A Woman's Face

"HOW COULD THIS WOMAN WIN A MAN'S LOVE...HIS KISSES...HIS EMBRACES...?"

1941 1h 46m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 74

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A female blackmailer with a disfiguring facial scar meets a plastic surgeon who offers her the possibility of looking like a normal woman.

“HOW COULD THIS WOMAN WIN A MAN'S LOVE...HIS KISSES...HIS EMBRACES...?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Joan Crawford
Anna Holm
Melvyn Douglas
Dr. Gustaf Segert
Conrad Veidt
Torsten Barring
Osa Massen
Vera Segert
Reginald Owen
Bernard Dalvik
Albert Bassermann
Consul Magnus Barring
Marjorie Main
Emma Kristiansdotter
Donald Meek
Herman Rundvik

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Cukor
Writers: Donald Ogden Stewart, Elliot Paul
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

85 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Cukor, shot by Robert H. Planck. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frank Sullivan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "HOW COULD THIS WOMAN WIN A MAN'S LOVE...HIS KISSES...HIS EMBRACES...?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0034399 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Cukor directs. Robert H. Planck behind the camera. Bronislau Kaper scores. Frank Sullivan cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
285 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by George Cukor, shot by Robert H. Planck. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Frank Sullivan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "HOW COULD THIS WOMAN WIN A MAN'S LOVE...HIS KISSES...HIS EMBRACES...?".
8IMDB entry: tt0034399 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 74 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "sleigh", "blackmail", "transformation", "love letter".
11Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert H. Planck
Original score: Bronislau Kaper
Editing: Frank Sullivan
Costume design: Adrian
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,343,000
Box office: $1,907,000
Return: 142% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Woman's Face (1941)

Also by

George Cukor

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-25
★ 7/10
Joan Crawford ("Anna") is on top form in this adept Cukorian adaptation of Francis de Croisset's play. Set in Sweden, she is a young girl scarred after an accident in her home many years earlier. Feeling herself rejected by society, she turns to petty blackmail with "Barring" (Conrad Veidt) and alights on the cheating wife "Vera" (Isa Massen) of plastic surgeon "Gustaf" (Melvyn Douglas). Whilst amidst her extortion attempts, she is apprehended by the doctor who mistakes her for a burglar. Persuaded not to call the police by his wife, "Gustaf" turns his attention to her disfigurement, and offers to help... Meantime, "Barring" is starting to run out of credit, so tells her of his wealthy uncle who has only a young grandson to inherit his fortune. Should anything happen to the young boy, then it would all be his - or, theirs! She pretends to be a governess and heads to look after the young lad. Will she carry out their dastardly plan and dispose of their obstacle to wealth and happiness? It's told by way of a trial at which "Anna" is the accused, so for most of the film we are not entirely sure who has been killed - or, indeed, who did any killing. The method by which each "witness" gives their statement fills in parts of the jigsaw without ever spoiling the suspense. Veidt is great as the baddie - as usual, and Richard Nichols is engaging as the mischievous four year old object of their ploy "Lars-Erik". Crawford's characterisation is strong and layered - we begin to see a little more of this flawed woman as the story progresses - even eliciting a touch of unlikely sympathy. This is a compelling drama, well paced with plenty of meat on it's bones and well worth a watch.

Production companies