What Every Woman Knows

Brilliantly constructed movie and the casting is spot on. Intriguing plot - this movie is one that needs to be watched at least twice to pick up the details missed the first time around - maybe the Scottish accents need some adjusting to - If you know the perception of Scottish frugality (especially by those south of the border) the movie really has some hugely comical moments, such as the taxi scene, the newspaper that was never purchased and the expensive shawl moment. Helen Hayes plays the adoring wife of a young politician precisely and the plot has a very positive and surprising ending to what seems like an impossible situation. They just don't make 'em like this any more. I watched this movie for the first time this year (2005) and my only regret is not having seen it years ago - get a copy is my advice and enjoy!

"What Every Woman Knows" is a wonderful comedy and drama based on a play of the same title by J. M. Barrie. Helen Hayes was just two year off of winning the best actress Oscar for her role in the 1931 drama, "The Sin of Madelon Claudet," and Brian Aherne was in his twelfth consecutive leading role dating back to the silent era and since his only non-leading first film in 1924.

MGM pulled together a cast from across the United Kingdom and Ireland for this film. Besides actors from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, supporting cast members were born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the British West Indies. Among the most familiar to long-time movie fans will be Lucile Watson as the Contessa, Henry Stephenson as Charles Venables, Donald Crisp as David Wylie and David Torrence as Alick Wylie. Madge Evans, as Lady Sybil, is the only American in cast list.

All give good performances. Torrence and Crisp as Maggie Wylie's brother and father, are very good, and Lucile Watson is humorous and good as La Contessa la Brierre. Aherne gives a good take as an outspoken John Shand who puts on airs as he makes something of himself, "by himself," he thinks for a while. But this is a movie that Helen Hayes excels in as Maggie Wylie. And, she plays the part of Maggie Wylie superbly - as the plain, wise and clever, caring and loving, and honest and humble sister and wife.

I recall an old saying from way back when, that behind every successful man is a surprised woman. There have been less humorous versions of this - of great women behind great men. Well, Maggie Wylie in this film lives and shows an example of that general truism.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Alick Wylie, "What is charm, exactly, Maggie?" Maggie Wylie, "Oh, it's, it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it you don't need anything else. And if you don/t have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women - a few, have charm for all, and most have charm for one, and some have charm for none."

James Wylie, "What you need, John Shand, is a clout in the head."

David Wylie, "Are you takin' the book to your bed, Maggie?" Maggie, 'Yes. I don't want hm to be knowin' things I don't know myself."

Charles Venable, "Countess, it has been marvelous seeing you again - positively marvelous." La Contessa la Brierre, "Thirty years and he hasn't stopped lying."

Countess, "He can't be worthy of you. No man could. Why do you do it?" Maggie Wylie, as Mrs. John Shand, "I'm six years older than he is. I'm plain and I have no charm. I shouldn't have let him marry me. I'm trying to make up for it."

Lady Sybil Tenterden, "Countess, uh, do leave us, won't you?" Countess, "Not I - far too interesting."

Maggie Wylie, as John's wife, "It's nothing unusual I've done, John. Every man who is high up loves to think he's done it all himself. Every woman knows that. It's our only due."

Maggie Wylie, {Oh, John, if I could only make you laugh."

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!

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.

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.