What Every Woman Knows (1934)

The story takes place in Scotland, where plain Maggie Wylie's family, fearing she may become a spinster, finances young John Shand's studies in return for his agreement to marry her in five... See full summary »

Director:

Gregory La Cava

Writers:

J.M. Barrie (play), Monckton Hoffe (screenplay),

Stars:

Helen Hayes, Brian Aherne, Madge Evans

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Helen Hayes	...	Maggie Wylie
Brian Aherne	...	John Shand
Madge Evans	...	Lady Sybil Tenterden
Lucile Watson	...	La Contessa la Brierre
Dudley Digges	...	James Wylie
Donald Crisp	...	Mr. David Wylie
David Torrence	...	Alick Wylie
Henry Stephenson	...	Charles Venables

Storyline

The story takes place in Scotland, where plain Maggie Wylie's family, fearing she may become a spinster, finances young John Shand's studies in return for his agreement to marry her in five years. Recognizing his ambitions, Maggie helps to guide his career without his realizing it. He honors his commitment, even though he does not feel real love for her as she does for him. Will he succumb to the wiles of young aristocratic beauty Sybil, or learn to appreciate Maggie's true worth?

---

Plot Keywords:

spinster | scotland | ambition | rowboat | checkers | 

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 October 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Valor das Mulheres

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some confusion exists as to who played Tenterden in the film. Film Daily and Variety lists Boyd Irwin in the role, but the New York Times and the Call Bureau Cast Service credit 'William Stack'. In the viewed print, it is clearly 'William Stack'.

---

Quotes

Alick Wylie: What is charm exactly, Maggie?
Maggie Wylie: Oh, it's... it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don't need anything else. And if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women, a few, have charm for all, and most have charm for one, and some have charm for none.

---

Connections

Version of What Every Woman Knows (1921)

---

Soundtracks

"Loch Lomond"
(uncredited)
Traditional Scottish folk song
Sung during the opening credits by tenor Larry Burke
Played on piano by Helen Hayes and sung by her, David Torrence, Brian Aherne,
Donald Crisp and Janet Murdoch
Hummed by Brian Aherne
Played as background music often

User Reviews

Here's a movie to pluck from obscurity. See it twice.

Splendid fare! Delicious dialogue! Pay no heed to comments from twerps with attention deficit disorder, this is a fine and engrossing story, a story for grownups and definitely not a victim of old-fashioned techniques. The only thing "old-fashioned" about this movie is the wealth of interesting, true to life characters down to the last bit player. Helen Hayes is a joy and Lucile Watson perfection, as usual. Brian Aherne as the golden boy is looking tall and handsome, his Scottish accent so unforced that I was surprised to realize it was indeed Brian Aherne. This movie, playing in another room of the house, pulled me in and sat me down. I knew it must have been adapted from a stage play, but couldn't guess the playwright. Ah, Mr. Barrie, thank you for this entertaining, feminist movie -- feminist in the true, classic (non Feminazi) sense of the word.