THE WOMEN was a ground-breaking movie in 1939. It's about women, written by women, with an all-female cast (not a single man appears on screen). The movie takes a brash look at the lives and manners of a group of gossipy, catty "friends" in New York City. They're rich; they're self-centered. Some are social-climbers; some are saintly. And with great dialog and broad, acid-tongued characters, it's all funny, sophisticated, and delightful to watch. Its simple plot is accompanied by a number of fully drawn set pieces evoking the world of the very rich in 1939: the beauty salon, the exercise studio, department store fitting rooms and, though the rest of the movie is in beautiful black-and-white, a lengthy fashion show in bright Technicolor that dazzles with the fabulous costumes of the day.
The stellar cast, which includes Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine in addition to Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, bring charm and wit to the already sparkling written word.