The Women - George Cukor (1939)

 The Women was written by Clare Boothe Luce (who has a fascinating life) for the stage in 1936. It had a cast of almost 40 women, and dealt with the lives of some Manhattan women and their relationships. It was revived on stage in 1973, and again in 2001. While their relationships with men are often the fodder of conversation (the show would never pass the Bechdel test), the play and film deal more with the relationships between the women themselves. In 1939 it was made into a film by George Cukor. It has Norma Shearer as it's lead, along with a brilliant cast led by Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard among many others. 

One of the things I love about this film is that there are no men on the screen at all. It is only women. The writing is smart and witty, and so quick paced with the standard Mid-Atlantic accent prevalent at the time that I recommend watching it with subtitles on the first time. While the film is mostly in black and white, there is a fashion show sequence in color - an odd but very charming choice. If you like the catty wit that is often shown in shows like Drag Race, you will probably find this movie to be right up your alley. The performances are top-notch. Norma Shearer plays Mary Haines who finds out through the grapevine that her husband is stepping out on her. Despite that, she still believes in love, and still believes that her husband will come back to her in the end. Her friend group, on the other hand, will be changed. There is so much gossip and tongue-wagging in this movie, mainly by Rosalind Russell's character. She is a wonder to watch - all those lines and words, plus amazing facial expressions. A brilliant performance, and one of her early ones - her 20th film to be exact. The other performance that is so good is Joan Crawford's. She started doing films in 1925, and this was her 57th film... in 1939! She is spectacular as Crystal Allen. That being written, every performer in here is so strong, and so well cast. This film is a joy to watch, no matter how many times you have seen it.