This week’s mystery movie was the 1943 Columbia film What a Woman, with Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, Willard Parker, Alan Dinehart, Edward Fielding, Ann Savage, Norma Varden, Douglas Wood and Grady Sutton.
Screenplay by Therese Lewis and Barry Trivers.
Based on an original story by Erik Charell.
Photographed by Joseph Walker.
Edited by Al Clark.
Art direction by Lionel Banks and Van Nest Polglase.
Set decorations by William Kiernan.
Assistant director Abby Berlin.
Miss Russell’s gowns by Travis Banton.
Musical score by John Leipold.
Musical director M.W. Stoloff.
Directed by Irving Cummings.
Further information on What a Woman is available from the AFI Catalog.
What a Woman is available on DVD from Amazon.
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I found What a Woman by going through the trades. I’ll watch anything with Rosalind Russell; she makes the movie and without her the film would fall apart. Made during World War II, the film seems to have been affected by the shortage of leading men and of set materials. The interiors are quite curious.
Here are a few sample shots of Russell’s apartment:
Rosalind Russell makes her exit in an apartment whose theme seems to be busy-symmetrical, eccentric and dark. There is definitely a “Lamps of Film Noir” vibe.
Rosalind Russell, whose hairstyle reminds me of Rachael (Sean Young) in Blade Runner, and Brian Aherne with jungle-themed artwork and bent-bamboo furniture that seem to have been repurposed from other films, though I can’t guess what they would have been. Is that a lampshade with a plastic cover like Grandma used to have?
I can’t imagine Bosley Crowther cared for the film. Let’s see.
He said (The New York Times, December 3, 1943):
We see by the records that Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne have played together in three films, including their latest, What a Woman, which came to the Music Hall yesterday. But somehow it seems like a dozen, so similar have all of them been and so much alike have seemed the characters which Miss Russell has airily played. Always, it seems, she has been a lady with hoity-toity ways and always Mr. Aherne (or somebody) has had to trim her down.
That gives you the clue to What a Woman. It is one of those lacquered comedies which look to have been designed and plotted as studiously as were Miss Russell’s gowns. All the little dashes are in it to show off the lady’s comic form and its style has been fabricated to suit her particular swank. No matter, of course, that it doesn’t bear any resemblance to life and that the tailor’s marks are upon it, sometimes without any disguise. It does its particular service, which is to make Miss Russell look good — and that she does, in abundance. Unfortunately, the picture does not.
For Monday, we have our mysterious leading man – or at least his back.
Update: This is Brian Aherne admiring or at least looking at some artwork, and an …. oh my, the fireplace.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have our mysterious leading lady with the same artwork – or at least her back. Don’t worry, all will become clear by the end of the week.
Update: This is Rosalind Russell, the artwork and a thankfully out of focus fireplace.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious hotel clerk and Back of the Head Woman.
Update: This is Byron Foulger with a stock hotel reception desk set and Rosalind Russell as Back of the Head Woman. There are no glass panes in that ceiling light and what is it doing there, oh never mind.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Mystery movie and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Grady Sutton, who is underused in this film.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk), Stacia (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guests, Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk and Back of the Head Woman), Sarah (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s Back of the Head Woman), Greg (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s Back of the Head Persons, Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk and Back of the Head Woman), Sylvia (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s Back of the Head Persons, Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk and Back of the Head Woman), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk), Allie (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s Back of the Head Woman), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mysterious hotel clerk), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast) and Suz and Chaz (mysterious hotel clerk).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and second lead. Check out that decor!
Update: This is Brian Aherne, left, and Willard Parker, upstaged by oversized jungle-themed artwork.
And our mysterious leading lady and leading man at the bar.
Update: This is Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne at the bar, which has an aquatic theme.
And an overall shot of the artwork.
Update: Willard Parker, left, Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne and that artwork and that lamp.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s Back of the Head Persons and Thursday’s mystery fellow), Funky PhD (Thursday’s mystery chap), Sylvia (Thursday’s mysterious guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mysterious bloke).
