When Ladies Meet (1941 film)

Joan Crawford: Mary Howard
Robert Taylor: Jimmy Lee
Greer Garson: Claire Woodruff
Herbert Marshall Rogers Woodruff
Spring Byington: Bridget Drake

When Ladies Meet is an American comedy film from 1941 with an all-star cast that includes Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor and Greer Garson. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard.

Action

The journalist Jimmy Lee has long been in love with the well-known author Mary Howard. At a reception, the wealthy, slightly ditzy socialite Bridget Drake is, he makes her an impromptu marriage proposal. To his surprise, it rejects from Mary with ducted air, to be his wife. She has fallen head over heels in love with her publisher Rogers Woodruff, who also makes her advances. Meanwhile, friendly and well-behaved wife Claire suspects meanwhile nothing of the affair. Jimmy, Mary wants to win for himself, contrives an intrigue by not only themselves, but also Claire can secretly put on the guest list by Bridget Drake, as they hosted a glamorous weekend meetings in the country.

While Jimmy flirts with Claire, these suspects still not what secret connects her husband with the cultured and courteous Mary. Jimmy and Claire finally agree to a sham to start a relationship in order to make Mary jealous. Since Mary does not know that it is the wife of Rogers Claire, she confesses to her one evening that she is in love with a married man. As well as Rogers arrives on the scene, Claire learns of the affair, after all her husband. It follows a dramatic confrontation, whereupon Claire decides to leave Rogers. After they drive away in a taxi, her travels behind Rogers ruefully. Deeply moved and embarrassed recognizes Mary, how hopeless their love for Rogers. She gives him and accepted the request of Jimmy.

Background

Since the late 1930s, the career of Joan Crawford at MGM was in a prolonged crisis. The studio you rarely offered roles that ausschöpften her dramatic talent, and gave for their films more money for spectacular costumes as for a good script from. With the three films with George Cukor, including the woman's face, the actress was able to consolidate their status something again. Meanwhile, there was at MGM, however, with Katharine Hepburn and Greer Garson especially with new competitors to get good roles.

The shooting went civilized and mannerly despite the professional rivalry between the two female stars. However, the actual power relations in the studio showed up shortly before the completion of production, as Garson for her performance in Blossoms in the Dust received her second Oscar nomination, while Crawford, some of glowing reviews from the trade press for her role in The woman got with the scar, was ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As Crawford asked for the occupation in years and Madame Curie found, both roles went to Greer Garson, which again a great success with critics and the audience was able to record with these films. 1943 Joan Crawford left MGM to Warner Brothers for her performance in Mildred Pierce the Oscar for Best Actress win.

Joan Crawford was even decades later, not a good word for the film. Compared to Roy Newquist she said:

"I can only say the worst thing about When Ladies Meet. Terrible story, terrible script, and I doubt that any actress that damn crap could have played believable. Adrian dressed myself, as usual, great, and that's the only positive thing I can say about it. Robert Taylor and Greer Garson were also wasted, so I should not complain too much. "

When Ladies Meet is based on the eponymous play by Rachel Crothers, the Broadway brought it in the winter season 1932/33, to 173 performances including Spring Byington played the role of Bridget Drake like in the movie. MGM filmed the substance in 1933 with Ann Harding, Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy in the lead roles as well as When Ladies Meet.

Theatrical Release

At a cost of only U.S. $ 640,000 When Ladies Meet was a very low production in spite of the all-star cast. The Box office results were respectable with 1,162,000 U.S. dollars in the U.S. without being great. The foreign income was 684,000 U.S. dollars, at a total profit of 1.846 million U.S. dollars, the studio made at the end of a profit of 607,000 U.S. dollars.

Auzszeichnungen

At the Academy Awards in 1942, the film received a nomination in the category:

Best Art Direction ( Black -and-white film ) - Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell, Edwin B. Willis.

Reviews

Most critics found the script banal.

Bosley Crowther said in the New York Times:

" In this garrulous banality Joan Crawford plays an author with an impressive, but not touching intensity while she is dressed in the most spectacular costumes. Robert Taylor does a good job - even surprisingly good - as a lively newspaper reporter [ ... ]. Greer Garson is pretty and sincere in their thankless role of the publisher wife, [ ... ] and Herbert Marshall shows as a publisher his usual sad face. Spring Byington controls the film most of the humor in the silly and tactless lady. "

"As a writer who thinks he can destroy in a very civilized way a marriage that makes Joan Crawford [ ... ] a big fuss over her apartment or posing in impressive costumes. It has to do little more than talk about true love or about the problems when writing. Even if she wears glasses, she's not very convincing in the role. "

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