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His Girl Friday (1940)

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

Wearing an outrageous, wacky suit with matching hat, the pattern zig zag, while holding her head high as she marches matter-of-factly into the “news room” was Rosalind Russell in the opening scene of the quintessential screwball comedy His Girl Friday. Her character, Hildy Johnson, is a woman that both men and women are wont to like. To women, she is that strong woman who is smarter, wittier, and more talented than the men around her, and that’s a woman to admire!

ralph bellamy cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

To men, besides her intelligence and wit, she is also an incredibly beautiful woman who can keep up with anything a man does. Even though in 1940, this might be deemed as a threat to men, I think it is ridiculous to believe all men would be threatened by a woman like Hildy Johnson, much less the actress who plays her, who was very much like her in many ways. His Girl Friday paved the way for other “career women” roles in the 1940s, which was a character that Rosalind Russell in particular perfected to the point of being typecast.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

It was announced that Rosalind Russell would play the part of Hildy Johnson, who was actually a man in the original play, but the character was now a woman in this version. However, when Miss Russell first discovered she’d been chosen, but after many other actresses had turned it down for various reasons, that sassiness in her came out. She was angry that she “was everybody’s fifteenth choice,” as she put it, so she took a dip in her pool the first day of work and walked right into the studio with her hair and clothes completely soaked. Even though her next movie job had started off with some bad behavior on Rosalind’s part, after her breakout role in The Women, His Girl Friday further cemented her place as a brilliant comedienne.

ralph bellamy cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Even though she was typecast as a career woman, I cannot think of any other classic actress better at this type of role, and Hildy Johnson is arguably her best one. Tell me, can anyone possibly think of anyone but Rosalind Russell in the part? I certainly cannot. It was fate that she should land this role after so many top actresses turned it down.

rosalind russell cary grant his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

Sassy Roz aside, she had a ball working with Cary Grant for the first time (and sadly the only time) because they were both very adept at ad libbing and extremely talented in the art of comedy. Many Rosalind Russell fans know this story, but I will briefly mention it: Cary Grant played matchmaker in Rosalind’s life as well. He had a friend, Danish-born Frederick Brisson, who was dying to meet Roz after he heard that Cary would be working with her. Although it took a long time for him to get that coveted date and Rosalind played rather hard to get during much of their courtship, they did fall in love and get married. And who was best man at their wedding? Nobody but Cary Grant, of course! And so a 37-year-long friendship blossomed between Rosalind and Cary.

ernest truex roscoe karns rosalind russell regis toomey his girl friday
Ernest Truex, Roscoe Karns, Rosalind Russell, and Regis Toomey in His Girl Friday (1940)

When the film opens, we (the viewers) see a barrage of reporters in the offices of the Morning Post, where Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is editor. The way the writers talk all at once, constantly overlapping each other, sets the scene for the entire movie. Rapid-fire and overlapping dialogue is a very important element of His Girl Friday and it goes on from beginning to end. I find this kind of movie to be awe-inspiring and absolutely brilliant, the two leads being the source of most of this brilliance. In fact, the film is so saturated with dialogue that there is only time and space for music during the opening and closing credits!

rosalind russell cary grant billy gilbert clarence kolb gene lockhart his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, Billy Gilbert, Clarence Kolb, and Gene Lockhart in His Girl Friday (1940)

The first important character that makes her appearance is the one and only Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), who enters in her ziggety-zaggety suit, which I expect would be even more insane in color. She comes in with Bruce Baldwin (played by Ralph Bellamy), her fiancé. She is about to go in to talk to Walter, who is also her ex-husband besides being her boss. She saunters through the office, talking to everyone she passes. Everyone is happy to see her, cheerily saying “hello!” to her. One woman starts walking with her and informs her that her cat just had kittens again. Hildy’s response? “It’s your own fault.” Finally, she arrives at Walter’s office and knocks on the door. Grumpy, he barks at whoever is there: “What do you want?”

rosalind russell abner biberman cary grant his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Abner Biberman, and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

When he looks up and sees it’s Hildy, he changes his tone and my favorite scene has begun. As she stands there, Walter discusses with Duffy (Frank Orth), one of the men who works for him, about what they will do for the Earl Williams story in the paper. We can all see that he will do anything for a great story, even double-cross people in the process. As Duffy leaves, Hildy smirks and says, “Well, Walter, I see you’re still at it.” She tells him she needs to talk to him, but first she wants to sit down. The very subtle sexual tension and romantic chemistry becomes unmistakable as Walter pats his lap, motioning her over, and says, “There’s been a lamp burning in the window for you, honey. Here.” She barely glances at him before responding, “Oh, I jumped out that window a long time ago, Walter.” It is fun to watch as Hildy and Walter hurl insults at each other during this entire scene without Hildy able to tell him the news she intended.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: I am fond of you, you know. I often wish you weren’t such a stinker!

 

Hildy: Big, fat lummox like you hiring an airplane to write, “Hildy, don’t be hasty. Remember my dimple. Walter”

It is evident that Walter was not a model husband, not even showing up for their honeymoon because his work always comes first. But even so, I think many women can understand why Hildy would fall in love with him… he looks like Cary Grant! As Walter continues to rattle off words, not allowing Hildy to get to the point, she utters a very famous line and my favorite in the film: “Oh, Walter, you’re wonderful in a loathsome sort of way.”

rosalind russell gene lockhart his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Gene Lockhart among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

And that chemistry intensifies as he approaches her, touching her arms, trying to get her to stay on the paper with him. “Will you take your hands off me? What are you playing, osteopath?” “Temper, temper!” At one point, he mocks her, putting his hand on his hip effeminately, saying she kept making goo-goo eyes at him for two years in order to make him marry her. This causes a fun ad lib to erupt: Hildy throws her bag at him, which was an ad lib on Roz’s part; very quick on his feet, Cary immediately ducks and says “You’re losing your eye. You used to be able to pitch better than that!”

rosalind russell john qualen his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and John Qualen in His Girl Friday (1940)

There are so many elements of this beautiful first scene that make the movie. It has just the right amount of back-and-forth witty repartee, romantic chemistry, and even the more subtle dramatic reactions as Hildy shoves her engagement ring in his face and he suddenly has to think of a plan to get her not to marry this fellow, which goes to show that he still loves her.

