I'd heard small bits about this film and mostly from its many admirers, so I was looking forward to checking it out myself. There is quite a bit to enjoy, the tight and often times witty dialogue, along with solid performances by an overall wonderful cast are definitely to this films credit. That the focus seems to be on the most negative female stereotypes and cliches is disappointing and does get a little tiring after a while. Despite some reservations I do think this film is worth checking out though.

2/28/18. While this was a National Film Registry pick, I just found it to be very dated and hard to get into. Women are not like this anymore, but then again, they do reflect the aspirations of and expectations for women of their time. Watch it if you are interested in what it's like to live in the '30s. Only Cinema can allow you to do that!

I liked this movie a lot because it really showed the power of women. It was interesting how there was not one man in the whole entire movie. The plot definitely kept me watching and I thought it was very realistic and had a great ending. Lots of women feed on the drama of others and affairs have always been a thing. I thought the main Character Mary was very mature and handled each situation perfectly, a very inspiring woman! Also, I love the style that these women wore in the 1930's! Makes me wish I was a part of that time.

If you're having a little trouble following all of the chatter in the beginning of the movie, with what seems like too many characters and too much talking, just bear with it. The movie settles down nicely, and deals with the age old problem of infidelity. It has the interesting distinction of having a completely all-female cast, as well as quite a bit of star power. Norma Shearer is sweet and natural as always, and Joan Crawford plays her husband's mistress perfectly, with just the right amount of deviousness. Add Rosaline Russell and Joan Fontaine among others, and have them parade around in both high fashion, so well put together, as well as in exercise clothing at the spa, and wow, it's just a pretty film to watch. Oh, and while most of the film is in black and white, there is a fantastic six-minute fashion show in the middle which breaks into full color. The film had to conform to the dreaded Code, but it treats the subject of adultery more bluntly than I would have expected for 1939. When Shearer's character finds out about it, it's interesting to watch her mother's advice, which boils down to ignoring it because most men stray, including her father. I also loved Cukor's shot of Russell telling Shearer what to do, her bossy image appearing in 3 mirrors behind the stricken Shearer. There are some silly scenes here and there, the film gets a little sidetracked now and then, and I wasn't a big fan of the ending, but it's well worth watching.