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Woman's Face
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by MGM (Warner)
Sales Rank: 26237
Price: $19.98
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Legendary actress Joan Crawford (<I>Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?</I>) stars in this 1941 melodrama directed by George Cukor (<I>A Star Is Born</I>, <I>Adam's Rib</I>) as a scheming con woman and blackmailer, a bitter woman shut off from society because of a disfiguring scar. The opportunity to undergo an operation--by plastic surgeon Melvyn Douglas--to remove the offending scar presents her with a choice: open herself up to a whole new life or return to her old ways and the only life she's ever known. Eventually, Crawford is drawn back into her old ways by her lover, Conrad Veidt (<I>Casablanca</I>), as he enlists her aid in a kidnapping and murder plot. Soon she finds herself trapped between her hopes for a new beginning and the malevolent double-crossing lover who seeks to exploit her for the woman she used to be, rather than who she can be. Crawford is oddly touching as a woman who undergoes a spiritual rebirth, yet cannot shake the pull of her past. <I>A Woman's Face</I> is one of those classic dramas, deliciously wicked and immensely enjoyable. <I>--Robert Lane</I>
Viewer Reviews
In the 1940's Joan's career really started to unravel. She was no longer the sweet little working girl. Joan wanted to branch out and show her true acting capabilities, and "A Woman's Face" was her first shot at that, and one of her most ambitious feature presentations!
In this gorgeous black and white film, Joan played Anna Holm, otherwise known as Ingrid Paulson. Anna lived with a severe facial scar that left her disfigured. Joan looked completely different as Anna because she was no longer glamorous or dressed to the nines. Even when she played the poorest working girl, Joan always looked devastatingly beautiful. In "A Woman's Face" she relied on her natural talent of acting to shine through by letting the viewers see a unique and diverse piece of her.
Here are Miss Crawford's personal comments about this film: I have nothing but the best to say for "A Woman's Face." I finally shocked both the critics and the public into realizing the fact that I really was, at heart, a dramatic actress.
The apparent self-hatred that Anna feels is very evident. This woman can hardly even look in the mirror, let alone allow anyone to look at her face. She is in constant pain. Because, like an old newspaper the world just threw her away and discarded her without a second thought. Anna would think nothing of conning anyone because she hates everyone, but most of all, she hates herself.
Anna soon has a new lease on life, thanks to Dr. Dr. Gustaf Segert (played by the legendary Melvyn Douglas) who performs surgery on her face and transforms her into the beauty that we are all more familiar with. But she gets mixed up with her lover, Torsten Barring, (Conrad Veidt) who only wants to use her and take advantage of her for his own dishonest gain.
This is one of those rare movies that Joan made where her true acting really shines brighter than anything else. It was also a rather unique picture because Joan's character was so corrupt, yet so vulnerable. I consider this role a pivotal part for Joan, just as Sadie Thompson was in Rain and Harriet Craig was (movie same title.) Because all of these women were so perpetually abused and all of them had so much hostility. But, "A Woman's Face" is altered from the others, because the transformation of Anna was perhaps more subtle and mysterious.
The director of the film is the renowned George Cukor (Camille & Two Faced Woman) and the film is 105 minutes in length. Like the majority of her movies, throughout her fifty year career, this movie was produced by MGM. And, like the majority of her films today, "A Woman's Face" is distributed by Warner Home Video.
You know, when people first meet me and find out that I am a (diehard) Joan Crawford fan they always find it unbelievable and funny. They can't believe that someone who's barely out of their teens would be infatuated with a woman who made movies half of a century ago. There is so much about Joan that fascinates me. She just gave so much of herself. She gave everything she had when she made a movie. Joan was the quintessential example of what a true movie star was (and should be.) And besides, there aren't any stars of my generation who have the talent, determination, stamina, drive and sheer will-power that Miss Crawford always possessed!
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