Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Women

A clique of high society women catches wind of an affair being had by the husband of one of their own (Norma Shearer) and a bitchy perfume counter girl (Joan Crawford), thanks to the mouth of a gabby socialite (Rosalind Russell). As the gossip spreads like wildfire, the good girl's marriage is crushed and while getting a divorce in Reno she decides to get her old man back. George Cukor's "The Women" uniquely features an all-girl cast and is an entertaining blend of soapy melodrama and light farcical comedy. Crawford is wonderful in a tailor fitted role, Russell an absolute hoot as the vain gossip queen, and Shearer does her best with a thankless role. Some of this material is stodgy and sluggish, but it is definitely worth a look, especially for the scenes involving Crawford and Russell.