MovieChat Forums > The Women (1939) Discussion > **Males** hidden in this female-only pro...

Males hidden in this female-only production?

posted 16 years ago by sportsfan007us
24 replies | jump to latest

"The Women" is known as a movie as
an all-female production:
only actresses, female animals,
female art, etc.

There are at least two possible exceptions.
(Given Cukor's thoroughness,
I prefer to think that he inserted these
exceptions deliberately--possibly as jokes?)

One of these exceptions (as someone else has spied),
(seen at 47:43 minutes)
is a cardboad bull during the fashion show.

(I think that)
***another man's*** (ancestor's?) portrait is seen in
Mary's sitting room.
It can be seen at the stage-right rear wall,
at least twice:
(seen at 17:54 minutes)
as Mary says, "Break it up girls, break it up!"

and
(seen at 20:19 minutes)
as Mary is on the phone with Stephen.

Trivial?
Yup, deliciously so!

[–] Enrique-8 16 years ago

Oooo! that was wonderful and wonderfully trivial! But cleverly so!

Enrique Sanchez

[–] claudia02127 16 years ago

They never said anything about female art.

they only said an all female cast, even the animals were all female.

This is a logic free zone:
Use of logic will be met with uncomfortable silences

[–] clive-ihd 16 years ago

And I think there was a male figure painted on the fake theatre backdrop in the fashion parade.

[–] rhettsamigo2003 16 years ago

I picked that bull out years ago as the only male figure, but I dismissed it as a "cartoon" drawing instead of one of the live animals..er..CAST ! (same thing!)

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] SomeKindOfGoddardLover 16 years ago

Why the obsession with all females?eh? even the animals? I know us la femmes are the best ..but yeh know.no need to flaunt it?
haha xD ..Jokes :S

I Love Your FUNNNY FACE..

[–] Jane_Doe01 16 years ago

Why the obsession with all females?eh? even the animals?

Well I think that's actually a good question.
I've always wondered why some women get so incredibly self-obsessed in this type of way. There was really absolutely no need to go THAT far with the female exclusivity in the film. It's ridiculous. The idea of a bunch of women whom allegedly have men in their lives but whom are somehow never for a nanosecond of the day ever seen with them (and yes it makes sense perfect sense to take up one's marital difficulties with everyone but their spouse. ), is stupidly far-fetched as it is. It almost looks like a bunch of delusional women talking about their imaginary husbands.

[–] vanityfair_713 16 years ago

But...that's the whole point. The movie is called The Women (though I'm sure you knew that)...

He said it's all in your head, and I said, so's everything--
But he didnt get it.

[–] mikeyjj418 15 years ago

Well, it's really the first woman-identified movie. It deals with women issues, and all of the main characters are women. Just look at the title! Up until that point, no movies like that were ever really made.

"You should learn not to compete with me; I always win!"

[–] lamont-hard 13 years ago

There are a few women who simply despise men, I could never figure this out. And just how do they justify being this way? I can understand if the guy was an assh$$$$ to women or was a guy who uses women or maybe if he was simply a guy with no respect at all for them. But this group lumps ALL men in one group and simply hate all of them. Why would anyone be so concerned that there is nothing in a film regarding men unless you fit into this men bashing club. How could one dislike men so much as to not even want to see anything male.

[–] erb1064 16 years ago

I recall seeing a man's face on the back of a magazine... and I do recall reading once that supposedly no men or male creatures (pictures or art) were seen in the film.

[–] SomeKindOfGoddardLover 16 years ago

Yes Jane Doe. I Agree.
If anything it makes women look BAD! i mean i almost cringe at some lines when im watching it with my dad(who is male)..hahah. and im like dad were not half as bad as that !

Adore the film nonetheless!

"WellHeCouldCrackACoconutWithThoseKnees!..IfHeCouldgetThemTogether.."-'TheWomen'-1939

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] maxglitz 16 years ago

A rumor that I didn't notice in any other replies but have heard for years is that George Cukor himself, in drag, was one of the women at the salon. After hearing that, the next time I watched, I noticed a small group of women observing the dialog in the salon. One could most definitely have been a man. It's just a quick scene. But immediately, I said "AHA!" I've been Googling like crazy, hoping I'd luck out with more on that. Nope.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] julythreeone 15 years ago

Also, I remembering reading somewhere that even the books on the shelf were all female authors.

[–] stevenvh 13 years ago

The book Mary reads in bed is by (male!) Kahlil Gibran.

I think the idea was to have just the actors (including the animals) all female.

--
Rome. By all means, Rome.

[–] aciolino 15 years ago

So gay.

[–] noirgirl 14 years ago

The lamp base of Mary's bedside table lamp at the end of the movie was a male figure.

And I agree about the ancestor portrait. You can see it clearly as she escorts her guests into luncheon.

[–] gosh717 13 years ago

"JaneDoe01", are you kidding?! It was an absolutely brilliant premise for a play to have none of the men be seen or heard. When they did that horrible, insipid remake, "The Opposite Sex", in the 1950s--as a musical, for Pete's sake, and inflicting the untalented June Allyson on us--one of the grossest missteps (among many)was to have male characters appear on screen.

Luce's play is brilliant, and "The Women" stays very close to that text.

[–] Blondfashionisto 13 years ago

I think the premise was brilliant and very unique - I don't recall ever seeing a picture with only one sex in it - Some films come close - i.e. war movies with male leads, but usually there is a gratuitous female part thrown in.

‘Six inches is perfectly adequate; more is vulgar!' (Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Re: An open window).

[–] moviefan234 (2) 3 years ago

"Blondfashionisto" There have been all-male movies, including The Lost Patrol (1934), Sahara (1943), The Enemy Below (1957), Lord of the Flies (1963, 1990), The Thing (1982), No Escape (1994), and I'm sure others.

[–] moviefan234 (2) 3 years ago

Why would you say it was brilliant gosh717?

[–] TheArgentinian (6424) 3 years ago

because it's different. for once, there aren't any man yapping and demanding attention.

**Males** hidden in this female-only production?

Males hidden in this female-only production?