The Real Housewives of 1939: “The Women”

The Real Housewives of 1939: “The Women”

From Going Hollywood - Movies and Television from the Golden Age to Today by Brad Shreve & Tony Maietta

December 24, 2025 · 1h 16m · Season 2 · Episode 37

About this episode

The episode discusses the 1939 film 'The Women' and its cultural significance.

All women, all claws. Jungle Red! Call it “The Real Housewives of New York- 1939 Edition”. For our season two finale, we tackle MGM’s 1939 classic satire “The Women”. From savage one-liners to that wild Technicolor fashion show, we trace how Claire Boothe Luce’s play survived the Production Code, why Anita Loos’ screenplay still stings, and where the movie trades social ambition for a romance-first ending. We are joined by very special guest (and Brad’s husband) Maurice Chevalier and g...

People in this episode

Hosts: Brad Shreve, Tony Maietta

Guest: Maurice Chevalier

Topics covered

  • film analysis
  • 1939 cinema
  • women in film
  • satire
  • Production Code
  • fashion in film

Keywords

  • The Women
  • MGM
  • Claire Boothe Luce
  • Anita Loos
  • Production Code
  • Technicolor
  • film satire
  • 1939

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MGM

Books & works: The Women

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