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Catfights & Knitting Needles: 'The Women' Set Chaos
25 Oct
Summary
- Actress Illeana Douglas details troubled production of camp classic 'The Women'.
- Rivalry between stars Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford fueled on-set drama.
- On-set incidents included a notable catfight and knitting needle distractions.
The 1939 film "The Women" became an unlikely camp classic despite a notoriously troubled production, as detailed in Illeana Douglas's book "Jungle Red." The movie adapted Clare Boothe Luce's Broadway hit, requiring significant watering down of its dialogue to comply with the era's strict Production Code.
Central to the drama was the rivalry between leading ladies Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. Shearer, the widowed queen of MGM, felt her status threatened, while Crawford sought a career comeback in a supporting role. Their animosity, fueled by Shearer's perceived favoritism due to her marriage to studio head Irving Thalberg, permeated the set.
On-set incidents were frequent, including a physical altercation between Rosalind Russell and Paulette Goddard during a filmed catfight, with Goddard even requiring hospitalization. Joan Crawford's use of knitting needles during a scene with Shearer also famously disrupted filming, exacerbating tensions between the stars and director George Cukor.
