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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

I caught almost all of this one earlier today on TCM.  

What a delight.  I do wish I'd known about it earlier so I could have given you all advance notice.

 

Myrna Loy plays a writer who is in love with her married publisher.  The premise of the new book she is finalizing is that a woman in her position ought to be able to explain to the wife that her love of the married man is so true, that the wife should be overcome with the logic of the whole premise and easily give up her husband.

 

When Robert Montgomery, in the role of a man who is in love with Myrna Loy, brings the wife to the country home of the delightful Alice Brady ("Birdie"), lots of wisdom ensues when Myrna and the wife speak together since the wife was originally brought in under a false name.

 

It's quite sophisticated and the settings and costumes are wonderful.  Myrna Loy wears clothes so very, very well.  Her polka dot number is refreshing.

 

Not to forget the solid anchor here in the character of the wife, Ann Harding.  She was brilliant.  Anyone would want her as a best friend.

 

It was remade in 1941 with Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, and Robert Taylor.

 

I really hope both versions are repeated soon on TCM.  I wish I'd known about them sooner.

 

Ann Harding, Myrna Loy, Alice Brady

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,034
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

I have seen the Joan Crawford and Greer Garson remake of this movie several times.

 

I wish I watched this version too. From the reviews, this mvie seemed to have a better cast. Hopefully, it will be on Watch TCM on Demand. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,889
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

Sounds like what is called a ”pre-Code” film. Soon after this movie and others were released, the powers-that-be in Hollywood gave in to conservative pressure and essentially censored all their films. If you watch the pre-code stuff, you’ll be amazed at how forward looking they seem. Post-code, there certainly were great films but so many were of the goody-two-shoes variety.

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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

I'm not complimenting the film because it was risque, but because it was intelligent.  "Intelligent" is also a word used extensively throughout the whole film.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.
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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

I think I've only seen snippets of this, eons ago, and it was great!  Agree about Ann Harding, @GingerPeach--  wonder why she appeared less and less in films, she was so good.

 

All I really know about her personally is that she was great chums with Katharine Hepburn.  I seem to remember that during that period when Hepburn said she used to break into deserted houses in the L.A. area, that Harding was her cohort!  (I hope I'm not making this up, but have this vague, but persistent memory that Hepburn ruefully admitted to these "recreational" home invasions!)

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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film


@Oznell wrote:

I think I've only seen snippets of this, eons ago, and it was great!  Agree about Ann Harding, @GingerPeach--  wonder why she appeared less and less in films, she was so good.

 

All I really know about her personally is that she was great chums with Katharine Hepburn.  I seem to remember that during that period when Hepburn said she used to break into deserted houses in the L.A. area, that Harding was her cohort!  (I hope I'm not making this up, but have this vague, but persistent memory that Hepburn ruefully admitted to these "recreational" home invasions!)


Oznell - you made me think - Someone (Robert Osborne?) was interviewing Maureen O'Hara. And she was telling funny stories of her "younger years" in Hollywood. She and John Wayne, were either out at a party or out with friends. And he was driving her home and they decided they wanted another drink. Well, there were no bars or restaurants around. SO John Wayne knocked on someone's door. He asked if he and Maureen O'Hara could come in for a drink. The homeowner said fine. And they sat and they all had a drink together. And then John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara went on their way.

 

Maureen O'Hara said in the interview, she often wondered what the people at that random house thought of the experience. And did anyone believe them. But it was fun to watch because she was laughing the entire time she was telling the story.

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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

Well, I had to look it up!  The home invasions were real-- they were part of a series of crazy pranks Katharine Hepburn pulled at one point in her career.  But her pal on those occasions was LAURA Harding, not Ann Harding, apologies!

 

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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

[ Edited ]

@Oznell wrote:

I think I've only seen snippets of this, eons ago, and it was great!  Agree about Ann Harding, @GingerPeach--  wonder why she appeared less and less in films, she was so good.

 

All I really know about her personally is that she was great chums with Katharine Hepburn.  I seem to remember that during that period when Hepburn said she used to break into deserted houses in the L.A. area, that Harding was her cohort!  (I hope I'm not making this up, but have this vague, but persistent memory that Hepburn ruefully admitted to these "recreational" home invasions!)


@Oznell

I vaguely remember that story, too.  I have Hepburn's autobiography on my shelves somewhere.  Now might be a good time to re-read it.

As to Ann Harding, you've probably already read the TCM article about the film: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/13312/When-Ladies-Meet/articles.html

in which they wrote: Myrna Loy in her autobiography remembered Harding as "a very private person, a wonderful actress completely without star temperament, but withdrawn." 

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.
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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

Great story, @drizzellla.   What a bedazzled hostess I'd have been if it were me.   Excited beyond belief, but all the while thinking- oh gosh, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara will think my living room is always this messy, ha. 

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Re: WHEN LADIES MEET, 1933 sophisticated film

No, I haven't read it, @GingerPeach, I'll have to look it up, thanks.