 

irving bacon cary grant ralph bellamy rosalind russell his girl friday
Irving Bacon, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: Scram, Svengali.

 

After Walter is going on and on and won’t stop talking, Hildy hits the desk with the palm of her hand, mumbles something incoherently, and cries out, “Sold, American!” a reference to a “tobacco auction,” advertising the cigarettes Lucky Strike, which always ended with this phrase being yelled out.

 

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: Listen to me, you great, big, bubble-headed baboon!

 

And at this point, he is informed of her engagement and he walks out with her, intent on meeting the man. In one of those “so funny, it just about cracks your ribs” moments, Walter walks right up to an old man who may even be missing some teeth, taking him for Bruce Baldwin. The man is confused, trying to tell him his name is Pete Davis. The real Bruce Baldwin taps him on the shoulder and tells him he has the wrong man.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

And with a couple hilarious lines, Cary Grant has me clutching my sides: “Who are you?” “Well, I’m Pete Davis.” “Well, Mr. Davis, is this any concern of yours? From now on, I’ll thank you to keep your nose out of my affairs!” He immediately turns around and shakes Bruce’s umbrella instead of his hand and says, “Oh, that’s wrong, isn’t it?” What a funny man he is!

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Right away, Walter invites them to lunch and off they go. As they get on the elevator, Hildy talks expertly out of the corner of her mouth: “You’re wasting your time, Walter. It won’t do you a bit of good.” They eat lunch at a favorite place of Hildy’s and Walter’s, but the funny thing is that Bruce is the only one who really gets any eating done. Hildy and Walter are too busy talking their heads off to satisfy their hunger. Walter keeps trying to get Hildy to stay at least a few hours in town to write an article on Earl Williams, a timid man who shot a cop dead. Both Hildy and Walter do little things directed at each other to show the kind of relationship they have. When Hildy tries to light her cigarette, Walter immediately grabs her hand and lights his own cigarette before she gets a chance.

rosalind russell ralph bellamy his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy in His Girl Friday (1940)

Something else that needs no words and that I just love: she has one fist up against her mouth and her right hand, she lays next to the fist and opens her fingers, thumbing her nose at Walter in a way. It’s perfect! But this wasn’t an ad lib she came up with on her own. Just like in The Women, she did something she shouldn’t have and she mentioned that she never did it again. She secretly hired a writer from her brother-in-law’s advertising firm to help her punch up the script.

rosalind russell alma kruger his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Alma Kruger among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter gets an idea, so he pretends to spill water on himself. He gets up, has Gus (Irving Bacon), the proprietor, help clean him up, and tells him to call him to the telephone when he gets back to the table. Once he is in the telephone booth, he speaks to Duffy and tries to think of an idea to get Hildy to stay. As Walter is talking on the telephone, at the table, Bruce, just sweet as pie, tells Hildy that Walter seems nice, to which Hildy responds, “Yeah, he ought to make some girl real happy,” then under her  breath, “Slap happy.” (That was an addition by Rosalind’s hired writer).

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Bruce also mentions that Walter has a lot of charm. “Yeah, he comes by it naturally. His grandfather was a snake.” When Walter comes back to the table, he tells Hildy about the Earl Williams story and how he needs “a woman’s touch” for the interview. The Morning Post is on Earl Williams’ side and also in opposition to the politicians, who keep reprieving Earl Williams for no reason other than to make his hanging closer to election time. As Hildy says about the mayor, “He’d hang his own grandmother to get re-elected.” Walter tries a few ploys to get Hildy to write the interview, but she refuses. But suddenly, she gets an idea that if she writes the interview, Walter will take out a life insurance policy with Bruce, who is an insurance salesman. “See what they’ll allow on that old carcass of his.” “Say! I’m better than I ever was.” “That was never anything to brag about.”

cary grant ralph bellamy rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Next scene, while Walter is off getting a physical for the insurance policy, Hildy enters the press room at the criminal courts building, which will be pretty much the only place she will be for the rest of the film. She has on a new outfit, but still decked out in stripes with a not-so-crazy hat. This is the second and last outfit she wears in the film. Some men are outside, testing the hanging contraption for Earl Williams’ execution. One of the reporters, McCue (Roscoe Karns) tells them to keep it down because they’re all trying to work up there. A man shouts, “Ah, shut up!” Hildy’s reaction is “Very little respect for the press around here.” She gets the lowdown on Earl Williams so she has a bit of a backstory to work with before going to interview him. Bruce calls up, saying he has the check from Walter.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

It is always obvious when Hildy is on the phone with Bruce because although she often speaks in a hard-boiled way, her tone changes to sugary sweet when she is talking to Bruce. Not trusting Walter at all, she tells Bruce to put the check in the lining of his hat because she knows exactly what Walter would do. Then she is off to the jail to talk to Earl Williams (played by John Qualen). After bribing the warden, Cooley (Pat West), with $20, she takes a seat next to Earl’s cell and starts to talk to him. While in other scenes, we can hardly keep up with Hildy and what she’s saying, this is by far her most toned down scene. She speaks quietly, methodically, softly.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Earl Williams is the timid sort of fellow who might be easily scared. She starts talking to him about “production for use,” which was something a person was speaking of in the park that Earl frequents. She asks him, “What’s a gun for, Earl?” “Why, to shoot, of course.” “Maybe that’s why you used it. It seems reasonable.” “That’s what a gun’s for. Maybe that’s why! Production for use!” Hildy only talks like this for Earl, for with anyone else, she speaks in her usual manner. It is a short interview, but she has her story.

