An excellent movie about gossip, infidelity, and divorce, circa 1936 (from original play) even if the movie was made in 1939. But the movie was made in black and white, which I think detracted some. Except for the 6-minute fashion parade in color (deleted per director in some versions, but restored on TCM version), all the scenes were in B/W. But you can tell that most of the ladies are wearing great dresses that would have really stood out if the whole movie had been made in color. Also several scenes involving "Jungle Red" nail polish would have stood out better in color.

One thing can be said about this film with certainty: It is a must-see for any film enthusiast. Adapted from a play, "The Women" features a massive cast that is all female. And that cast includes many of the major stars of the day and many actresses that will later be stars.A few of them that deserve special mention are Norma Shearer, who gives a wonderfully sensitive performance as Mary Haines. Joan Crawford, who plays the villainess Crystal Allen, really demonstrates the full range of her abilities: in some scenes she shifts effortlessly and instantly from one emotion to another which a rapidity that feels so authentic. Rosalind Russell plays the gossip Sylvia Fowler, who is the epitome of the passive-aggressive meddler. Joan Fontaine is charming as Peggy Day, a younger bride. And Marjorie Main gives her usual broad performance, a comic counterpoint to the anxieties of the women around her.Much of the credit for the successes of this film go to director George Cukor. Stories from the set are evidence that his guiding hand crafted many of the performances and gave the film, in general, a cohesive integrity.The film's narrative is simple. Mary Haines discovers that her husband might be having an affair. When the alleged home wrecker is revealed--a shopgirl--she must decide how to deal with the situation. Throughout the film, women are given an opportunity to voice their feelings and concerns, mostly about relationships with men and other women.The B&W film includes a full color section, a fashion show, featuring the designs of Adrian. It's an effective use of color, but it leaves one thinking how wonderful this film, if shot only in Technicolor, could be.Today's viewers might wonder if this film (with a script primarily written by Anita Loos, adapted from a play by Clare Boothe Luce) passes the Bechdel Test, given its emphasis on the feminine. I will leave that to viewers to discover, but there is a lot of talk about men in this film. And the Test has been shown to be a superficial measure of a film's overall value.This is a valuable time capsule from 1939, Hollywood's golden year.

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.

This film was wonderful. It should the lives of women and how the change and adapt. It reflected the changing of social norms that were happening in the 30's and 40's. The main actress did a phenomenal job with her performance and her character embodies the change in how women expected to treated by men. They were not going to walked all over anymore and taken for granted. They had worth and value that and that the men in their lives better take notice or they were going to be left behind. What was truly amazing about this film was the fact that not a single male was present in body. There were male characters but you don't see their faces or here their faces. Having an all lady cast was great to better show that they were the focus of this film not the men. Men played a role but the women were the focus. The film did a great job in showing the different roles of women and developed the characters very well. The cast was great. The were quick and showed the intelligence and sass and power of a women and her words. The film was a crucial film in the history of cinema because of how successful it was of a all lady cast and in showing the change in social norms and roles of ladies.