What Every Woman Knows

The moral of this story originally from J.M. Barrie is supposed to be that what every woman knows is that a man only thinks he makes it to the top on his own, whereas she's always helping behind the scenes, which sounds sweet enough. However, the message that came across all these years later is pretty odious; it's that what every woman knows is her place, subordinate to a man in literally every respect.

God love Helen Hayes, she's so adorable and does everything she can here, but it's crazy just how much her character idolizes her husband (Brian Aherne) and stands by him even when he strays. He's only married her as part of a deal, you see, despite her clearly being beneath him and lacking in looks and charm (she herself says this several times, argh...!). What every woman knows, the film tells us, is that men are the driven ones in life, and if their passion also leads them to other women, well, you need to simply accept this and keep on loving them for the gods they are. Even the other woman (Madge Evans) acts ridiculously. Aside from everything else, I almost lost it when Aherne's character had the gall to pluck a cigarette out of Hayes's mouth after they were separated, without a peep from her or any real awareness on the part of the film.

It's really too bad too, because the pair made a cute couple, with him towering over her (6'2" and 5') and she in her little curls. The character of a common guy rising to be a Member of Parliament debating issues of class and things like the gold standard along with his plucky and intelligent wife could have been far more interesting and endearing. The film is not helped by the comic relief of her family either, including a clod of a brother, though the wise middle-aged woman (Lucile Watson) provides moments of relief. A star each for Hayes and Watson, and that's about it.

Helen Hayes never had great success in the movies, but this is the best of her film performances that I've seen so far. Her Scottish accent is convincing, she's charming, and she conveys Maggie's underlying strength with great subtlety.

Brian Aherne is charismatic as the young politician Maggie is attracted to; he allows us to see through his egotism to the vulnerability and insecurity just below the surface.

The beautiful and talented Madge Evans is fine in the "other woman" role. Supporting stalwarts Lucile Watson, Donald Crisp, Dudley Digges, David Torrence, and Henry Stephenson are all well-cast, and turn in wonderful performances.

I had no idea what to expect from this film, but I found it highly enjoyable, with gentle humor, light drama, and romance that won't send your blood sugar into orbit.

"What Every Woman Knows" is an odd sort of romance. It involved two people who were in a one-sided relationship. The woman loved the man, and the man just tolerated the woman.

Maggie Wylie (Helen Hayes) was a plain Scottish woman who couldn't find love. Her father and her two brothers were determined to help her get married even if it meant making a man contractually obligated to do so. And that's what they did.

They entered into a bargain with a young rabble rouser named John Shand (Brian Aherne). They would pay for his schooling for five years and in return, he'd have to marry Maggie should she want him. Maggie was well aware of this bargain, and she didn't mind it at all. After the five years were up, Maggie wanted to marry John, and he agreed to marry her per his word, even though he didn't love her. It was a rare movie in that a man was obligated to marry a woman instead of the other way around. That gave it a different sort of feel.

There have been plenty of movies in which a woman goes through with marrying or being with a man out of a sense of duty, but very few men have ever had to be in that situation. I've always felt a little sorry for the women, I didn't feel sorry at all for John Shand. Maggie gave him the option to be free of her, but he was too principled to back out of an agreement he benefited greatly from.

In some ways it was sad watching Maggie sweat and toil for John's benefit in hopes that he would one day love her as she loved him. John was such a serious man that it seemed he would never love anybody. Such a sentiment was put to the test when Lady Sybil Tenterden (Madge Evans) entered the picture.

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Maybe you have to be Scottish to completely appreciate this, but I've always loved this film. It is great to see Helen Hayes not playing the victim in a film role for once - although she played them well, and Brian Aherne, always a good actor, is a vivacious hunk at age 32, perfect for the role of a man who thinks he is more than he really is.

The story starts out with Maggie Wylie's (Helen Hayes') brothers pacing the floor worrying about what is to become of their baby sister given that she has reached the age of 27 and is unmarried with no prospects. They end up making a deal with a burglar (Aherne as John Shand) to finance his education IF at the end of five years he marries Maggie if she is still single and willing. You see, Shand was a student who ran out of money and has been breaking into the Wylie home every night to read the books they have in their extensive library - and nothing else.

Shand agrees, but manages to waste the money, never gets his education, and the five years is up. A bargain is a bargain to a Scot, and although he wants to run for a seat in Parliament he decides to go for a job in the local foundry instead so he and the still unmarried Maggie can be wed. Maggie insists he go for the Parliament seat instead. He does and wins, due a great deal to Maggie's help.

Now Maggie very much knows that John does not love her, although she seems like she has loved him since he first stood up at a town meeting - prior to the burglary discovery - and insulted the entire town, AND her brother -something the all too outwardly passive Maggie seems itching to have done, but is glad to have John do it instead.

The complication in all of this is two crises collide. John (and Maggie) believe the nation's troubles can be averted by going off the gold standard, but John would have to threaten to resign his seat to make a meaningful stand, AND a beautiful woman of poise has actually captured John's heart - and Maggie knows about it. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

The funny part about all of this is how really clueless the men are in this film which is almost feminist in nature. Maggie's brothers are so concerned about her marital status when none of them are married themselves and are well into what was then called "old bachelorhood". To top it off all three are buffoons. Maggie seems to know this and loves them anyways. The same could be said of Shand, since Maggie is his strength and he seems blind to that, not that he treats her rudely.

I recommend this one. It is very quirky and fun for an early post production code film.

In this unusual comedy, Helen Hayes (reprising her Broadway role) plays an old maid who takes care of everyone in her family. She's a running joke to never get married, and Dudley Digges, Donald Crisp, and David Torrence ridicule her. When a young, handsome newcomer arrives in town, he immediately gets invited over for dinner, with hopes by her brothers that he'll marry the spinster. Helen is taken with him, but what does she have to offer? Her brains and her money. He's an ambitious fellow, but she's got what it takes to be the woman behind the man. So, she makes him an offer of marriage in exchange for a humungous dowry and strategy for his career.

Why would she do all this? Because he's Brian Aherne! Six feet, four inches of ridiculously handsome, Irish, curly-haired, passionately tempered Brian Aherne! Brian has to think about her offer, and since Helen is smarter than him, she lays out her argument in such a subtly cunning way, he eventually sees the wisdom in it.

This is a very clever, timeless movie. It's funny and smart, and as the title implies, will make every woman in the audience chuckle. Brian may be gorgeous, but he's not too bright. Helen knows how to get around him, and she's perfectly willing to teach the audience, too!