Two-Faced Woman (1941)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Ludwig Fulda (play)
S.N. Behrman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 September 1942 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She's Twins! Her first picture in two years . . . so we're giving you two Garbos in this one! And both of her are terrific!

Plot:

While at a ski lodge, Larry Blake sees instructor Karin Borg and decides to sign up for private lessons...

Plot Keywords:

Twins | Magazine | Ski Lodge | Infidelity | Impersonation

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Karin Borg Blake
Melvyn Douglas	...	Lawrence 'Larry' Blake
Constance Bennett	...	Griselda Vaughn
Roland Young	...	Oscar 'O. O.' Miller
Robert Sterling	...	Dick 'Dickie' Williams
Ruth Gordon	...	Miss Ruth Ellis, Larry's Secretary
Frances Carson	...	Miss Dunbar

Also Known As:

The Twins (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Spain:T | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7687)

Filming Locations:

near, Reno, Nevada, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When this film became Garbo's biggest bomb ever at the box office, the actress bought out her M-G-M contract and retired from the screen.

Quotes:

Katherine Borg: This is a strange rendezvous. In fact, in my experience, unique.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "3rd Rock from the Sun: Two-Faced Dick (#4.10)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Chica Choca

Not As Bad As Its Rep

Two-Faced Woman (1941)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

At the age of 36 screen legend Greta Garbo made this MGM comedy, which tried to take her out of the costume drama and place her into a present time comedy. The results were a disaster when the film was first released and depending on which myth you believe, the bad reaction caused Garbo to retire. I've heard a lot of bad things about this film but in the end it isn't nearly as bad as its reputation. In the film Garbo plays a ski instructor who ends up marrying a man (Melvyn Douglas) after a few hours. Later that night he demands she follow him to NYC but she refuses. As time goes on the husband stays away but Garbo decides to go after him only pretending to be her vamp twin sister. This certainly isn't the greatest comedy ever made but it's not nearly as bad as some would make you believe. Yes, Garbo certainly isn't herself here but I really don't see that as a bad thing because seeing her like this is at least interesting. Seeing her smile, act drunk, playing love able and this type of thing isn't exactly what she's known for but I found her act to be quite charming even if that thick accent came off not working too well here. She also struggles during a few scenes but you can't deny that she's giving it her all as she works her way through the material. Douglas manages to be quite pleasant and ends up delivering a fine comic performance. Supporting players Constance Bennett, Roland Young and Robert Sterling turn in some fine work as well. Another plus was some of the subject matter, which certainly wasn't seen in too many films after the Hayes Office went into effect seven years earlier. The stuff is hidden behind the "marriage" but it's still fairly risqué for its time. Apparently the version currently being shown is the "cut" version missing four minutes and alternating one of the subplots. Either way, this film is a minor entertainment but those expecting something great should probably stick to Garbo's earlier films.