"There's a name for you ladies..."

... but it isn't used in high society outside of a kennel."

Great Moments in Screen Bitchery #40, Joan Crawford in The Women

(I thought it high time to revive this series)

Comments

[kermit_the_frog]

WHAT A MOVIE.

I could happily compile an Oscar Supporting Actress 1939 line-up just from this movie... in case anyone's interested, my rankings would be -

1) Roalind Russell
2) Joan Crawford
3) Mary Boland
4) Phyllis Povah
5) Florence Nash

I count Norma Shearer as the film's sole lead...

How they could take something so witty and perfect, then deliver something as bland and boring as the Ryan/Bening/Mendes remake, I don't know. When Eva Mendes is giving the most interesting performance in a movie, you just know that something has gone awry (We Own The Night notwithstanding)...

[NATHANIEL R]

kermit -- yes, and that one spent more than a decade in development. what the hell were they doing with it?

[joel6]

Great line in the first of Crawford's first real dragon lady roles. How timely too, yesterday was Joan's birthday!

[denny]

LOVE this movie, LOVE this line, and LOVE this series! Can't wait for more!

[Dback]

No offense to Roz Russell, Joan Crawford, or Norma Shearer, but for me Paulette Goddard OWNS the last chunk of this movie. ("Where I spit, no grass ever grows.") The first time I saw the movie and she does that first line reading of "Cham-PAGNE...?" my jaw actually fell open with delight.

[Pam]

Great series, looking forward to it.
Dback--agreed! "I made him pay for he wanted. You made him pay for what he didn't want."

[Margaret]

I forgot how much I missed this series. Great choice for the revival-- I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to do a subseries using nothing but Crawford lines.

[Anne Marie]

The entire series could just be quotes from The Women, and it would be glorious.

Side note: The Women is playing at Turner Classic Film Festival, and I am SO EXCITED.