Smart Woman

The great Mary Astor never looked better and rarely had such a juicy role. She had an incredibly long career, with nary a dud, and it spanned movies like this, the poignant "Dodsworth," the justly famous "Malteste Falcon," "Meet Me in St. Louis." Its highlight was the magnificently over-the-top "Great Lie," for which she won of the most richly deserved Oscars in that award's history.

Here she is a loving wife who returns from a trip to Europe only to learn that her husband plans to ditch her. She learns from his sister and his business partner, who become her partners in thwarting him.

He invites his old-digging girlfriend and her bossy mother for a weekend at their country home. So she invites a very eligible nobleman she met on shipboard and she and her cohorts collaborate to make it seem hat she is in love with him and more than glad her husband has found someone else.

The girlfriend is treated humorously, not cruelly. (An example of a cruelty in a comedy is the Gail Patrick character in "My Favorite Wife." Nor is the happy ending forced. Everything works out. The bad are dispatched, the good reunited.

Gregory La Cava directed and boy! This makes clear how different a fine director can make a relatively routine movie look from the way it would like if handled by a routine Doctor.

Smart Woman (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Racy pre-code from Warner has Mary Astor returning from a vacation to learn that her husband is having an affair. In order to get back at him she decides to stage her own affair. This is a rather interesting film due in large part to Astor who gets to put on the sex appeal. She would play a lot of nice women in her career so it's fun seeing her getting to act a tad bit naughty. The film has plenty of nice laughs but the ending is a bit too over-dramatic. Astor is terrific in her role as are the supporting players.

After a trip to Europe, socialite Mary Astor (as Nancy) is back on her Long Island estate. Traveling companion John Halliday (as Guy Harrington) thought, "All American women were restless and dissatisfied," but Ms. Astor is faithful to husband Robert Ames (as Donald "Don" Gibson), and lovingly looks forward to seeing him. Astor is disappointed when Edward Everett Horton (as Billy Ross) meets her at the ship, instead of Mr. Ames. Moreover, she's disheartened when Mr. Horton and wife Ruth Weston (as Sally) give Astor some devastating news - hubby Ames has been having an affair with blonde bimbo Noel Francis (as Peggy Preston).

Ames wants a divorce. But, "Smart Woman" Astor decides to use finesse to win Ames back. Pretending to approve of her husband's affair, she invites Ms. Francis ("Miss Alabama of 1927") and her mother over for the weekend, explaining that she, too, has romantic interests in another. Then, Astor invites Mr. Halliday (the man she rejected in Venice) to visit, hoping he'll make Ames jealous, and seduce the gold-digging Francis… This sounds complicated, but it's a capably handled, by director Gregory La Cava, version of the New York stage play "Nancy's Private Affair" (1930). Astor makes noticeable gains as a fine "talking pictures" actress.

****** Smart Woman (9/12/31) Gregory La Cava ~ Mary Astor, Robert Ames, John Halliday, Edward Everett Horton

The premise behind the film is that if a husband leaves his wife then the wronged woman should jolly well try extra hard to get him back. It's appallingly sexist. That implied behaviour really annoyed me - I'd prefer some satisfying retaliation. So, for the stupid idea that the film promotes and the film's annoying resolution, I'm afraid this has to lose marks for just not connecting with me.

However, the film keeps you watching as Mary Astor (Nancy) gets up to tricks in order to win the totally unappealing Robert Ames (Don) back into her life. Ames is a poorly written character and everyone else in the cast gets their moment to shine apart from him. God knows why he is the centre of Astor's affection. This, in turn, for me, also makes Astor annoying. Nevertheless, it's an easy-to-watch passage of time.

Mary Astor stars as Nancy Gibson, the titular wife who returns from a trip abroad to discover her husband has fallen for another woman. Women of 1931 are, of course, enlightened and modern, so she takes it all in stride. Well, at least she pretends to, but she is devoted to her husband, Don (Robert Ames). So she uses reverse psychology in an attempt to win him back.

Viewers might wonder who is more stupid: Don for cheating on a wife who is beautiful, intelligent, and devoted to a fault? Or Nancy, for wanting to keep Don despite his deceit and stupidity?

Noel Francis plays Peggy Preston, the other woman. She is blonde, of course, and insipidly shallow. John Halliday is wonderful as Sir Guy Harrington, a rich bachelor who develops a crush on Nancy while sharing her homeward cruise. Edward Everett Horton, as Billy Ross, plays his usual comic relief role.

Adapted from the play, "Smart Woman" has a simple plot. But it's a mixture of drama and tragedy that requires Mary Astor to show shades of feelings and to turn on an emotional dime, which she does very adeptly. Her performance is the best part of the film.