Wild guess: William Powell
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Great guess! But alas….
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Okay I gotta try: William Powell?
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Two votes for William Powell!
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Frank Sinatra?
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Excellent guess! But our mysterious leading man was taller than Sinatra.
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Another wild guess for Tuesday: Judith Anderson
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I’m going to guess Glenn Ford for Monday just for the heck of it. I don’t really think it’s him, but I got there in a very roundabout way involving looking into Japanese crane wall art (which led me to a very strange Japanese movie starring John Carradine – but I think you’ve sent ape-creature movies to movie mystery jail, yes?). I then switched to fedoras and that brought up your 2011 article about “How to wear a fedora” and though Glenn Ford was not among your examples, one of his movies popped up with him wearing a fedora, so….why not.
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All good reasons! But alas….
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Brian Aherne and Rosalind Russell in the Columbia feature, “What a Woman!”
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Cary Grant
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A good guess, but alas….
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Bette Davis on Tuesday?
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I am going with my gut and guessing Patricia Collinge for Tuesday’s mystery guest.
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An interesting guess! But alas….
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A long shot but the slender build, upswept hair and long neck cries “Bette Davis”!
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Two votes for Bette Davis! but alas….
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Today’s clerk is Byron Foulger.
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Wednesday is Byron Foulger! I was looking through photos of him on the IMDb and WOW does he look different when he doesn’t have the ‘stache.
I want to say that’s Rosalind Russell with him but I’m not sure, if it is then it’s WHAT A WOMAN but I’ll have to find some clips to confirm. Really thought this movie was earlier than that but the hairstyle says otherwise!
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For Wednesday I’ll guess Rosalind Russell.
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Monday’s mystery man is Brian Aherne. Tuesday is Rosalind Russell. Wednesday is Rosalind Russell and Byron Foulger in 1943’s What a Woman!
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What a Woman! 1943
Monday – Brian Aherne
Tuesday – Rosalind Russell
Wednesday – Byron Foulger (my way into the mystery) and Ms Russell again
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It is WHAT A WOMAN! It looks like a pretty good movie but the sound was out of sync on YouTube so I’ll have to find another copy, I got up to the part where Grady Sutton came in and knew I wanted to watch it. Absolutely confounded by the set direction, but now that I’ve glanced at the credits, in retrospect this office DOES look kind of like a Lionel Banks set with a touch of sabotage by Van Nest Polglace.
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Charles Halton as the Desk Clerk?
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Rosalind Russell
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Byron Foulger.
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Rosalind Russell?
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Byron Foulger on Wednesday
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What a Woman (1943) w/Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, Byron Foulger, Ann Savage, Norma Varden, Alan Dinehart, Willard Parker, Grady Sutton, Irving Bacon…
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“Cornered”with Dick Powell, Byron Foulger as the desk clerk, and Micheline Cheirel (1945)
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Our movie is What a Woman, with Grady Sutton, Rosalind Russell, and Brian Aherne,
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Thursday’s mysterious man is Grady Sutton.
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Thursday – Grady Sutton
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What a Woman!
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Grady Sutton, Fredric March and Loretta Young in BEDTIME STORY.
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Brian Aherne and Willard Parker
Rosalind Russell and Brian Aherne
Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and (I think) Willard Parker wearing a strange face mask. Will be curious what the story is behind that image.
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Roz’s white gown was just stunning. Grady (our Mystery Thursday actor) was woefully underused, he comes in like gangbusters with that huge accordion folder early in the movie and then doesn’t get much else to do.
Willard Parker is one of those lesser-known actors my dad somehow always knew the name of, because they were in a lot of Westerns and/or guest starred on “Perry Mason,” though I guess Parker was only on “Ellery Queen.”
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Brian Aherne, Rosalind Russell and Willard Parker in WHAT A WOMAN.
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