A Woman’s Face (George Cukor, 1941): USA

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy.  Viewed at the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood, CA.

Four years prior to the celebrated Mildred Pierce, Joan Crawford starred in the lesser known, but equally intense masterpiece A Woman’s Face, directed by the inimitable George Cukor.

Anna Holm (Joan Crawford) is on trial for murder and very limited in her defense.  One by one, as several witnesses come forward to testify, each gives a seperate account of the circumstances, and not necessarily in her favor.

Blackmailer Torsten Barring (Conrad Veidt), woos the facially disfigured Anna, and convinces her to go into business with him.  The two devise a plan to relieve an unfaithful wife, Vera Segert (Osa Massen) of her jewels, using illicit love letters as the bait.

During the transaction, Anna stumbles upon Vera’s accommodating husband, Dr. Gustaf Segert (Melvyn Douglas), who is an expert plastic surgeon.  Dr. Segert views Anna’s disfigurement as a welcomed challenge, and offers his assistance.

Soon after, Torsten offers Anna a job as governess to his little nephew Lars-Erik (Richard Nichols), who is set to inherit a great sum of money upon the death of his grandfather.  Torsten reveals to Anna that if a tragedy were to befall little Lars-Erik, he instead would inherit the wealth.  Horrified by the idea, Anna believes she’s in love with Torsten, and  succumbs to his treachery.

Joan Crawford exceeds her versatility and range, transforming her character from embittered and angry, to heartfelt and redemptive.  Cukor was a master at directing comedies as well as melodramas – he also directed Crawford in the catty but hilarious The Women(1939).  Prior to his death, the terrific character actor Conrad Veidt made only a handful of Hollywood films, including Whistling in the Dark (1941) and Casablanca (1942).

Kudos to the TCM line-up for choosing this Crawford film above all her others.  In attendance and introducing the film were Crawford’s grandson Casey LaLonde, as well as Melvyn Douglas’ grandaughter Illeana Douglas.  It was refreshing to hear LaLonde speak positively of his grandmother – that his mother had loving memories.  And Illeana Douglas spoke of how her grandfather despised the term “character actor,” saying that all acting was character acting.