What Every Woman Knows

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.

This film preserves Helen Hayes in one of her most celebrated roles, and Brian Aherne and the rest of the cast are quite fine as well. Indeed, Lucile Watson is a particular delight as the Comtesse de la Briere. The first half of the film hews closely to J. M. Barrie's play, yet it never feels "stage-bound" in the least. It has been opened up for the film quite effectively and none of Barrie's humor or clear-eyed sentiment have been lost. However, in an apparent attempt to simplify some of Barrie's plot devices, the last half of the film has been changed considerably from the play; and not to its benefit. Indeed, the rest of the script is pretty much a mess and makes nonsense of Barrie without improving the story in the least, as well as vitiating the entire thrust of the drama. Still, the film is worth seeing for Miss Hayes' excellent performance and Mr. Aherne's very capable one.

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.

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 indeed made a stage name for herself in this vehicle, but it's hard to see why in this film version of her stage success. BRIAN AHERNE does nicely as her somewhat stuffy husband, but all in all it's clearly aimed at pleasing the followers of Miss Hayes.

She photographs well as the supposedly plain heroine and her Scottish accent is never too jarring--and thankfully, she downplays a lot of her stage mannerisms with a style of acting more suited to the camera. But this tale of a little woman who is really the brains behind her non too bright politically minded husband, is a very modest effort from the pen of Sir James M. Barrie and there is no big payoff for anyone in the cast. Madge Evans has a rather thankless role as the other woman.

Donald Crisp and Lucille Watson have the most to do in supporting roles but have distinguished themselves elsewhere in better material.

Only interesting as an early Helen Hayes vehicle that seems more quaint than charming. As in most films of this period, there is almost no background music to give a lift to any of the stagebound scenes.

Trivia bit: Olivia de Havilland starred at the Westport Country Playhouse in this play--summer stock in 1946--and during the run of the play was married to first husband, writer Marcus Goodrich.