When Ladies Meet (1941 film)

When Ladies Meet

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Produced by Robert Z. Leonard (with Orville O. Dull)
Written by Play:
Rachel Crothers
Screenplay:
S.K. Lauren
Anita Loos
Starring Joan Crawford
Robert Taylor
Greer Garson
Herbert Marshall
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) August 29, 1941
Running time 105 minutes
Country United States
Language English

When Ladies Meet (1941) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall, and Spring Byington in a story about a novelist in love with her publisher. The screenplay by S.K. Lauren and Anita Loos was based upon a 1932 play by Rachel Crothers. The film was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who also co-produced the film (with Orville O. Dull). The film was a remake of the 1933 Pre-Code film of the same name, which starred Ann Harding, Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, and Frank Morgan in the roles played by Garson, Crawford, Taylor and Marshall.

Contents

Synopsis

Mary Howard (Crawford) is a novelist with advanced ideas about love and marriage, and is in love with her publisher, Rogers Woodruff (Marshall). She decides the only logical thing to do is to lure him away from his wife and marry him. Mary's friend, Jimmy (Taylor), however, is convinced he's the right man for her and pursues her. He sees through her rationalizations and wrong-thinking and decides to throw Mary and Woodruff's wife Claire (Garson) together at the house of a friend (Byington). The two women do not know each other, but during their chats Mary appreciates and respects Claire's maturity and wisdom. When she learns Woodruff is a philandering womanizer of long standing, she realizes she cannot love him and welcomes Jimmy's attentions.

Reception

Howard Barnes in the New York Herald Tribune wrote, "Even when [Crawford] is wearing spectacles, she is not particularly convincing in the part."[1]

Awards and nominations

The film earned an Academy Award nomination for art directors Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell and Edwin B. Willis.[2]

DVD release

When Ladies Meet was released on Region 1 DVD on March 23, 2009 from the online Warner Bros. Archive Collection.

References

  1. ^ Quirk, Lawrence J.. The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press, 1968.
  2. ^ "NY Times: When Ladies Meet". NY Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/54145/When-Ladies-Meet/details. Retrieved 2008-12-14. 

External links

1925-1939
The Circle (1925) • Pretty Ladies (1925) • The Only Thing (1925) • Sally, Irene and Mary (1925) • Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926) • The Boob (1926) • The Unknown (1927) • Twelve Miles Out (1927) • West Point (1928) • Our Dancing Daughters (1928) • Rose-Marie (1928) • Across to Singapore (1928) • Dream of Love (1928) • The Duke Steps Out (1929) • Our Modern Maidens • Paid (1930) • Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) • Laughing Sinners (1931) • Possessed (1931) • This Modern Age (1931) • Grand Hotel (film) (1932) • Letty Lynton (1932) • Rain (1932) • Dancing Lady (1933) • Today We Live (1933) • Sadie McKee (1934) • Chained (1934) • Forsaking All Others (1934) • No More Ladies (1935) • I Live My Life (1935) • Love on the Run (1936) • The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) • The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) • The Bride Wore Red (1937) • Mannequin (1938) • The Shining Hour (1938) • The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939) • The Women (1939)
1940-1949
Strange Cargo (1940) • Susan and God (1940) • A Woman's Face (1941) • When Ladies Meet (1941) • They All Kissed the Bride (1942) • Reunion in France (1942) • Above Suspicion (1943) • Hollywood Canteen (1944) • Mildred Pierce (1945) • Humoresque (1946) • Possessed (1947) • Daisy Kenyon (1947) • Flamingo Road (1949) • It's a Great Feeling (1949)
1950-1959
The Damned Don't Cry! (1950) • Harriet Craig (1950) • Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) • This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) • Sudden Fear (1952) • Torch Song (1953) • Johnny Guitar (1954) • Female on the Beach (1955) • Queen Bee (1955) • Autumn Leaves (1956) • The Story of Esther Costello (1957) • The Best of Everything (1959)
1960-1970
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) • The Caretakers (1963) • Strait-Jacket (1964) • I Saw What You Did (1965) • Berserk! (1967) • Trog (1970)