Miss Shearer plays the role Margalo Gilmore created on the stage. Miss Crawford does the part done by Betty Lawford, Miss Russell the Uka Chase role, Pauline Goddard the Audrey Christie part, Joan Fontaine the character done by Adrienne Marden, Virginia Weidler has the child role originated by Charita Bauer, and Phyllis Povah does her original role on the screen. The cast comprises 35 principals and a total of 135 featured speaking roles in all. Not a single man appears anywhere in the picture, although nine tenths of the dialogue concerns men. The nearest approach to the masculine touch is the shadow of a man shown on a snapshot used as an insert. A dozen actors were tested for this shadow and the name of the actor cast for this odd role has, been kept secret. Every animal in the film is of the feminine sex. These include three monkeys, Stupid, Dizzy and Featherbrain, which appear in the fashion show dressed in costumes duplicating those of the stars. Even photographs and art objects are all feminine. Books used in the library are all by women writers and no title is used which refers to a man. It will be the first time that Miss Shearer, Miss Crawford and Miss Russell have never been kissed by a leading man in a picture.