User reviews

In the very aptly titled Smart Woman, Mary Astor plays a woman forced to play games when her husband strays and falls in love with another woman. It's based off the Broadway play Nancy's Private Affair, and while I couldn't find anything that linked it to Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, the entire time I was watching the 1931 film adaptation, I kept hearing "A Weekend in the Country" playing in my head.

When Mary's husband, Robert Ames, falls in love with Noel Francis, Mary's utterly destroyed. Her sister- and brother-in-law, Ruth Weston and Edward Everett Horton, convince her that the only way to win back her husband's love is to pretend she's relieved by the situation because she's fallen in love with another man. Before they know it, Mary's invited Noel and her mother, Gladys Gale, down to their country home for the weekend, as well as her in-laws, and the fake boyfriend she's invented, John Halliday. And while you're busy singing Stephen Sondheim's music, everyone's falling in love with everyone and trying to sort out their very messy situation!

All in all, Smart Woman is a cute movie with only one tiny flaw. Robert Ames's character isn't worth all the trouble! He's not very nice and he doesn't treat people very well. Still, if you're a Mary Astor fan, rent this one.

After a trip to Europe, socialite Mary Astor (as Nancy) is back on her Long Island estate. Traveling companion John Halliday (as Guy Harrington) thought, "All American women were restless and dissatisfied," but Ms. Astor is faithful to husband Robert Ames (as Donald "Don" Gibson), and lovingly looks forward to seeing him. Astor is disappointed when Edward Everett Horton (as Billy Ross) meets her at the ship, instead of Mr. Ames. Moreover, she's disheartened when Mr. Horton and wife Ruth Weston (as Sally) give Astor some devastating news - hubby Ames has been having an affair with blonde bimbo Noel Francis (as Peggy Preston).

Ames wants a divorce. But, "Smart Woman" Astor decides to use finesse to win Ames back. Pretending to approve of her husband's affair, she invites Ms. Francis ("Miss Alabama of 1927") and her mother over for the weekend, explaining that she, too, has romantic interests in another. Then, Astor invites Mr. Halliday (the man she rejected in Venice) to visit, hoping he'll make Ames jealous, and seduce the gold-digging Francis… This sounds complicated, but it's a capably handled, by director Gregory La Cava, version of the New York stage play "Nancy's Private Affair" (1930). Astor makes noticeable gains as a fine "talking pictures" actress.

****** Smart Woman (9/12/31) Gregory La Cava ~ Mary Astor, Robert Ames, John Halliday, Edward Everett Horton

Mary Astor stars as Nancy Gibson, the titular wife who returns from a trip abroad to discover her husband has fallen for another woman. Women of 1931 are, of course, enlightened and modern, so she takes it all in stride. Well, at least she pretends to, but she is devoted to her husband, Don (Robert Ames). So she uses reverse psychology in an attempt to win him back.

Viewers might wonder who is more stupid: Don for cheating on a wife who is beautiful, intelligent, and devoted to a fault? Or Nancy, for wanting to keep Don despite his deceit and stupidity?

Noel Francis plays Peggy Preston, the other woman. She is blonde, of course, and insipidly shallow. John Halliday is wonderful as Sir Guy Harrington, a rich bachelor who develops a crush on Nancy while sharing her homeward cruise. Edward Everett Horton, as Billy Ross, plays his usual comic relief role.

Adapted from the play, "Smart Woman" has a simple plot. But it's a mixture of drama and tragedy that requires Mary Astor to show shades of feelings and to turn on an emotional dime, which she does very adeptly. Her performance is the best part of the film.

This early Gregory La Cava film is a nice comedy-drama, starring the beautiful and talented Mary Astor, who is the show's main attraction, because I have to admit that I found the other leading player, Robert Ames, who plays her husband, rather dull in this one.

The film's plot has to do with the marital problems between Astor and Ames, after the former arrives from a travel to France. Noteworthy performances by John Halliday as a debonair man of the world who befriends Astor and Edward Everett Horton as Ames' Business Partner, who's highly amusing in his role, as always, and gets to say a lot of witty lines & wisecracks.

