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133 minutes ‧ Unrated ‧ 1939
Cast: Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell
Director: George Cukor
Genres: Comedy, Drama

Picture a movie with no men. None. Not a husband, not a lover, not even a tuxedoed extra in the background. Even the dogs and horses are female. In 1939, MGM took that wild idea and turned it into one of the sharpest, funniest, cruelest comedies ever made. More than eight decades later, The Women hasn’t lost an ounce of its bite.

Directed by George Cukor, the film follows Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), a contented Park Avenue wife whose comfortable world cracks open when gossip about her husband begins to spread. From there, it’s a dazzling, razor-tongued tour through a society where friendship is a blood sport and the deadliest weapon is a polite smile.

The cast is a small miracle. Shearer anchors the film with quiet emotional weight. Joan Crawford is pure venom in a sequined dress as the unapologetic social climber Crystal. But it’s Rosalind Russell who nearly steals the show as the gleefully malicious Sylvia, turning gossip into an art form. Strong support comes from Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Mary Boland, and Marjorie Main, with a screenplay by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin adapted from Clare Boothe Luce’s hit Broadway play.

The production is as colorful as the film. The all-female rule was absolute — roughly 135 women, not one man on screen, down to the female animals used as props. The opening credits cleverly introduce each star through a dissolve from a matching animal, and a lavish six-minute Technicolor fashion show interrupts the black-and-white drama with gowns by the legendary Adrian. Even F. Scott Fitzgerald did uncredited early work on the script.

Critics adored it then and adore it now. Frank Nugent of The New York Times called it “one of the merriest pictures of the season,” and the film holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes today. In 2007, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

What keeps The Women alive is its honesty about power. Strip away the furs and the one-liners, and it’s a sharp study of how people compete, betray, and survive. The absence of men is the boldest stroke of all, leaving these characters to rise and fall entirely through one another. Funny, vicious, and surprisingly modern, it remains the greatest catfight ever committed to film — and well worth a fresh look.

Exciting news! My interview with actress, author, and classic film enthusiast Illeana Douglas about her upcoming book, Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women will be published soon. Her book offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, featuring photos, studio memos, script notes, and stories of on-set conflicts and joyful moments. If you’re a fan of the movie or Hollywood history, you can find Illeana’s book on Amazon.

Copyright ©️2026 by Frank Gaimari