“I’m going to keep my mouth shut. I’m not going to say a word. But you know me… if I can’t help a friend, I’ll keep my mouth shut!”
In George Cukor’s 1939 classic The Women, Rosalind Russell delivers a star-making performance as Sylvia Fowler, the quintessential high-society gossip whose well-meaning maliciousness and sharp tongue set the film’s central conflict in motion.
Before The Women, Russell was often cast in reserved, second-lead dramatic roles. Playing Sylvia allowed her to unleash her kinetic comedic instincts, laying the foundation for her career as one of Hollywood’s premier fast-talking screwball comedy leads (most famously in His Girl Friday the following year).
Costume designer Adrian outfitted Russell in wildly eccentric, high-fashion ensembles that mirrored Sylvia’s erratic, sharp-edged nature. One of the most famous pieces is the famous Schiaparelli-inspired blouse featuring printed surrealist eyes on the fabric, worn early in the film as she orchestrates gossip at the salon.
Russell leaned heavily into physical slapstick, a bold choice given the prestigious all-female ensemble cast starring alongside Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. Her standout physical comedy scene occurs at the Reno divorce ranch, where Sylvia gets into a chaotic, hair-pulling, skirt-ripping brawl with Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard) after learning Miriam is marrying her ex-husband.
Adapted from Clare Boothe Luce’s hit Broadway play by screenwriters Anita Loos and Jane Murfin, the script gave Russell some of the sharpest lines in late-1930s cinema. Sylvia is constantly “yoo-hoo”-ing into bedrooms, dispensing unwanted marital advice, and gossiping under the guise of friendship.
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