Otra vez mío

Greta Garbo, the mythical actress was last seen on the screen in this comedy. As directed by George Cukor, the film has its rewards for the fans of Ms. Garbo. The film, based on German playwright Ludwig Fulda, was adapted by some of the best screen writers of the time: S.N. Behrman, Saska Viertel and George Oppenheimer.

Mr. Cukor, an intelligent director probably miscalculated the effect this film would have on the viewers more used to a dramatic Garbo, who in here is made to lighten up. At times, Ms. Garbo seems to be on the right track to find a way to play the dual role of Karin/Katherine and appears to be having a good time playing the twins. Mr. Cukor was not able to erase some of the mannerisms for which the Swedish diva was famous for.

The basic problem with the film is the quick transformation of the ski instructor, Karin Borg, into the wife of the dashing and debonair Lawrence Blake. Perhaps if this aspect would have been exploited a bit more, the film would have taken a different tone. Not only are we surprised by the rapid change of the strong Karin into being relegated to being a second banana by marrying Larry.

The most interesting character from the film is Griselda Vaughn, Larry's former girlfriend who learns he has suddenly married a nobody, leaving her to fend for herself. Griselda is too smart to accept the situation. As played by Constance Bennett, she is one of the best things in the movie.

Melvyn Douglas' Larry is also excellent. He tries hard to convey this man who is used to be among sophistication and style. That's what makes it a bit hard to accept this man would settle with a woman that is attracted to a permanent winter state of mind. Ruth Gordon is good as the secretary that befriends Karin and conspires with her. Roland Young and Robert Sterling are seen in small roles.

The famous dance scene with Katherine, the twin sister, starts awkwardly, but Ms. Garbo proved she could hold her own against the partner that guides her around the night club's floor. Robert Alton has a tough time following Katherine.

"Two Faced Woman" might not have been Greta Garbo's best, but it not a total disappointment either. This film should be seen because it was her last film.

Every time someone mentions this film, they say something bad about it. It wasn't the best movie but I enjoyed it thoroughly. She had my attention through the whole film. I thought Garbo was way more interesting in this film than both Constance Bennett & Melvyn Douglas. Good film. I wish I still owned it and I would watch it right now!!! I love how radical she becomes when she pretends to be her "twin" sister. Melvyn Douglas was an alright character and so too Bennett, but I thought Garbo's last performance was great and I would like for this movie to get more credit. If anyone enjoys Garbo they should enjoy this film or you are just simply not that big of a Garbo fan. That's how i see it. The mysterious lady treats us with a few funny laughs. Like when she gets drunk. Not as funny as she was in Ninotchka though. Long Live Garbo!

While this film is hardly the classic that Ninotchka is, it can be hardly faulted for it, as even Garbo could hardly be expected to top her stellar performance in that great comedy! I was actually quite surprised how good this film is, especially given the volume of negative press it has received through the years. Garbo, even in a slightly lesser effort, is still leagues ahead of most actresses of her day (I find Joan Crawford to be especially overrated!). Besides her forever enigmatic image, she was, perhaps surprisingly, quite adept at comedy. This film actually did very well in its day.

The reasons of Two Faced Woman ultimately being Greta Garbo's last film are a bit complicated and multi-faceted. A big reason why she didn't make any films after this one was the especially strong European Box Office returns that her films enjoyed during the 20's and 30's were, with few exceptions stopped dead in their tracks by the coming of the Second World War in 1939. No doubt, the U.S. entry near the end of 1941 also impacted in a number of ways, effectively keeping Greta out of films during the remaining war years.

Garbo was actually coming out of retirement in 1949 to do a film for MGM. Sadly, the project got cancelled, and Greta was apparently humiliated by the experience, and didn't wish to be in that position ever again.

There are likely other details that I have missed. Suffice it to say, the film itself had nothing to do with Garbo's permanent retirement from film! If you haven't seen Two Faced Woman and get the chance to do so, check it out!

The legends surrounding Geta Garbo were like so many deifications, partly true, partly fiction. When Garbo was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was only average. In "Two-Faced Woman," Garbo assays comedy one more time following her success in Ernst Lubitsch's classic farce, "Ninotchka." This time she nearly falls flat. Garbo's one redeeming feature in the film is the outlandish dance she performs midway through the show. It is indeed a marvel to behold and worth the price of admission.

Almost all the other Thespians in "Two-Faced Woman" out shine the star, especially Constance Bennett, giving a wonderful personification of an acerbic bitch determined to keep her hooks in fresh meat. The gifted actor Melvyn Douglas shows his flare for comedy in a Cary Grant-type role, fun to watch in a slap-stick finale down a ski slope. The indomitable Ruth Gordon makes the most in a small role as Douglas' secretary. Bennett's former "Topper" colleague, Roland Young, is perfect as, again, a lecherous old man. Future TV "Topper" star Robert Sterling shows why he was chosen to portray George Kerby over a decade later.

Another problem with "Two-Faced Woman" is the hackneyed story and script. Director George Cukor hoped to strike pay dirt a second time with a screwball comedy along the lines of his brilliant "The Philadelphia Story," utilizing a title similar to his recently successful "A Woman's Face." Unfortunately, he was let down by the writers, who gave him a theme already old hat. Bedroom farces involving mistaken identities, twins and lookalikes, etc., were passé by 1941. The popular Fred Astair, Ginger Rogers musicals of the 1930's employed such gimmicks in a fresh and original manner. The twins ploy of "Two-Faced Woman" just doesn't work.

Karin Borg (Garbo), a ski instructor, meets and falls in love with Larry Blake (Douglas), a magazine writer. Following a whirlwind courtship that lasts only a few days, the two decide to tie the knot. Once married, however, their varied lifestyles clash. Larry spends most of his time in New York City away from Karin, who refuses to follow him, enjoying the life she already has. Distraught by visions of being two-timed and having her marriage canned, Karin heads for New York City, ending up incognito as her non-existing twin sister, Katherine. That Larry tends to be a philander becomes more evident as Karin sees her husband with other women, one in particular, Griselda Vaughn (Bennett). Katherine finds herself in the dubious position of competing not only against Griselda but against her own alter ego, Karin.

Perhaps the shortcomings of "Two-Faced Woman" helped Garbo in deciding to retire from motion pictures. She never made another film. Though "Two-Faced Woman" is not a dud, it is below standards Garbo had set for herself.

I liked Garbo in this. It's not much of a film but she is wonderful to behold. She's certainly up there with Claudette Colbert, Jean Arthur, Carole Lombard and Irene Dunne. Personally Babs Stanwyck and Myrna Loy are the absolute stars of screwball but it's a shame Garbo didn't make a few more comedies to attest to her versatility, in the same way that Dietrich proved herself so much more than Von Sternberg's mannequin. If you look at the comedy of the era - the classic screwball - it's a very modern type of comedy and even some of the lesser entries play quite well now, especially as we are so used to American TV's sitcoms re- popularising the genre (Frasier being one of the best). I find screwballs of the 35-42 period are funnier now than most current comedies, Two-Faced Woman included.