Two-Faced Woman (1941)

After a ski instructor catches her husband flirting with an old flame, she decides to pose as her (fictitious) twin sister in an attempt to keep him faithful.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

S.N. Behrman (original screenplay), Salka Viertel (original screenplay)

Stars:

Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Greta Garbo	...	Karin Blake
Melvyn Douglas	...	Larry Blake
Constance Bennett	...	Griselda Vaughn
Roland Young	...	O.O. Miller
Robert Sterling	...	Dick Williams
Ruth Gordon	...	Miss Ellis
Frances Carson	...	Miss Dunbar

Storyline

Despite their differences, New York magazine editor Larry Blake and Ski Lodge, Idaho ski instructor Karin Borg fall in love and get married within hours of meeting. Those differences are Larry being urban to the core, he not having had any desire to learn how to ski until he laid eyes on Karin, while Karin is an outdoors girl to the core, her life all about healthy living. In the sober light of day, Karin learns that Larry's vow to leading a healthy outdoor life in Ski Lodge and hating his life and job in New York was just pillow talk in that he not only has no intention of giving up that life but demands she move with him back to New York in stating his life more important than hers. While this impasse seems on the surface to be the end of their marriage before it even begins, there is one problem: they still love each other. So while Larry vows to make it back to Ski Lodge to be with her as he returns to New York to resume his work, one issue after another postpones his return. As ...

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Plot Keywords:

twin | screwball comedy | male female relationship | female female relationship | female sexual predator | 

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Taglines:

Go gay with Garbo!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Public rejection of this film was so extreme that, in response, Greta Garbo bought out the remainder of her MGM contract and went into self-imposed retirement, never making another motion picture.

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Goofs

When Katherine is looking at the photo of Karin the close-up of the hand holding the photo shows much darker nail polish than Katherine actually has on.

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Quotes

Karin Blake: I can't imagine anything better than this. It seems to me this country, around here, has everything. Even pineapples! Look. The tropics in the snow.
O.O. Miller: I hate raw fruit.

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Alternate Versions

Although given a PCA approval certificate, the released film was heartily condemned by the Catholic Church, which applied enough pressure to force MGM to revise the film, and replace the existing copies for future bookings. The major problem was that Melvyn Douglas thought he was seducing his wife's twin sister in the original version, which also had a few risque scenes. These were eliminated, and a scene was added where Douglas calls the ski lodge to find out his wife left, so that he knows the twin is really his wife. The net effect was to reduce the movie's running time to 90 minutes (from the original 94 minutes). This is the version Turner Classic Movies shows every once in a while. This also might also explain the late copyright date and copyright length of 90 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in Greta Garbo: A Lone Star (2001)

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Soundtracks

Chica-Choca
(uncredited)
Music by Bronislau Kaper
Lyrics by Roni
Danced by Greta Garbo, Robert Alton and chorus of nightclub patrons

User Reviews

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1942 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Twins

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,247,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1