What a Woman!

The title is highly misleading although it aptly describes the glamorous Miss Russell in the sort of nonsense Doris Day was making her own by the end of the next decade.

Playing an East Coast career girl wearing a succession of killer outfits with enormous shoulders and smoking endless cigarettes (it's no surprise that Rosalind eventually succumbed to cancer), we first see her secretary fielding calls from Walter Winchell, and like the fifties Doris is gratifyingly older than love interest Willard Parker (who's actually quite good as Hollywood's idea of a scholar of Elizabethan history who gets more full of himself as the film goes on).

Typically we never actually see the film that all the fuss is about, just as Brian Aherne as the cynical reporter is never seen at a typewriter, simply confining himself to constantly arriving unannounced looking pleased with himself.

W.A.W. opens up in a magazine publishing office, where they are discussing how to interview the latest best-selling author, who no-one has ever met. Flash to Carol Ainsley (R. Russell, nominated for four Oscars), who is the agent for the un-seen author. She is determined to track down the author (played by Willard Parker), and doesn't realize the can of worms that revealing him may open... Brian Aherne is "Pepper", a magazine editor who is writing a story on Ainsley, and keeps popping up where-ever Ainsley goes. For most of the film, he is sitting in chairs, waiting for Ainsley to go through the doorway, or come back from where-ever she has been.

Keep an eye out for some fun supporting characters - Carol's assistant is played by Grady Sutton is a few years after making those hilarious W.C. Fields films. The office secretary is played by Norma Varden, who was so great as Lady Beekman in "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds". The mens dormitory clerk is Chester Clute, who looks and sounds just like Mel Blanc. Unfortunately, all these actors have very few lines; given a few more lines, they could have spiced the film up a bit. Russell does a great job, and carries the film well. It's a lot of fun to watch, although it's more plain and simple than I was expecting; after seeing her in "Friday", I was hoping for more plot twists. She has the same, strong, fast-talking personality that she had in "His Girl Friday". It was refreshing to watch an upbeat, war-time movie without a single mention of the war. Directed by Irving Cummings, who had directed Shirley Temple in four films in the 1930s. I hope Turner Classics starts showing this more often.

The '30s, women wore feminine, flowing dresses. They had boyfriends, some of whom were live in, and they flirted.

Then the Code hit, followed by the war, when women entered the workforce. So now it's the '40s, and the women are all business. They wear tailored suits, are unmarried, and apparently don't need a man.

Aha! But they really do. Women in the '40s learn that without a man, their great career has no meaning.

This brings us to What a Woman! Starring Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne. She's a top agent handling a million book bestseller, Whirlwind.

In order for the film version to get off the ground, the perfect leading man must be found. The author (Willard Parker) is using a fake name. Russell tracks him down, and it turns out he's perfect for the role himself. She brings him to New York to prepare him.

Meanwhile, every time she turns around, she is being hounded by a journalist (Aherne) doing a profile of her. He knows Parker is falling for her and, interested in Russell himself, watches her discomfort with great amusement.

Russell is terrific in a role that was perfect for her '40s image: a strong beauty who talks a mile a minute and is very efficient ordering people around.

Aherne and Parker give good support, but this is Russell's show. After all, it's the '40s, and women ruled. Or thought they did.

Am saying this with regret. 'What a Woman' may have sounded quite silly in concept, which was not unexpected as romantic comedies and comedies at the time were not the type to be seen for their stories. Saw it anyway, being someone who likes Rosalind Russell and being someone that likes romantic comedy and films from the 30s. Haven't seen enough yet of Irving Cummings' work to say what my overall stance is on him as a director, what has been seen of his (and there is a lot more to see) has been variable.

'What a Woman' left me very mixed. It is a truly great showcase for Russell, in terms of performance that is, because without her or if her role was performed by somebody not as talented or as experienced in this type of role, 'What a Woman' would have been a dud most likely in my view. It does have things that are good, but it does have its fair share of frustrating failures that could have been avoided. A silly premise executed in an even sillier way.

Russell is the reason to see 'What a Woman' and she is a sheer delight all round. Her comic timing soars, even when the comedy itself flounders, she is really charming and easy to engage with. Brian Aherne is more mixed for me generally, have known him to be bland, but he here has a likeability about him and doesn't come over as dreary, he even amuses at times and suitably insensitive when needed. His chemistry with Russell is sweet and tense and it is not hard to see what they see in each other. Willard Parker has a more reserved character, one that isn't as interesting, but gives it a good go.

It looks great, Russell looks luminous in her clothes, the glossy style of the photography isn't gaudy or drab and the lighting is atmosphere. There are very amusing and witty moments in the banter between Russell and Aherne and the more romantic parts have moments of not too sentimental charm.

However, the story is very silly, sometimes straining credibility to the limit, is quite paper thin at times and has very few surprises. It could have done with a tighter pace, clearer character motivations as the final decision was not very easy to buy and the ending comes out of the blue and doesn't feel rounded off enough. The supporting cast are more competent but nobody stands out in sketchy roles, the most interesting being a debuting Shelley Winters. Cummings' direction similarly is far from inept but feels undistinguished.

The script has moments but could have done with more spark, and there isn't enough generally of the sparkling wit and sophistication associated with the best romantic comedies from this period. Funny moments come in spurts, at other points there is a try too hard feel, and the romance is predictable and more complicated than it needed to be.

Summarising, watchable for Russell fans but nothing special. 5/10

In this romantic comedy from Columbia Pictures and director Irving Cummings, Rosalind Russell stars as high-powered talent agent Carol Ainsley. She's after the mysterious author of a recent bestseller to try and get inspiration for finding the lead actor in a movie adaptation of the book. She tracks him down, only to discover that he's a college teacher named Michael Cobb (Willard Parker) with no interest in further fame. Carol becomes convinced that Michael himself would be the perfect man for the film role and sets out to woo him to the job. Meanwhile, world-weary reporter Henry Pepper (Brian Aherne) has been tasked with writing a profile article on Carol which requires him to shadow her on her daily rounds, eventually leading to romance.

This is a basically agreeable trifle, fast-moving and with good performances from Russell and Aherne. I'm not familiar with Willard Parker, and his role could have been recast with a stronger personality. Shelley Winters can be glimpsed briefly in her second film role as a secretary.