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Hi Laundress....which Mrs. Stephen Haines are you referring to?
The original played by Norma Shearer or the second one played by Joan Crawford?

Ross
 
Bring Me A Bromide! And Put Some Gin In It!

Has only been a few months since last watched "The Women" on video,but have seen it countless times; and only "Mary" is referred to as "Mrs. Stephen Haines". Crystal is called just that by everyone even after marriage to Mr. Haines. Only when taking a bath and gossiping with Sylvia does Crystal refer to herself as "Mrs. Stephen Haines".

" I've been Mrs. Stephen Haines for over a year now without so much as a squabble. That must be some sort of record, even for Park Avenue".

Also we never see Crystal's cook, but only her French maid, who comes in before and then after little Mary Haines tells her new step-mother (in the nicest of good girl ways of course), just what she thinks of her. That little curtsey adds the extra zinger!
 
Yes Mammm...

Mrs. Steven Hillard, portrayed by the lovely June Alyson in "The Opposite Sex." You get to see Joan Collins in her younger days, playing the Crystal role. Lots of fun.

AND supposedly there is going to be a new remake of the movie again. The Women recently played on Broadway, PBS played it a couple of years ago. Much more biting than the movie version.
 
Crystal to the little black store maid "Lulu".

Butterfly MacQueen played Lulu. Cannot remember if "The Women" was made before or after "Gone With The Wind", but rumor has it Miss. MacQueen complained so much that Hattie MacDanials (Mammy) told her she wouldn't be asked back to Hollywood because complained too much. Miss. MacDanials, along with Miss. Beavers of course were two great Hollywood "Black" actresses who made a name for themselves within the limited sphere for minorities then.

Crystal tought it was about time Mr.Haines found out she was a "home girl". While telling Mr. Haines about her dinner plans over the phone, one of Crystal's co-workers butts in "she thinks because Lulu is dark he won't see her". Something one just could not say in today's PC times.

By the way the book and play have way more non PC comments. Such as when Edith finds out Mrs. Phelps Potter is expecting yet again at the bridge game she quips "Edith, I can't tell if you are careless or Catholic".

PBS shows the NYC revival of the play "The Women" done about a year ago. Rue Macallhan (Blanche from the Golden Girls)played La Countess deLave, and that tall girl from "Third Rock From the Sun" was Edith. The play is very different from the film (Hollywood censors watered down much of the content), but in many ways is better as one understands things eaiser. For instance in the play Syliva is also having an affair with one of the boys from her husband's office. He finds out and though is having an affair of his own, threatens to divorce Syliva on grounds of adultry. Bits of the dialogue survive in the film when Sylvia tells the girls at the ranch her husband threatened to divorce her and "ruin my reputation". Though IIRC Howard Fowler used grounds of incompatability for his suit.

L.
 
Yes, there is a film remake of "The Women" in the works, and my prediction like the first remake is it will bomb. Times are different than 1930's and few women, even trophy wives lead the sort of life as Mrs. Stephen Haines. Also the message of swallowing one's pride and going back to a philandering husband probably won't sit will with today's audience.

Finally, the dialouge is just too great in the play/film. It takes great acting to deliver the fast paced bander of "Mrs. Howard Folwer (Sylvia).

In today's real world the film would be over soon as Mrs.Haines gets the dirt from Olga the manicurist (who she probably would slug).

By the way, the Luce estate is VERY particular about remakes/revivals of the play and probably movie as well. This is why "The Women" is not done often, and like some old plays to death.

L.
 
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