Two-Faced Woman (1941)

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

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

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 | Editor | Nightclub

Awards:

1 win

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Alton	...	Cecil (uncredited)
Olive Blakeney	...	Phyllis (uncredited)
Hillary Brooke	...	Dress Shop Clerk Hotel-Caller (uncredited)
Frederika Brown	...	Nightclub Guest (uncredited)
George Calliga	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
André Cheron	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
George Cleveland	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Dance Watcher (uncredited)
Mark Daniels	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Cliff Danielson	...	Ski Lodge Clerk (uncredited)
Ken Darby	...	Member - The King's Men (uncredited)
Gloria DeHaven	...	Debutante in Ladies' Room (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Daniel Estrada	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Michaele Fallon	...	Debutante in Ladies' Room (uncredited)
Emily Fitzroy	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Arno Frey	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Man Standing at Lodge Counter (uncredited)
Eula Guy	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Guide (uncredited)
Tom Herbert	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Olin Howland	...	Frank (uncredited)
G.P. Huntley	...	Mr. Wilson (uncredited)
The King's Men	...	Nightclub Trio (uncredited)
Paul Leyssac	...	Ski Lodge Clerk (uncredited)
George Lollier	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Theatre Man Answering Phone (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Odette Myrtil	...	Dress Shop Saleswoman (uncredited)
Douglass Newland	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Lorin Raker	...	Rhumba Dancer (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Rad Robinson	...	Member - The King's Men (uncredited)
Carlos Ruffino	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
James P. Spencer	...	Carl (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Missing Couple-Searching Skier (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits
Ludwig Fulda		(play)
S.N. Behrman		(screenplay) &
Salka Viertel		(screenplay) and
George Oppenheimer		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gottfried Reinhardt	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styling designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Marton	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward Woehler	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Daniel B. Cathcart	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
William Grimes	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestrator
Walter Greene	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Alton	....	dance director (as Bob Alton)
Paul Flato	....	jewels
Elizabeth Talbot	....	dance double: Greta Garbo (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1943) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Ibérica S.A. (1947) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1947) (France) (theatrical) (35 and 16 mm)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (Germany) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1948) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (19??) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Epoca (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• Motion Picture Export Association (MPEA)  German dubbing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The movie was originally condemned by the National Legion of Decency for its immoral attitude towards marriage, and impudent suggestive scenes, dialogue and situations, and costumes. After the original print was revised, it was removed from the condemned list.

Quotes:

Katherine Borg:I like older men. They're so grateful.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Mechanic (1972)

Soundtrack:

Chica-Choca

Garbo Gets Plastered And Rumbas

Two Faced Woman became the unexpected swan song for screen legend Greta Garbo. Though her reasons for retirement had to do with the umbrage she took at getting less than stellar reviews for this comedy, still I've always respected that she made her retirement stick for 49 years and kept her legend and image intact.

Garbo's a Swedish ski instructor who lands magazine executive Melvyn Douglas on a skiing vacation. But away from the winter wonderland, Garbo's not being quite the wife Douglas expected.

Catching Douglas in a compromising position with former flame Constance Bennett, sends Greta on the warpath. She concocts a plan to masquerade as her twin sister, her more glamorous and sexy twin. Suffice it to say, she confuses the rest of the cast for almost the rest of the film.

Garbo's playing a role better suited to such comedy veterans as Myrna Loy or Irene Dunne. Still she gets a few laughs in, getting plastered and doing a mean rumba. And she certainly puts Constance Bennett down quite nicely.

Still Greta was miscast and the film gets less than stellar reviews from the critics at the time and from me. But the legend lives on.