Honestly, if you haven’t seen the 1939 original directed by George Cukor, you’re missing out on one of the most chaotic, brilliant, and arguably sexist yet feminist experiments in Hollywood history. It’s a trip. When people talk about the cast of the movie The Women, they are usually referring to that legendary 1939 ensemble, though some might be thinking of the 2008 remake that, frankly, didn't quite capture the same lightning in a bottle.
The gimmick? No men. Not one. Even the portraits on the walls were of women. Even the freaking dogs were female. It was a bold move for the thirties, and it required a roster of powerhouse actresses who reportedly hated each other’s guts behind the scenes.
The Power Struggle of the 1939 Leads
Norma Shearer was the "Queen of MGM." She played Mary Haines, the noble, slightly naive wife who discovers her husband is having an affair with a perfume counter girl. Shearer was the studio's golden girl, married to the late Irving Thalberg, and she carried that weight on set. But then you have Joan Crawford.
Crawford played Crystal Allen, the "other woman." This was a massive pivot for Crawford. She was tired of playing the shopgirl with a heart of gold; she wanted to be the villain. On set, the tension between Shearer and Crawford was palpable. They were both fighting for top billing and the best lighting. Legend has it that Crawford would purposefully knit loudly during Shearer's emotional close-ups just to rattle her. It’s that kind of petty energy that actually makes the on-screen vitriol feel so incredibly real.
Then there’s Rosalind Russell. If Shearer was the heart and Crawford was the claws, Russell was the motor. She played Sylvia Fowler, the ultimate gossip. Interestingly, Russell almost didn't get the part. She had to audition multiple times because Cukor thought she was too "pretty" for the role of the shrewish gossip. She eventually showed up in a ridiculous outfit with her hair a mess to prove she could be character-driven rather than just a leading lady. Her performance is the one people quote the most. "Jungle Red," anyone?
The Supporting Cast of the Movie The Women
You can't ignore the bench depth here. It wasn't just the big three. You had Paulette Goddard as Miriam Aarons, the woman who eventually marries Sylvia’s ex-husband. Goddard was fresh off Modern Times and brought a much-needed groundedness to the high-society shrieking.
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Then you had Joan Fontaine as the shy, sweet Peggy. It’s wild to see her here before she became the definitive Hitchcock heroine in Rebecca. And we have to talk about Marjorie Main. Long before she was "Ma Kettle," she played the owner of the dude ranch in Reno where the women go to get their "quickie" divorces. She provided the salt-of-the-earth contrast to the Park Avenue elites.
The Reno Connection
In the 1930s, Reno was the divorce capital of the world. The movie handles this with a mix of comedy and genuine sadness. The scene where the women are all sitting around the ranch, waiting for their six weeks to be up so they can sign their papers, is surprisingly poignant. It highlights the limited agency women had at the time—their entire identities were wrapped up in their marital status.
The 2008 Remake: A Different Breed
Fast forward to 2008. Diane English, the creator of Murphy Brown, finally got her remake off the ground after years of development hell. The cast of the movie The Women in this version featured Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
On paper? Incredible. In reality? It’s complicated.
Meg Ryan stepped into the Norma Shearer role as Mary Haines. By 2008, the "wronged wife" trope felt a bit dated, so they tried to modernize it by making her a clothing designer. Annette Bening took on the Rosalind Russell role, but they changed the character from a backstabbing gossip to a high-powered magazine editor who betrays her friend for her career. It was a more "modern" betrayal, sure, but it lost some of the campy fun of the original.
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Eva Mendes played the Crystal Allen role (the Joan Crawford part). She was great, but the movie lacked the biting edge of the 1939 script. The 2008 version tried to be a "girl power" anthem, whereas the 1939 version was more of a "look at these fascinating, flawed, brilliant monsters" study. The 2008 film also featured Candice Bergen as Mary’s mother, which was a nice meta-nod to English’s Murphy Brown days.
Why the 1939 Casting Still Wins
There is a specific cadence to the 1939 dialogue—written by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin—that requires a specific type of actress. These women were trained in the studio system to deliver lines like rapid-fire bullets.
- The pacing: The 1939 film moves at a breakneck speed.
- The fashion: Adrian’s costume design was essentially another cast member. The fashion show sequence (the only part of the film in color) was a massive marketing tool at the time.
- The subtext: While the movie is technically about men, the absence of men makes the women’s relationships the only thing that matters.
Some critics argue that the 1939 version is misogynistic because the women spend all their time talking about men. Others argue it’s feminist because it shows the complex social hierarchies women navigated when they were denied political or economic power. Regardless of where you stand, the chemistry (or lack thereof) among the cast of the movie The Women is what keeps it in the cultural conversation.
Behind the Scenes Drama: Fact vs. Fiction
You’ll often hear that the set was a "catfight." While there was certainly professional rivalry, a lot of that was played up by the studio’s publicity department. MGM loved the idea of "Shearer vs. Crawford." It sold tickets.
In reality, most of these women were consummate professionals. They knew that a film with an all-female cast was a rarity and a risk. If it flopped, the industry would blame their gender. If it succeeded, it proved women could carry a film without a male lead.
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One real bit of trivia: The film features over 130 speaking roles, and every single one of them was played by a woman. Even the background extras in the salons and the shops. This created a very specific atmosphere on the soundstage. Rosalind Russell later noted in her autobiography that the set was surprisingly disciplined, despite the rumors of constant bickering.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going to dive into this, start with the 1939 version. Pay close attention to the scene where Mary (Shearer) and Crystal (Crawford) finally confront each other in the dressing room. It’s a masterclass in passive-aggressive warfare.
Then, watch the 2008 version if you want to see how Hollywood’s perception of "female friendship" changed over 70 years. The remake focuses much more on the women supporting each other's careers, whereas the original is about the brutal social politics of marriage and divorce.
Actionable Takeaways for Film Buffs
- Analyze the "Jungle Red" Motif: In the 1939 film, the nail polish color "Jungle Red" serves as a symbol of aggression and betrayal. Watch how the color appears whenever a character is about to cause trouble.
- Compare the Fashion Show Sequences: The 1939 film has a famous Technicolor fashion show. Contrast this with the 2008 version's fashion show to see how the "ideal woman" aesthetic shifted from structured glamour to boho-chic.
- Research the Play: The movie is based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce. Reading the original stage script reveals even more cynical, biting dialogue that didn't make it past the Hays Code censors of the time.
- Look for the "Invisible Men": Try to "see" the husbands through the women's descriptions. It's a fun exercise in character building where the most important characters never actually appear on screen.
The legacy of the cast of the movie The Women isn't just about the names on the poster. It's about a moment in time when Hollywood realized that women's stories—even when they were "just" stories about gossip and heartbreak—were worth a massive budget and the best talent in the business. Whether you love the 1939 classic or prefer the 2008 update, the DNA of these films paved the way for modern ensembles like Sex and the City or Big Little Lies. It all started with a group of women in a salon, talking about a shade of red nail polish.