Early 30's and Mary Astor fans will have a good time watching this film, which at 68 minutes, is very short by today's standards.

The premise behind the film is that if a husband leaves his wife then the wronged woman should jolly well try extra hard to get him back. It's appallingly sexist. That implied behaviour really annoyed me - I'd prefer some satisfying retaliation. So, for the stupid idea that the film promotes and the film's annoying resolution, I'm afraid this has to lose marks for just not connecting with me.

However, the film keeps you watching as Mary Astor (Nancy) gets up to tricks in order to win the totally unappealing Robert Ames (Don) back into her life. Ames is a poorly written character and everyone else in the cast gets their moment to shine apart from him. God knows why he is the centre of Astor's affection. This, in turn, for me, also makes Astor annoying. Nevertheless, it's an easy-to-watch passage of time.

Mrs. Nancy Gibson (Mary Astor) is returning from Paris. She is eager to be back home with her husband Donald Gibson (Robert Ames). He's not there to greet her at the docks. Instead, she's picked up by her servant Bill. Don is away and everybody knows why. He's cheating on her and he wants a divorce.

This is a not so smart woman. I don't see keeping Don as a viable option. He's not appealing and she's out of his league. I would demand a lot of money. Tricking him with a rival would only make him expecting a divorce more. This would work if I could see Donald as a great catch and that's a tough hurdle to overcome. Despite my reservation about Nancy's scheme, I do really like Mary Astor and that keeps my interest.

A SMART WOMAN uses duplicitous ingenuity to attempt to win back her adulterous husband.

Mary Astor shines in this sophisticated--and unfortunately obscure--little soap opera, which rewards its viewers with an intelligent script and fine acting. Crisp, cool & calculatingly composed, Astor uses her intelligence to get exactly what she wants. Inviting her spouse's mistress to spend the weekend in their country mansion may not seem like the usual tack to follow, but for Astor it's all part of her game plan.

Robert Ames plays Astor's erstwhile husband; Ruth Weston is his outspoken sister. Noel Francis is the gold digger after his money & Gladys Gale is her ambitious mother. All four offer good support, but the best fun comes from John Halliday as an affable English knight agreeably in tune with Astor's schemes and snippy Edward Everett Horton as Ames' brother-in-law. As usual, Horton effortlessly steals his every scene.

Mary Astor returns from Europe to find husband Robert Ames enamored of Noel Francis. So she invites the *ahem* lady to her country home to size up the opposition. English nobleman John Halliday, who took a fancy to Miss Astor aboardship shows up to plead his case.

Some pre-code movies make the case that the times they are a-changing, and we must change with them. Some of them argue that marriage, like every humor endeavor, requires work to make it work, and this is one of them. Director Gregory La Cava keeps a light hand on the tiller and lets the audience see the wheels turning to let us know that everything is going to turn out all right, as the supporting cast drops away to leave the central characters to hold the screen alone. In the end, though, the struggle takes place within Ames alone. With Edward Everett Horton.

Mary Astor was seen in any number of supporting roles (for example "Midnight" with Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche, just to stay with La Cava productions)but here shows she could hold the stage effortlessly as leading lady. And "stage" is the word since the film's origins as a play for theatre are rather obvious (the same set does for about 70% of the time). The remaining characters are stereotypes and Ames is somewhat wooden but the script is often very amusing indeed and with Gregory La Cava to mastermind the production everything sweeps along splendidly. Though short (65m) and nearly forgotten (no reference book on my shelves mentions this film) this is worth seeing by anyone with a taste for comedies of the period.

This is a gift to Astor fans as a peak experience during a string of starring roles in her mid-twenties as a stunning beauty on camera. Or at least LaCava makes the case, as this is about how extraordinary she is by every measure. Ames, on the other hand was in uncertain health and died two months after release of the picture. Mary/Nancy has the life she wants and no one is going to mess with that. If she loves the imperfect Ames/Don then that's nobody's business but her own. Or as Loretta Lynn had it, you ain't woman enough to take my man. Although set in a particular time, this is particularly timeless and as if by Aristophanes or Shakespeare or Woody Allen. Bogie/Spade fell hard for Astor/Shaughnessy in 1941 but go back a decade to pre-code RKO when she ruled the screen.

