This Weekend’s Film Festival Celebrates Classic Women

With the remake of George Cukor's THE WOMEN, arriving in theaters this Friday, I felt building a lineup around the original was a great idea. Like the remake, THE WOMEN put a group of its era's stars — Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford — on the screen together. So I decided to look at other work from classy Golden Era Hollywood women. Audrey Hepburn goes from rags to riches. Greta Garbo coughs and we cry. Bette Davis goes from frumpy to fetching. And Katharine Hepburn makes us understand why she's a legend. Come along as we laugh and we cry with legends of the screen.

As I said of THE WOMEN in my original review, "The campy dramedy has a fine time with the pampered and privileged lives of its catty characters." Norma Shearer, who was the reigning go-to actress for prestige pictures at MGM at the time, was cast in the lead as Mary Haines, the wife of the rich Stephen Haines, who is having an affair with perfume counter girl Crystal Allen. The mistress was played by Joan Crawford, whom, in real life, said of Shearer that her husband, MGM head Irving Thalberg, gave her all the good parts, because "after all, she's sleeping with the boss." Russell plays Mary's gossip hound "friend," whose snide snips are a highlight of the picture. Through the course of the story, Mary deals with the shattering of her ideal vision of love. Her mother (Lucile Watson) advises her not to give up on her marriage, because a mistress means no more to a man than a new dress does to a woman. The traditional role of women is clearly evident, but it never feels too dated due to the class of the characters. The sudsy material provides sly laughs and high drama, but also looks at love in without rose-colored glasses. Whether you view it as cynical or just practical, love is something you have to fight for.

After making her American film debut and winning an Oscar for ROMAN HOLIDAY, Audrey Hepburn was the hottest actress in Hollywood when she made her follow-up picture, SABRINA. Directed by Billy Wilder, the film follows Hepburn's Sabrina whom transforms herself from the shy daughter of a rich family's chauffeur into a world-wise sophisticate. Since she was a child she's had a crush on playboy David Larrabee (William Holden), whom never paid her attention until she transformed herself. Now that David is engaged to the daughter of a family business associate, David's older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) decides to woo Sabrina himself to preserve their business dealings. What he is unprepared for are the charms of Sabrina. Hepburn is beguiling as she lights up the screen with her enthusiasm for life. As I said in my original review, "[Hepburn] clearly displays in this film why she is a legend. She makes it look so easy." Filled with Wilder's trademark wit, the film highlights what movie stars can do when they are given simple material. Sincerity wins in this romantic comedy that makes us believe in its characters, making us want love to reign.

CAMILLE is possibly the most iconic role of Greta Garbo's career. Electrifying the screen, Garbo makes us believe in the tragic tale of a 19th century courtesan's last chance at love. Handsome Armand Duval (Robert Taylor) has been in love with her from a distance for years, but her past haunts her. As I said in my original review, "I don’t know where the term 'she makes love to the camera' originated from, but Garbo makes us understand why someone would say that." She balances the character's sex appeal, passion, optimism and fragility. Dying characters are so common in melodramas of the 1930s, but Garbo lifts it above the cliché it has become. Cukor directed this film as well, knowing how to frame the action in a way that only enhanced Garbo's appeal. Marking her command the entire production, Garbo received the film's sole Oscar nomination.

The Saturday lineup features my two favorite actresses of the era — Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. To start, NOW, VOYAGER tells the story of frumpy spinster Charlotte Vale (Davis) who on the brink of a mental breakdown goes to a sanitarium, which puts her on the right path toward revitalizing her life. After building her confidence, Charlotte goes on a cruise where she falls for married architect Jerry Durrance (Paul Henreid). As I said in my original review, "At its core, Charlotte is a fabulously crafted character, who Davis makes full and real. The rest of the cast is overshadowed. This is not to say that the other performances are bad, but to say just how wonderful Davis is." Charlotte's main conflict is with her mother, played with domineering bravado by Gladys Cooper, whom was nominated for an Oscar along with Davis. Watch how Davis plays the scenes upon her return to her mother's home, now filled with more confidence, but nervous, as she returns to the scene of her tragic former self. With its optimism and bittersweet ending, the film makes Charlotte so much more than just a woman who needs a good man.

As the premiere "woman's director" of his age, we return to another Cukor production to close This Weekend's Film Festival — THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. Originally crafted for the stage for Katharine Hepburn, the film version marked the legend's return to the top. As I said in my original review, "The chemistry between Hepburn and [co-star Cary] Grant is what movie star romances are made of." They play a divorced couple that still has a flame for each other. Hepburn's Tracy Lords is about to remarry, so Grant's C.K. Dexter Haven sets up reporters Macaulay Connor (James Stewart) and Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) to crash the wedding, splashing the nuptials all over the tabloids. Connor has a grudge against the frivolous life of the rich, but changes his cool opinion after Tracy warms his heart. Hepburn plays Tracy as a smart woman with longing for someone to simply understand her. Her public persona is so far removed from her real personality that she just wants to have someone accept her for who she really is… as difficult as that may be. Hepburn, along with her all-star cast, handles the witty dialogue with a natural's touch. Intelligence and humor fills this world of socialites, a stark difference from the tabloid society girls of today. Hepburn presents a woman with a mind of her own, not a woman without a mind.

So share your favorite films featuring Golden Era women. Share with other readers what you think of my picks. Like every week, it's time to head to the video store, update the rental queue, check out Zap2It.com for TV listings or help support the site by buying the films on DVD at the links below.