If you had this cast of six actors (in alpha order, men then women): Van Heflin, Fred MacMurray, Cornell Wilde; and June Allyson, Lauren Bacall, Arlene Dahl.
who would you pair up to create three couples with some hope of screen chemistry?
My choice: (1) Heflin & Bacall: Classy actors, both of whom exude intelligence and dignity. (2) Wilde & Dahl: Hollywood glamor-pusses, about equally light on talent. (3) MacMurray & Allyson: Both sexless, a G-rated couple.
Here are the failed chemistry experiments we get: (1) MacMurray and Bacall. (2) Wilde and Allyson. (3) Heflin and Dahl. Honestly, I don't think the filmmakers could have done worse.
And that, regrettably, is not the end of the silliness. Made the same year as A Star is Born, Rear Window, Executive Suite, and let's not forget Johnny Guitar—all movies with strong women—"A Woman's World" is almost a parody of a modern woman's world since these ladies are all wives, period. Not that the men fare much better in a plot this contrived. One example will do: We're meant to worry that MacMurray might die of a peptic ulcer if he doesn't start loving his wife more than his job. (Ulcers can lead to fatalities, but only if not diagnosed and treated.)
Clifton Webb's patented disdain is welcome counterpoint, but it's impossible to know if it's part of Webb's character or his reaction to the script.
who would you pair up to create three couples with some hope of screen chemistry?
My choice: (1) Heflin & Bacall: Classy actors, both of whom exude intelligence and dignity. (2) Wilde & Dahl: Hollywood glamor-pusses, about equally light on talent. (3) MacMurray & Allyson: Both sexless, a G-rated couple.
Here are the failed chemistry experiments we get: (1) MacMurray and Bacall. (2) Wilde and Allyson. (3) Heflin and Dahl. Honestly, I don't think the filmmakers could have done worse.
And that, regrettably, is not the end of the silliness. Made the same year as A Star is Born, Rear Window, Executive Suite, and let's not forget Johnny Guitar—all movies with strong women—"A Woman's World" is almost a parody of a modern woman's world since these ladies are all wives, period. Not that the men fare much better in a plot this contrived. One example will do: We're meant to worry that MacMurray might die of a peptic ulcer if he doesn't start loving his wife more than his job. (Ulcers can lead to fatalities, but only if not diagnosed and treated.)
Clifton Webb's patented disdain is welcome counterpoint, but it's impossible to know if it's part of Webb's character or his reaction to the script.