"Oh, Don, don't be early Victorian. Divorce does happen. It happened to practically all of our friends, it's not surprising it should happen to us. ... Oh, I know, you expected me to cry my eyes out and make a scene. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. But, you see, modern women don't act like that. We say, 'Oh, our husband wants to go, does he? Very well, then, let him. Maybe next time we'll have better luck and get a really good one.'"

Ah, if only this was the actual reaction Mary Astor's character has when she learns that her husband has met another woman and wants a divorce. Instead she begins deftly plotting to get him back by pretending to be cool with the whole thing and that she's found someone else herself. This could have made for a decent film, but here the concept suffers because her husband (Robert Ames) is so tepid and boring, and Astor has no chemistry with him. And this is the man she's smart to hold on to? If you're hoping for a pre-Code film with a provocative challenge to conformity (or fun, racy banter for that matter), this won't be your film.

Edward Everett Horton plays the guy's business partner, and provides a little comic relief with exchanges like this with the 'other woman's' mother:

Mother: Aren't you having tea Mr. Ross? Billy Ross (Horton): I never touch it. My doctor tells me it's poison! Mother: Really? Billy Ross: I'll get you some.

Horton's wild laugh was also pretty fun to hear, but unfortunately there isn't much to the comedy overall. The film is also quite creaky, with a noticeable audio hum and pops between shot transitions. That doesn't stop the little moment when Astor sings from being adorable, but she's really the only reason to watch this film, and it's not enough to recommend it.

The great Mary Astor never looked better and rarely had such a juicy role. She had an incredibly long career, with nary a dud, and it spanned movies like this, the poignant "Dodsworth," the justly famous "Malteste Falcon," "Meet Me in St. Louis." Its highlight was the magnificently over-the-top "Great Lie," for which she won of the most richly deserved Oscars in that award's history.

Here she is a loving wife who returns from a trip to Europe only to learn that her husband plans to ditch her. She learns from his sister and his business partner, who become her partners in thwarting him.

He invites his old-digging girlfriend and her bossy mother for a weekend at their country home. So she invites a very eligible nobleman she met on shipboard and she and her cohorts collaborate to make it seem hat she is in love with him and more than glad her husband has found someone else.

The girlfriend is treated humorously, not cruelly. (An example of a cruelty in a comedy is the Gail Patrick character in "My Favorite Wife." Nor is the happy ending forced. Everything works out. The bad are dispatched, the good reunited.

Gregory La Cava directed and boy! This makes clear how different a fine director can make a relatively routine movie look from the way it would like if handled by a routine Doctor.

Smart Woman (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Racy pre-code from Warner has Mary Astor returning from a vacation to learn that her husband is having an affair. In order to get back at him she decides to stage her own affair. This is a rather interesting film due in large part to Astor who gets to put on the sex appeal. She would play a lot of nice women in her career so it's fun seeing her getting to act a tad bit naughty. The film has plenty of nice laughs but the ending is a bit too over-dramatic. Astor is terrific in her role as are the supporting players.

In some ways, this film is a bit regressive in its views on women and marriage. After all, it seems to say that if a man cheats on his loving wife, she should move heaven and earth to keep him. But, if you can look past this, the film is quite enjoyable and worth your time.

The film begins with Mary Astor and John Halliday on a cruise. She went to Europe because her mother was there--dying. He is just a nice rich English nobleman who has fallen in love with her. However, despite his infatuation, she is loyal to her husband back home and Halliday must let her go. Unfortunately, however, when Astor arrives, the husband is not there to meet the boat...and she soon learns it's because he's met someone else--a younger woman! Instead of fighting her husband, however, she acts quite accepting of this--even offering to have the mistress and her mother come to their estate for the weekend! Personally, I would have shot the guy...by Astor has a plan. She invites Halliday and pretends that she, too, has met someone else.

It's all very sophisticated and clever--and very well written. I've actually seen several films like this, but this is one of the better ones--and a darn good movie for 1931. Intelligently written and with sparkling dialog--this film is a winner.