Film: A Woman's Face.
Starring: Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt.
Directed by: George Cukor.
Story & Dialogues written by: Francis de Croisset.
Screenplay written by: Donald Ogden Stewart.
Distributed by: © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Theatrical Release Date: 23 May 1941 (USA)
Niceties by: http://www.youtube.com/IAmOnlyLove
Synopsis!
"A Woman's Face" is a 1941 motion picture directed by George Cukor, and starring Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt. The film tells the story of Anna Holm, a facially disfigured blackmailer, who because of her appearance, despises everyone she encounters. When a plastic surgeon performs an operation to correct this disfigurement, Anna becomes torn between the hope of starting a new life, and a return to her dark past.
Most of the film is told in flashbacks as witnesses in a courtroom give their testimonies. The screenplay was written by Donald Ogden Stewart, which was based on the play Il Etait Une Fois by Francis de Croisset.
Another version of the story, a Swedish production, was filmed in 1938 as En Kvinnas Ansikte, starring Ingrid Bergman.
Plot!
In Stockholm, Sweden, as Anna Holm enters a courtroom waiting for her murder trial to begin, witnesses are sworn in. The first witness, Herman Rundvik, relates the following testimony: Late one night, at a rural tavern, aristocrat Torsten Barring hosts a party that includes Vera, the faithless wife of noted plastic surgeon Gustav Segert. When the tavern will no longer extend Torsten credit, he charms Anna Holm, the badly scarred proprietress, into signing his check. Bernard Dalvik then testifies that he, Anna and Rundvik made most of their money from blackmail: One day, just after Torsten visits Anna, who has fallen in love with him, Vera arrives, begging Dalvik to help her retrieve letters that she has written to a lover. Vera then testifies: Anna takes the letters to Vera but hatefully demands more money because Vera is beautiful. Vera is at first frightened by Anna, but when Anna becomes lost in thought talking about love, Vera cruelly shines a light on her face. While Vera is getting her jewels to pay for the letters, Gustav comes home unexpectedly and Anna falls as she tries to elude him. Thinking that Anna is a thief, Gustav wants to call the police, but Vera pretends to take pity on her and convinces him to let her go. Gustav becomes intrigued by Anna's scars and caustic manner, and offers to perform plastic surgery on her. Anna is sworn in next. After briefly relating that her childhood scars were caused when her drunken father accidentally started a fire, she describes her relationship to Torsten: Because he treats her as if she is beautiful and charming, Anna suspiciously asks what trouble he is in and he suggests that he is not now in trouble but might need her help in the future. Anna then tells the court that she submitted to twelve operations because she loved Torsten: Two years after the initial operation, Anna has turned into a beautiful woman no longer ridiculed by strangers. After leaving Gustav's Swiss clinic, she goes to Torsten, who did not know where she was, and he obliquely tells her that his uncle, Consul Magnus Barring, who is very old and very rich, is leaving everything to his four-year-old grandson, but if something happens to the grandson, Torsten will inherit everything. Although Anna does not want to murder anyone, she agrees to help Torsten by posing as a governess. Using the name 'Ingrid Paulson', Anna is hired on Torsten's recommendation and goes to live in his chateau. Despite her attempts to remain aloof, she finds that she likes the kindly consul and his sweet natured grandson, Lars-Erik. One night, Torsten comes to the chateau for a party, as does Gustav. Thinking that she has softened and changed her name to start a new life, Gustav does not reveal her true identity. The next day, while secretly trying to listen to a conversation between Torsten and Gustav, Anna leaves Lars-Erik too long under his sun lamp and her genuine distress makes Torsten suspicious of her resolve to kill the boy. He gives her an ultimatum that Lars-Erik must die before the next night, and she reluctantly agrees because she loves him. As Anna breaks down on the stand, Gustav is called to testify: He is suspicious of Anna after the sun lamp accident, especially after seeing her talking with Torsten at the nearby falls. As she then leads Lars-Erik to a basket ride across the falls, Gustav catches another basket and sees her save the child from falling into the water. Seeing Anna embrace Lars-Erik, Gustav realizes that she is not a murderer.
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Susan and God (1940) Trailerby skipjacktuner1,115 views
@dvlaries
she should have won the damm oscar in '41 for this role. i hated mgm for not pushing her forward for this, "grand hotel" or "the women".
CocaineHabbit 7 months ago
This is a film full of suspense...great story telling...love it....From the days when you didnt gratuitous sex,violence and special effects to make a point!!!
dumbyetsexyblonde 1 year ago
With some justification, Crawford felt she's never get an Oscar in an MGM film while Garbo and Shearer were around, but it wasn't they who were nudging her out by the time of A Woman's Face. It was Greer Garson. But this film, above of all other she made at MGM, is the one the studio should have campaigned on Crawford's behalf, because it is one of her most disciplined performances of all.
dvlaries 1 year ago
this movie is so wonderful! thank you for putting up the trailer, i adore old film trailers. :)
clattermachine 2 years ago