"What Every Woman Knows" is a wonderful comedy and drama based on a play of the same title by J. M. Barrie. Helen Hayes was just two year off of winning the best actress Oscar for her role in the 1931 drama, "The Sin of Madelon Claudet," and Brian Aherne was in his twelfth consecutive leading role dating back to the silent era and since his only non-leading first film in 1924.
MGM pulled together a cast from across the United Kingdom and Ireland for this film. Besides actors from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, supporting cast members were born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the British West Indies. Among the most familiar to long-time movie fans will be Lucile Watson as the Contessa, Henry Stephenson as Charles Venables, Donald Crisp as David Wylie and David Torrence as Alick Wylie. Madge Evans, as Lady Sybil, is the only American in cast list.
All give good performances. Torrence and Crisp as Maggie Wylie's brother and father, are very good, and Lucile Watson is humorous and good as La Contessa la Brierre. Aherne gives a good take as an outspoken John Shand who puts on airs as he makes something of himself, "by himself," he thinks for a while. But this is a movie that Helen Hayes excels in as Maggie Wylie. And, she plays the part of Maggie Wylie superbly - as the plain, wise and clever, caring and loving, and honest and humble sister and wife.
I recall an old saying from way back when, that behind every successful man is a surprised woman. There have been less humorous versions of this - of great women behind great men. Well, Maggie Wylie in this film lives and shows an example of that general truism.
Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Alick Wylie, "What is charm, exactly, Maggie?" Maggie Wylie, "Oh, it's, it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it you don't need anything else. And if you don/t have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women - a few, have charm for all, and most have charm for one, and some have charm for none."
James Wylie, "What you need, John Shand, is a clout in the head."
David Wylie, "Are you takin' the book to your bed, Maggie?" Maggie, 'Yes. I don't want hm to be knowin' things I don't know myself."
Charles Venable, "Countess, it has been marvelous seeing you again - positively marvelous." La Contessa la Brierre, "Thirty years and he hasn't stopped lying."
Countess, "He can't be worthy of you. No man could. Why do you do it?" Maggie Wylie, as Mrs. John Shand, "I'm six years older than he is. I'm plain and I have no charm. I shouldn't have let him marry me. I'm trying to make up for it."
Lady Sybil Tenterden, "Countess, uh, do leave us, won't you?" Countess, "Not I - far too interesting."
Maggie Wylie, as John's wife, "It's nothing unusual I've done, John. Every man who is high up loves to think he's done it all himself. Every woman knows that. It's our only due."
Maggie Wylie, {Oh, John, if I could only make you laugh."