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

When Hildy comes back to the press room to start typing up her interview, Mollie Malloy (Helen Mack) is there, trying to give the reporters a piece of her mind. They have been making up stories, lying about her having a “love nest” with Earl when all she did was be nice to him. As the “typical reporter” is painted in this scene, they don’t pay her any mind and keep on with their card game. When Mollie starts crying and yells out, “They ain’t human!” Hildy helps her out of the room while saying, “I know. They’re newspapermen.” In one of the only silent moments in the film, the reporters hang their heads in shame until Hildy comes back, simply addressing them as “Gentlemen of the press” in disgust.

rosalind russell cary grant his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

When she gets a call from Bruce that he’s been arrested for stealing a man’s wallet (and the man is the shady little Louie [Abner Biberman] who works for Walter, of course), she suddenly bolts out the door with all the force she has, running right into Peter B. Hartwell, the sheriff (Gene Lockhart), causing him to cry out in pain.

The newspapermen read Hildy’s story and realize she can’t leave the newspaper game—she’s just too talented. As they start making bets how long her marriage will last, an angry Hildy comes back into the room, telling them she’ll take that bet. “It’s getting so a girl can’t leave the room without being discussed by a bunch of old ladies.” She immediately gets on the phone, emphatic about leaving the newspaper business and getting married and having babies.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

She asks for Walter and as soon as she is connected, she starts in on him: “Now get this, you double-crossing chimpanzee. There ain’t gonna be any interview and there ain’t gonna be any story. I wouldn’t cover the burning of Rome for you if they were just lighting it up!” She puts the phone down, grabs her story out fresh out of the typewriter, and rips the pages up into little pieces within earshot of the phone. “Hear that? That’s the story I just wrote. I just said I’d write it. I didn’t say I wouldn’t tear it up!”

cary grant rosalind russell ralph bellamy his girl riday
Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy in His Girl Friday (1940)

With that, she hangs up and gets ready to leave, expressing her pity for the other reporters in the room. The phone starts ringing again and mad as hell at this point, she uses all her strength to pull the phone right out of the wall. She speaks into the receiver: “And another thing, I… Oh!” Realizing she just pulled it out, she is a little frazzled. Just as she is about to leave, there are loud noises of gunshots across the street. Earl Williams has shot his way out and escaped! What is Hildy to do as her fellow reporters scramble around her, trying to get the scoop? Her newspaperwoman instincts kick in, of course, and out the door she goes.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

She runs out of the building and yells at the top of her lungs at Cooley, who is running away: “Hey, Cooley! Hey!” As she struggles to run across the street as scads of motorcycle cops and other cars zoom down the street, she runs after Cooley, finally tackling him to the ground, wanting to get the story straight from his mouth. When she comes back with the story in her memory, she calls up Walter. She makes him promise to send $450 down because it’s Bruce’s money that she used to get the story from Cooley. He assures her, “I swear it on my mother’s grave.” She responds, “Wait a minute, your mother’s alive.” “On my grandmother’s grave. Don’t be technical, Hildy.” She informs him that when the doctor was examining Earl Williams, he wanted to re-enact the crime scene, and Sheriff Pete B. (B for Brains) Hartwell stupidly handed over his gun to Earl.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Earl shot the doctor with said gun and escaped. Their conversation over, Walter gets another of his minions to go over and delay Hildy by getting Bruce arrested again. He sends over Evangeline (Marion Martin), a tall blonde, to get him in trouble for “mashing.” When she asks Walter what Bruce looks like, Cary’s ad libbing skills once again come in handy: “He looks like, you know, that fella in the movies… Ralph Bellamy.” “Oh, him?” When Bruce calls up Hildy once again to tell her what happened, she knows exactly who is behind it (again). She tries to get a hold of Walter, but they can’t locate him.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Meanwhile, the mayor and the sheriff are discussing the Earl Williams escape when a man comes in to deliver a reprieve, Mr. Pettibone (played to brilliant perfection by Billy Gilbert). The man constantly brings up his wife, even when the situation doesn’t call for it. He is one of the most memorable characters with a smaller role in the film. The mayor (Clarence Kolb) tries to bribe him into a fancy job so he won’t deliver the reprieve. As he leaves, the mayor asks him, “What’s your name?” “Pettibone.” “Pettibone?” Mistaking the mayor for saying his name is also Pettibone, he grins and shakes his hand, “Not really!”

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

In the press room, Hildy is suddenly surprised by Earl Williams coming into the room, pointing a gun at her. Shocked, she puts on her low, soothing voice again, only reserved for Mr. Williams. She tells him, “You don’t want to kill anybody.” The man is a little mentally disturbed and nervous and when he hears a noise, he shoots at the window. She immediately takes the gun from him and tells him to sit down. After she locks the door, she calls up Walter, and at the same time, Bruce calls her, wondering what will be done with him. She wants to help him, but more importantly, she wants to get on this story of the escape. In one of Rosalind Russell’s most dazzling comedic moments, she expertly talks to Bruce on one phone in her right ear and then switches to talking to Walter on another phone with her left ear.

