Smart Woman

Director: Gregory La Cava 

Screenplay: Salisbury Field

Minutes: 68

Year: 1931

Score: 5.60

Release: Warner Archive

I watched this as a double feature with Richest Girl in the World and in comparison it fell flat. This is a problem with double features there is usually a winner and a loser. Alone Smart Woman would probably perform better for me.

From WBShop.com:

Gregory La Cava directs Mary Astor in this wise and witty drawing-room war of the sexes, in which manners never falter while scandal simmers at the surface. Mrs. Nancy Gibson (Astor), on a return cruise to the States after a long absence, makes the acquaintance of Sir Guy Harrington (John Halliday), Europe’s richest and most wanted bachelor. The smooth Sir Guy is besotted with her, but Nancy has only thoughts for the husband waiting for her return. Unfortunately, husband Donald (Robert Ames) has “gone off the deep end” for his new mistress Peggy Preston (Noel Francis), as she is quickly informed by Donald’s partner and brother-in-law, Billy (Edward Everett Horton). Back at Nancy’s country estate, Donald finds his divorce demands easily accepted, with one proviso – he agrees to have Peggy and her mother (Gladys Gale) join them for the weekend, along with Nancy’s (faux) new lover – Sir Guy Harrington!

Smart Woman is not a bad film; it is cute and, at times, fun. It works on a few levels but cannot really stand on its own in the romantic comedy genre. I wish there was more I could say because it is charming but there are thousands of charming films.

If you want you can order the Manufactured-on-demand HERE and while Smart Woman is not available there are hundreds of Warner Archives Classics available to stream HERE like the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which would have undoubted helped this film.

Director: 5 – Cinematography: 6 –  Edit: 5 – Parity: 8 – Main performance: 7 – Else performance: 4 – Score: 5 – Sound: 6 – Story: 6 – Script: 5 – Effects: 5 – Design: 9 – Costumes: 9 – Keeps interest: 4 – Lasting: 0