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

It is amazing to watch her go back and forth between phones without missing a beat. When someone starts knocking on the door, she ends the call with Bruce with so much gusto that she knocks the telephone over. At first, she tries to keep Mollie from knowing that Earl is in there, but he calls out for her. Hildy rolls her eyes and allows her inside. However, when the writers are back, wanting inside the press room, they have to hide Earl in the desk in the back of the room. Mrs. Baldwin (Alma Kruger), Bruce’s mother, comes into the room and mentions that Hildy said there was a murderer locked up in there. Hildy tries to reassure the reporters that she was only looking for the murderer, not that she was trying to scoop them. The men start ganging up on her until Mollie comes to her rescue by stating she’s the only one who knows anything. She starts acting hysterical and right after she screams, she jumps out of the window.

on the set of his girl friday
on the set of His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter finally makes another appearance (this film really belongs to Rosalind) and has Louie pick up Mrs. Baldwin over his shoulder and carry her out of the room, screaming. Walter starts trying to persuade Hildy to get to what she should be doing—writing—by backing her into a corner, calling her all sorts of odd names (“drooling idiot,” “brain of a pancake”) and telling her that if she writes this story, there will be billboards of her everywhere. He stops when she tells him to stop acting, which he is really doing throughout the entire film (over-the-top, hammy, which is how it should be).

ralph bellamy rosalind russell his girl friday
Ralph Bellamy and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

As Hildy starts pounding out a story on the typewriter, Bruce suddenly comes in and tries to get Hildy to go back with him. However, she’s so invested in her story that she barely notices him there. This is another scene of note because it contains two different conversations between three people occurring at the same time. At one point, Walter even says, “I’m trying to concentrate!” (You’re telling me, Walter!). Eventually, Bruce leaves the room, telling her he will be taking that 9 o’clock train.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Bruce: I’m taking the 9 o’clock train!

Hildy: The 9 o’clock… Oh, Bruce, I put it in here! (She snaps the papers out of the typewriter and starts over again)

Hildy doesn’t even realize he’s leaving as she shouts out, “You have to take me as I am. I’m no suburban bridge player. I’m a newspaperman!” It doesn’t take long for Hildy to notice that Bruce is gone without her and that Walter has got her again.

rosalind russell cary grant billy gilert clarence kolb his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, Billy Gilbert, and Clarence Kolb in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter: (on the phone) Diabetes! I ought to know better than to hire anybody with a disease!

Hildy gets ready to leave again when all of a sudden, all the reporters, as well as the sheriff, grab her, preventing her from going anywhere. They know she knows something. She says to Hartwell: “What do you want me to say?” “What do you know about Williams?” “’What do you know about Williams?’” “Now we’re getting somewhere!” But he doesn’t get anywhere with her and Walter goes on to call him an “insignificant, square-toed, pimple-headed spy.” Unfortunately, Walter makes a mistake when he calls Mrs. Baldwin, who has come back to spill everything, a “cock-eyed liar!” and on each syllable, he bangs on the desk.

helen mack rosalind russell his girl friday
Helen Mack and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Knowing that Walter’s three taps on the desk is his signal, Earl taps three times back. As Earl is taken away, the reporters, true to form, immediately start exaggerating their stories on their telephones. Hildy and Walter get handcuffed together for hiding a convict. But when Pettibone comes back in with the reprieve, accusing the mayor and sheriff of bribery, Hildy and Walter suddenly have something to laugh about. It is absolutely indisputable how much fun both Cary and Rosalind are having with this scene. They can’t help smiling, no matter what is said. Knowing what trouble he will be in if this gets out, the mayor makes Sheriff Hartwell take the handcuffs off.

john qualen rosalind russell his girl friday
John Qualen and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter: Out of the mouths of babes!

Pettibone: Hi, babe!

What happens then is something that happened with most of Rosalind Russell’s “career woman” characters after this as well. She has gone from tough and businesslike to sweet and gaga for the man in the room. She has fallen for Walter again and wants to stay with him, not giving Bruce a second thought.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell with some of the reporters in His Girl Friday (1940)

But he urges her to go back to Bruce and gives her one kiss… the only kiss in the entire film, but somehow a powerful one at that. When she is told that Bruce has been arrested again because of Walter’s doing, she just breaks down in tears, having almost believed Walter was being noble for once. But he really does love her and they decide to get married again.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell with some of the reporters in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy is excited to finally go on a real honeymoon when suddenly, Walter gets the call that there is a strike in Albany and he must cover it. Work comes first! As Hildy goes out the door, carrying all her bags with no help from the “gentleman” beside her, he says, “Albany… what a coincidence! Wonder if Bruce can put us up? Why don’t you carry that with your hand?”

IMDB page for His Girl Friday

TCM overview of the film

The entire film for your viewing pleasure!

Round 3 Matches To Take Place Tomorrow!

greta garbo jeanette macdonald myrna loy barbara stanwyck
Graphic by Josie Miller
Here are the matches for the next round, which will be open tomorrow!

THEY HAD FACES


Greta Garbo
Born 1905
Known for: Ninotchka
VS
Ann Dvorak
Born 1912
Known for: Scarface

FUNNY LADIES

Myrna Loy
Born 1905
Known for: The Best Years of Our Lives

VS

Jean Harlow
Born 1911
Known for: The Public Enemy

PRE-CODE WOMEN

Barbara Stanwyck
Born 1907
Known for: Double Indemnity

VS

Norma Shearer
Born 1902
Known for: The Women

ALL AROUND ENTERTAINERS

Joan Blondell
Born 1906
Known for: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

VS

Billie Burke
Born 1884
Known for: The Wizard of Oz

Round 2: Part 2 Matches! Polls are now open

greta garbo jeanette macdonald myrna loy barbara stanwyck
Graphic by Josie Miller
Here are the matches for the next round, which are now open!
But first of all, don’t forget to vote in the other eras:
PRE-CODE WOMEN

Barbara Stanwyck
Born 1907
Known for: Double Indemnity
VS
Marlene Dietrich
Born 1901
Known for: The Blue Angel

Norma Shearer
Born 1902
Known for: The Women
VS
Glenda Farrell
Born 1904
Known for: I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang

ALL AROUND ENTERTAINERS

Jeanette MacDonald
Born 1903
Known for: San Francisco

VS

Joan Blondell
Born 1906
Known for: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Eleanor Powell
1912
Known for: Born to Dance

VS

Billie Burke
Born 1884
Known for: The Wizard of Oz

Round 2: Part 1 Results!

Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy

1930s era

Greta Garbo 35-18 vs. Miriam Hopkins

Ann Dvorak 30-23 vs. Ruth Chatterton

Myrna Loy 43-9 vs. Constance Bennett

Jean Harlow 34-19 vs. Jean Arthur

 

rita hayworth
Rita Hayworth

1940s era

Gene Tierney 38 to Jane Greer 24

Rita Hayworth 42 to Claire Trevor 21

Joan Leslie 36 to Peggy Ann Garner 23

Teresa Wright 32 to Shirley Temple 32 (there’s a tie! So that will have to be resolved soon)

 

doris day
Doris Day

1950s era

 

 

 

 

 

elizabeth taylor
Elizabeth Taylor

1960s era

Lee Remick 26-19 vs. Sharon Tate

Anne Bancroft 28-20 vs. Paula Prentiss

Elizabeth Taylor 37-11 vs. Julie Andrews

Jean Simmons 27-20 vs. Diana Rigg

The Women (1939)

rosalind russell the women
Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

When it came to the movie that finally made Rosalind Russell a bona fide star, The Women, she made a few smart decisions, even if one in particular was underhanded and not very professional.  Although Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford were much bigger stars than she was, Rosalind was determined to have her name billed above the title and wasn’t willing to settle for “with Rosalind Russell” after the title. So this is what she did: after much of the movie had been shot, she pretended to be sick.

She wrote:

“You couldn’t pull that trick in the first few days, they’d just replace you. I never attempted it again in my whole career, and I only did it that once because I had a feeling I could make it work…Norma Shearer wouldn’t give in on the billing, so I wouldn’t come to work. I wasn’t holding up production, they had plenty to shoot, but I let it be known that I was going to be under the weather for quite a long time.

I lay out in my garden, looking up at the sky, and every day Benny Thau, who was in charge of talent and their problems, would phone and ask how I was coming along, and I’d say, ‘Not very well. I don’t feel very well.’

rosalind russell the women
Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

The last time he called—it was the third or fourth day of my strike—he said, ‘Oh, something happened this afternoon. Norma Shearer says you’re so good in this film that she’s going to allow you to be starred too.’

‘That’s very nice of Norma,’ I said.

Pause. Then Benny spoke again. ‘Do you think,’ he said, ‘you’d feel well enough to come to work tomorrow?’

‘Hmm,’ I said. ‘I’ll call my doctor, Benny, and I’ll make a stab at it.’

Not only did The Women bring her the stardom and recognition she yearned for, it also brought her to the attention of the man who would become her husband of 35 years.

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

On the voyage to America, he watched The Women on board, the only movie they would show, and Rosalind’s crazy antics caused him to proclaim: “I’m either gonna kill that girl, or I’m gonna marry her.” And marry her he did.

Although Miss Russell had some trouble getting the bigwigs to believe she would be good as the vicious, gossipy Sylvia Fowler, she gave a rather exaggerated screen test that made them finally believe in her. The Women is a film full of women with no men in sight. The tagline says it’s “all about men,” but it’s more about the women in the film and the complicated relationships between friends and enemies. There are many different types of women represented in the film, from the good wife (Norma Shearer) to the gold-digging hussy (Joan Crawford) to the fiercely disloyal gossip monger (Rosalind Russell) to the naïve, timid newlywed (Joan Fontaine) to the older, more experienced mother of many (Phyllis Povah). I could go on and on, but these are quite a few of the different characters represented.

joan crawford norma shearer rosalind russell the women
Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

When the movie opens and it starts with two female dogs yapping at each other and then we start to see the cacophony of yappity-yap from the mouths of the human females inside Sydney’s salon, it sets the scene for this film.  We can all tell gossip will be a very important component of this film and how it damages others, as funny as the situations are. Incidentally, the first star the audience sees is the first creature shown—the dog who plays Toto in The Wizard of Oz, which was released the same year as The Women. The first prominent character we see in the film is—ta-da—Rosalind Russell as Sylvia Fowler! She couldn’t look more bored as she sits in her chair, getting her nails done, while reading a magazine, her glasses dangling from her mouth so precariously.

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Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

The manicurist, Olga (Dennie Moore), is rattling off one rumor after another, but Sylvia’s ears do not perk up until she hears the name of her friend and cousin, Mrs. Haines. It is not long before Sylvia is on the phone, spreading the rumor to another friend, Mrs. Edith Potter (Phyllis Povah), who has children (all girls) crawling all over the place. She informs her friend that “Stephen is stepping out on Mary” and “wouldn’t it be ghastly” if Mary was to hear about it? And “won’t it be too tragic, eating her food and knowing all about her husband?” This scene allows us to have a peek at what type of person Sylvia is.

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Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, and George Cukor on the set of The Women (1939)

Let’s just say we wouldn’t want to have her as a friend. It also reflects the opening titles, which have each actress and character represented by an animal. For example, Mary (Norma Shearer) is a docile deer, Crystal (Joan Crawford) is a predatory cheetah, and Sylvia is a black cat, hissing. No, the black cat is not your friend and no, you do not want this black cat to be your friend.

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Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, and Norma Shearer in The Women (1939)

Sylvia is due to be at Mary’s house later that afternoon for lunch. In the meantime, we meet Mary, who is riding horses with her daughter, dubbed Little Mary (Virginia Wiedler). They appear to have a very close, fun relationship. Mary is very excited about a yearly trip to Canada she takes with her husband—to the spot where they had their honeymoon about ten years earlier. Her guests soon start coming in. As Edith arrives, we find Sylvia in the living room chatting her head off with Peggy (Joan Fontaine) and Nancy (Florence Nash) in the room with her. As Sylvia takes off her jacket to reveal a blouse underneath that has eyeballs on it, Nancy cracks, “Great guns, what are you made up for, the Seeing Eye?”

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Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

“You better save your cracks for your next book, dear,” Sylvia fires back. Little Peggy is clearly the youngest of the lot and hasn’t been married very long. It is obvious how naïve she is by the way she talks. This type of character is one that Joan Fontaine would go on to play to great acclaim in Rebecca the following year. As much as Sylvia loves to gossip with Edith, she isn’t safe from her insults. “Oh, Edith, you are a bore!” she says at one point and after Edith leaves the room, she continues, “I’m devoted to Edith Potter, but she does get me down.”

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Rosalind Russell and Norma Shearer in The Women (1939)

When Nancy insinuates that Sylvia wouldn’t hesitate to tell Edith about her husband’s flirty habits, Sylvia says, “I’d die before I’d hurt Edith,” to which Nancy replies, “Nuts?” holding out a bowl of nuts. This is a funny little trick because Rosalind does the same thing 19 years later in the movie Auntie Mame:  In response to what someone has said, she holds out a bowl of nuts, saying, “Nuts?” Sylvia goes on about how it may be possible Mary’s husband is straying. The deliciously funny banter between Sylvia and Nancy the novelist is great. Nancy: “Oh, you’re so resourceful, darling. I ought to go to you for plots.” Sylvia: “You ought to go to someone.

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Hedda Hopper, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, and Joan Fontaine in The Women (1939)

Another one—Nancy: (talking about Mary) “She’s content to be what she is.” Sylvia: “Which is what?” Nancy: “A woman.” Sylvia: “Oh, and what are we?” Nancy: “Females.” Sylvia: “And what are you, pet?” Nancy: “What nature abhors—I’m an old maid, a frozen asset.” A lot can be said about this absolutely brilliant screenplay, which was mostly written by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin based on the play by Clare Booth Luce, but a lot of writers contributed to it, including the famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald. That wonderful, biting dialogue is to die for!

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Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, Florence Nash, and Phyllis Povah in The Women (1939)

Before Mary comes in to greet her guests, Sylvia finally gets Edith in the bathroom, telling her more details about the rumor. Stephen has been seeing a woman named Crystal Allen who sells perfume at Black’s, Fifth Avenue. It is clear how Sylvia thinks she’s better than working class people; the way she looks down her nose at the fact that Stephen is seeing a woman so obviously beneath him is proof.

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Suzanne Kaaren, Joan Fontaine, Phyllis Povah, Norma Shearer, and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

In the middle of all this, Sylvia doesn’t pass up the chance to insult her friend: “You know I go to Sydney’s for my hair. Oh, you ought to go, pet. I despise whoever does yours!” Also, when she complains about the sort of creature Olga the manicurist is, it is ironic how it so accurately describes her: “You know how those creatures are—babble babble babble—a lot they care whose lives they ruin!” And that’s just what Sylvia’s set out to do.

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Rosalind Russell and Norma Shearer in The Women (1939)

As Mary finally comes out to meet her friends, Sylvia starts right away in trying to get Mary to go to Sydney’s Salon, showing her the nail job they did on her. She smiles mischievously and devilishly puts her hands together after Mary makes it a point to remember Sydney’s and Olga’s names.

 

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Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, and Phyllis Povah in The Women (1939)

In the next scene, Mary goes to Sydney’s just like Sylvia wanted her to and gets her nails done by Olga. Just like with any other customer, Olga quickly starts telling Mary the rumor about her husband. Mary is shocked and hurt by what is being said and Olga doesn’t realize the damage she is doing because she doesn’t know Mary is Mrs. Haines. Now Mary knows everything, including the woman’s name—Crystal.

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Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine, and Norma Shearer in The Women (1939)

Before you know it, she is crying to her mother about her husband’s betrayal. I enjoy this scene because although her mother has very old-fashioned ideals, telling Mary she must ignore it and go on with her life and marriage as is, Mary is adamant and says she will not stand for it because giving in to it is “shockingly wrong.” Mary is acting more of a feminist than her mother is—at least for now. While Mary goes off to Bermuda with her mother to get away from her husband, her friends, and the rumors, Sylvia and Edith stroll over to Black’s to get a peek at Crystal for the first time.

 

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Paulette Goddard and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

As Sylvia and Edith look around the shop, they know right away which one is Crystal as soon as they see her. Played by Joan Crawford, this man-eater has only one thing on her mind—getting herself out of this job as she uses her wiles on Stephen more and more. When Stephen calls her up at the shop, even though she has that tough kind of voice, as soon as she speaks on the phone, her tone has turned to such a sugary sweet one, working on getting sympathy from Stephen. This is a very funny bit because Virginia Grey (whose only scene is this one) is a co-worker of hers and the whole time she’s on the phone, she’s wisecracking about everything she says. As soon as Crystal hangs up, she declares: “Can you beat him? He almost stood me up for his wife!” But before she can leave to meet him, she has to go attend to some customers who asked for her by name—Sylvia and Edith, of course.

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Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, and Florence Nash in The Women (1939)

As Crystal waits on them, Sylvia keeps looking her up and down and when Crystal mentions that “so many men” come into the shop that there would be no way that she’d remember someone named Stephen Haines, she responds, “I shouldn’t think you’d let that disturb you.” Crystal is getting fed up with Sylvia obviously (disguised as subtly) mentioning Mary’s name, trying to pry her for details. As Sylvia and Edith leave, Crystal “mistakenly” calls her Mrs. Prowler. Sylvia glares at her and corrects her: “Fowler!” She is convinced Crystal said it on purpose and declares she will have her fired and will go to management immediately. Suddenly, she and Edith fall into a cart headfirst that has come their way.

 

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

Mary and some of her friends go to a fashion show at a posh clothing store and Sylvia is looking as wild and crazy as ever—large hat sticking straight up into the air, a very strange, ill-fitting dress, snapping her chewing gum loudly, and knitting while talking a mile a minute. It has been said that Norma Shearer was rather annoyed by Rosalind’s loud gum chewing, which was something she only did when she was working on a set and nowhere else. However, the director liked this part being added to Sylvia’s character so he let her keep chewing while the cameras rolled. This scene includes a color fashion show sequence which is about five minutes long. It is gorgeous to see the outfits and models in color—some outfits that were outrageous, some beautiful—although it adds nothing to the plot.

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

It is after this fashion show that we see another complicated relationship of Sylvia’s—with the model named Princess Mara (Suzanne Kaaren)—causing Sylvia to snap at her, “I may not be a model, lamb, but nobody disputes how I wear clothes!” after Princess Mara insinuates that Sylvia’s husband flirts with her. As Princess Mara walks away, Sylvia shouts hilariously, “Did you get her innuendo?!” They all discover that Crystal has also come to the shop and Mary sees her for the first time. It makes her feel sick to see her and she immediately goes to a dressing room to try on a dress. It is obvious Stephen is “buying” Crystal because she is buying everything in sight, despite being just a perfume salesgirl.

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Mary Boland, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, and Phyllis Povah in The Women (1939)

Suddenly, Sylvia calls outside Mary’s dressing room: “Yoo-hoo! May I come in?” Before Mary can respond, she bursts into her dressing room and tells her to go in and confront Crystal. She says she doesn’t want Mary to be made a fool of, but Mary’s faux friend only wants to start some trouble to satisfy her incredible thirst for gossip. She keeps getting into Mary’s face about the situation, buzzing around her like a bee, even at one point appearing behind Mary and showing up three times in the three-sided mirror so there are four Sylvias.

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Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, and Mary Boland in The Women (1939)

After Sylvia mentions that Crystal was spending time with Mary’s daughter, Mary stomps over to Crystal’s dressing room and confronts her, telling her to stop seeing her husband and especially her daughter. They have a very heated verbal confrontation, which ends with Crystal saying to Mary, “Thanks for the tip, but whenever I wear something that doesn’t please Stephen, I take it off.”

 

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Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, and Paulette Goddard in The Women (1939)

The next day, Sylvia, whose mouth never gets a rest for a second, is doing some leg lifts with her exercise instructor. She does several of these lifts until she lies on her back and proclaims: “Ohhh, I am simply exhausted!” Sylvia, are your legs exhausted or just your mouth? Next, her instructor has her crawling up the wall slowly with her feet. Sylvia says to her, “The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.” The instructor replies, “That shouldn’t be too much effort… I mean, crawling up the wall.” Even after Peggy comes in late, they don’t actually get very much exercise done at all.

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

What is mostly apparent are the wisecracks going back and forth between Sylvia and the instructor, such as Sylvia mentioning that most of her friends exit a room horizontally. Sylvia has other things on her mind when Edith bursts in, having some more juicy dirt. Sylvia would much rather exercise her mouth muscles than any muscles in her body. She informs her instructor she is done and when the instructor objects, Sylvia asks her, “Look, whose carcass is this, yours or mine?” The instructor responds, “Yours, but I’m paid to exercise it.” “You talk like a horse trainer,” Sylvia says. “Well, Mrs. Fowler, you’re getting warm,” says the instructor, ending the conversation. Edith tells Sylvia that she accidentally told Dolly Dupuyster (Hedda Hopper, in a role similar to the woman herself), a gossip columnist, that when Mary confronted Crystal in her dressing room, she socked her.

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Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford in The Women (1939)

It was something Sylvia told her, even though it never happened. Edith wonders how Sylvia will fix this and Sylvia gets up, saying, “Well, I’ll just tell them you were lying! Oh, let the story ride. It’ll all be forgotten in the morning. Remember the awful things they printed about what’s her name before she jumped out that window? See, I can’t even remember her name, so who cares, Edith?”

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Norma Shearer and Rosalind Russell looking like they are having lunch in between takes of The Women (1939)

Before you know it, Mary is getting a divorce from Stephen because the story is all out in the open about her confrontation with Crystal. She prepares to catch a train to Reno as her husband’s secretary comes over to get her to sign some papers. This is Ruth Hussey in a very small, insignificant role. She would be noticed a lot more the next year in her turn as Liz in The Philadelphia Story. Peggy, who has also had a falling out with her husband, Johnny, is also on the train with Mary to Reno. She cries the whole time, not really wanting to divorce him. Mary doesn’t want to divorce Stephen, either, but she tries not to let it show.

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Joan Fontaine, Florence Nash, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, and Marjorie Wood in The Women (1939)

It is on the train that we meet a few other colorful characters—the ever poetic, much-married Countess De Lave (Mary Boland) and Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard), a younger woman who has a sarcastic wit. It becomes the Countess De Lave’s trademark catchphrase to declare “Oh, l’amour, l’amour!” everywhere she goes. She is in love with love, but she always picks the wrong man, now getting divorced from her fourth husband. At the ranch for the divorcing women in Reno, the proprietor is Lucy, played by the always funny Marjorie Main.

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Poster of The Women (1939)

Miriam tells the Countess that she has been having an affair with Howard Fowler, who is Sylvia’s husband. Barely before she has let this little secret out, Sylvia has shown up at the ranch (“Who the heck is paging l’amour?”), ready to divorce Howard.

 

This is probably the most famous and well-known scene of this delightful movie. Edith has sent Sylvia a letter with the latest gossip, as well as a clipping from a column naming Miriam Aarons as the woman Howard left Sylvia for. Miriam quickly backs away and gets on her horse to take a ride. Sylvia runs over to her, grabbing the reins.

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Rosalind Russell joking with Paulette Goddard in Paulette’s dressing room, obviously before or after shooting the famous catfight scene

Forming her mouth into a big “O” and staring at her with those widened brown eyes, Sylvia starts to call her a name when Miriam fires back: “Don’t you call me names, you Park Avenue playgirl! I know a lot more words than you do!” Sylvia pulls Miriam off the horse and just as Miriam is about to hit her, Sylvia screams, “Don’t you dare strike me! I’ve got glasses on!” “Well, now you don’t!” Miriam takes the glasses off and hits her. Sylvia makes the most outrageous face and Rosalind breaks that rule that tells you that you cannot look straight into the camera.

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Paulette Goddard and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

However, she does it anyway and it is priceless. Sylvia pulls Miriam’s hair and pulls down her skirt. Horrified, Peggy exclaims, “Oh, Sylvia!” It is funny how Miriam, who is a good four inches or so shorter than Sylvia, is a much better fighter than Sylvia. Sylvia is clumsy and even accidentally strikes the horse. Just when it looks like Sylvia is beat, she lifts her head and sees Miriam’s leg right in front of her. Licking her lips like she’s about to eat something delicious, she sinks her teeth into her leg.

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Paulette Goddard’s leg and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

Miriam shrieks and hops away from the scene. Sylvia is not done with her crazy antics. As Mary helps her up off the ground, Sylvia starts wailing like a child and screaming hysterically, “I hate you! I hate you! I hate everybody! I hate everybody!” while breaking every single dish and object within her reach. She can’t be calmed down and Lucy carries her away, shouting, “Mrs. Fowler, you’ve got the high-sterics!”

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

Miriam calls Mary a coward for “deserting” Stephen when it’s obvious he doesn’t love Crystal the way he loves Mary. Suddenly, Mary is very happy to finally receive a phone call from Stephen. Unfortunately, it is only to inform her that he has just married Crystal. She breaks down into fits of tears, not believing this is really happening. It is also on this trip that the Countess has already found a new man, a man with a southern drawl named Buck Winston. In general, he sounds like a loser, but the Countess is smitten. Some time passes and by this time, the Countess has married once again—to Buck.

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Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford in The Women (1939)

Crystal has become bored with her life as Stephen’s wife and has initiated an affair with Buck Winston. Sylvia also shows herself to be as disloyal as can be. She is not friends with Mary anymore and is now on Crystal’s side. She bursts in on Crystal while she is taking a bath. She shouts her usual “Yoo-hoo! May I come in?” but come in she does. Sylvia soon learns about Crystal’s affair with Buck Winston, whom she calls “the chambermaid’s delight.” She picks up the phone before Crystal does and it’s Buck. She snorts and cackles in loud laughter, telling her he didn’t say anything: “Not a thing, not a single thing, he was singing!” and she goes on to mimic his strange yodeling.

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

This all culminates in the last few scenes. At a happening club, a bunch of the ladies have gathered, including Crystal and Sylvia. Most have learned that Sylvia has been seeing a therapist and is absolutely ga-ga over him, even though the therapist, Dr. Sylvester, just wants to laugh at her absurdity. After Mary has heard from her daughter that Stephen really doesn’t love Crystal after all, she excitedly gets up to go to the party, too. When her mother asks her where she’s going, she laughs and proclaims: “I’ve had two years to grow claws, Mother!” She dramatically holds up her manicured hands. “Jungle Red!”

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Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

In the large powder room, some women have gathered there to touch up their makeup. This scene includes a walk-on appearance by Barbara Pepper, who was famous for her role as Doris Ziffel in the 1960s sitcom Green Acres. She has one line, but it’s a good one. After telling her friend that her boyfriend wants to stay with his wife for Easter, she tells her she had asked him, “What do they expect you to do, lay an egg?” And just like that, she’s gone.

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Joan Fontaine, Florence Nash, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, and Marjorie Wood in The Women (1939)

Mary has arrived and she is on a mission to get back at both Sylvia and Crystal. Sylvia enters the room with Crystal, arms around each other like they are the best of pals. As they are leaving, Mary subtly mentions Dr. Sylvester’s name and Sylvia walks right into a wall, she’s so interested. She pretends to leave and then comes back in, talking in a small, sweet voice as if she’s so innocent: “Hello, Mary.” As Mary tells her that the doctor grew a long beard so that Sylvia couldn’t see him laughing at her, Sylvia asks her where she got her information. “From Crystal!” Sylvia attacks: “Why, the rotten little… I’ll—I’ll slit her throat!”

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Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in The Women (1939)

As the news of Crystal’s affair with Buck Winston has been let out in the open downstairs and upstairs, Crystal is on her way up to see Sylvia. Three of the smallest women in the room grab Sylvia (it looks awkward, but it’s funny!) and push her into a closet, locking it. Crystal comes in, looking for her. Someone opens the door and Sylvia screams, spilling out of the closet, many pieces of clothing stuck to her. Sylvia blames it on Mary for getting the secret out of her, which is not hard to do.

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Clockwise from bottom left: Phyllis Povah, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, Florence Nash, and Mary Boland in The Women (1939)

It only takes a minute before Crystal finds out Buck isn’t rolling in dough because the Countess is financing him. It also doesn’t take long for Sylvia to once again switch sides and be at odds with Crystal. Crystal sighs and says, “Well, I guess it’s back to the perfume counter for me,” and delivers one of the most iconic lines: “Oh by the way, there’s a name for you ladies, but it isn’t used in high society–outside of a kennel.”

 

The film ends with Stephen arriving at the club (unseen, of course, because there are no men in the movie) and Mary running toward him, arms open for him to take. This ending irks me because she is running back to a man who cheated on her and she could at least demand an apology or something for all the pain he has caused her. But I suppose that’s just the way it was sometimes with marriage and infidelity in those days.

IMDB page for The Women (1939)

TCM overview of the film

The trailer: