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The Women
The author carries us through a number of varied scenes and shows us not only a somewhat unflattering picture of womanhood, but digging under the surface, reveals a human understanding for and sympathy with some of its outstanding figures. The plot involves the efforts of a group of women to play their respective roles in an artificial society that consists of vain show, comedy, tragedy, hope and disappointment."
72 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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492 people want to read
About the author
Clare Boothe Luce
30 books46 followersAnn Clare Boothe Luce was an American author, politician, U.S. Ambassador (Brazil and Italy) and public conservative figure. She was the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad. She served as a United States congresswoman from the 4th district in Connecticut from 1943 - 1947.
A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast.
Her writings extended from drama and screen scenarios to fiction, journalism and war reportage. She was the wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.
Politically, Luce was a leading conservative in later life and was well known for her anti-communism. In her youth, she briefly aligned herself with the liberalism of President Franklin Roosevelt as a protégé of Bernard Baruch, but later became an outspoken critic of Roosevelt. Although she was a strong supporter of the Anglo-American alliance in World War II, she remained outspokenly critical of British colonialism in India.
Known as a charismatic and forceful public speaker, especially after her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1946, she campaigned for every Republican presidential candidate from Wendell Willkie to Ronald Reagan.
Luce passed away from brain cancer on October 9, 1987 at the age of eighty-four.
A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast.
Her writings extended from drama and screen scenarios to fiction, journalism and war reportage. She was the wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.
Politically, Luce was a leading conservative in later life and was well known for her anti-communism. In her youth, she briefly aligned herself with the liberalism of President Franklin Roosevelt as a protégé of Bernard Baruch, but later became an outspoken critic of Roosevelt. Although she was a strong supporter of the Anglo-American alliance in World War II, she remained outspokenly critical of British colonialism in India.
Known as a charismatic and forceful public speaker, especially after her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1946, she campaigned for every Republican presidential candidate from Wendell Willkie to Ronald Reagan.
Luce passed away from brain cancer on October 9, 1987 at the age of eighty-four.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 8, 2025
This was an amusing read, it reminded me how much I miss watching those old Hollywood classics. In places it is dated, it’s written in the 1930s where married women have to be sensitive if their husband is having, what today we would call, a mid-life crisis. In this story world the woman’s security is marriage, what it says is not new but having read a lot of stage plays, what’s amazing about this read is how the action moves through the drama, where I actually felt like I was reading a screenplay.
After I finished reading this I did wonder if I have seen the black and white movie, if I had I must have enjoyed watching it.
After I finished reading this I did wonder if I have seen the black and white movie, if I had I must have enjoyed watching it.
June 25, 2025
It is possible that the story of author Clare Boothe Luce is more interesting than her play, The Women. Her life included growing up with less than financial security, the loss of her child, editor ship of Vanity Fair plus some acting and political careers as a congresswoman and Ambassador. Given how much this play will be about marriage, hers with editor and print media mogul Henry Luce was at minimum an open marriage. Among her lovers, Reportedly: Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, Randolph Churchill, General Lucian Truscott, General Charles Willoughby, and Roald Dahl. Yes, the future Author of so many children’s stories. The young RAF officer, Ronald Dahl, was taking one for the team, bedding her as part of his duties in wartime America. He reportedly asked out of that assignment as he found his affair with Clare to be so physically demanding he begged the British ambassador to let the affair end. The ambassador told him he must continue. Before you protest this bit of the semiofficial record, much of her play is about who has what to dish about who.
The women, is a play with an all-female cast. It had a very successful initial 1939 run 657 nights, and at least two major Broadway, each with about one tenth the run. It was made into a move and later a film musical comedy. And there is the word, “comedy”. In another place it is called “a comedy of manners”. That from Wiki and reads like a dodge rather than a descriptor.
There are certainly comedic moments. For me a better term is scathing satire. Granted it was written to pre WW II standards, but irony far out runs laugh lines. Virtually all of these women define themselves in terms of their men. All of these women have to address the issue of marriage and the sexual consistency of their men. The cast includes at least one woman who marries for love and at least one who marries from habit and several who see and know all, or are part of who is to be seen and known.
Do I have a bottom line. I am equivocal. As a period, piece it can be read as rather sophisticated or as yet another argument against the patriarchy. A term to cause the conservative Ms Luce to barely choked down her derision. There is what could have been a decision moment when the case is made that a wise woman, ignores her husband’s tendency to stray, or to combat it by providing better sex so as to decrease his only possible reason to stray. And no that is not the last word, and no I am not sure there is one. The relative failure of the play in more recent productions may reflect the fact that many of the types of women in this play, women who have no position, except as defined by marriage, would now have their own jobs, companies and social standing independent of that of any male, or female significant other.
The women, is a play with an all-female cast. It had a very successful initial 1939 run 657 nights, and at least two major Broadway, each with about one tenth the run. It was made into a move and later a film musical comedy. And there is the word, “comedy”. In another place it is called “a comedy of manners”. That from Wiki and reads like a dodge rather than a descriptor.
There are certainly comedic moments. For me a better term is scathing satire. Granted it was written to pre WW II standards, but irony far out runs laugh lines. Virtually all of these women define themselves in terms of their men. All of these women have to address the issue of marriage and the sexual consistency of their men. The cast includes at least one woman who marries for love and at least one who marries from habit and several who see and know all, or are part of who is to be seen and known.
Do I have a bottom line. I am equivocal. As a period, piece it can be read as rather sophisticated or as yet another argument against the patriarchy. A term to cause the conservative Ms Luce to barely choked down her derision. There is what could have been a decision moment when the case is made that a wise woman, ignores her husband’s tendency to stray, or to combat it by providing better sex so as to decrease his only possible reason to stray. And no that is not the last word, and no I am not sure there is one. The relative failure of the play in more recent productions may reflect the fact that many of the types of women in this play, women who have no position, except as defined by marriage, would now have their own jobs, companies and social standing independent of that of any male, or female significant other.
January 3, 2014
Originally staged on Broadway (for 666 performances), The Women was made into a film in 1939, featuring an all-star cast and, like the play, was notable for having a women-only ensemble. After seeing a review labeling it a classic comedy, I tracked down a copy of the film.
One question: In what world is The Women a comedy?
A drama with comedic elements, sure, but not a comedy. Knowing the play had been adapted for the screen with changes to ensure it conformed with 1930s standards, I wanted to read the play, thinking that maybe the melodrama had been amped up for the film version (which it definitely was).
Of the two, I did prefer the play. The plot flows better, and the ending isn’t quite as odd (although it still had me wanting to talk some sense into Mary). It also featured much less of the annoying child. But it still left me confused as to why anyone would consider The Women a comedy.
Yes, the cat fights and snide social maneuvering are entertaining, but the heart of this play – of what was expected of women in the 1930s, of what married women of a certain social class were expected to accept – is dark. I like dark comedy, but that’s not what’s going on here. This is not a comedy exposing the foibles of society or using satire to mock society’s pretensions. This is a serious look at marriage and a woman’s role within marriage, and there’s nothing funny or light about what it uncovers.
The characters come from the upper class, but they aren’t empowered. Their petty drama and gossip seems less funny and more forgivable, because it’s about the only aspect of their lives over which they have any control.
One scene in particular – when a husband, whose wife has confronted him about his affair, is heard explaining to her that he’s terribly fond of her while refusing to use the word love – struck a particular chord with me. While all of the action is off stage, it’s a heartbreaking moment. Not at all funny.
From a historical perspective, The Women is worth a read. It captures 1930s attitudes towards marriage and women in a way that I’ve never seen put in such stark, unforgiving terms. I’m glad I read it. I just wish people would stop calling it a comedy. Recommended.
One question: In what world is The Women a comedy?
A drama with comedic elements, sure, but not a comedy. Knowing the play had been adapted for the screen with changes to ensure it conformed with 1930s standards, I wanted to read the play, thinking that maybe the melodrama had been amped up for the film version (which it definitely was).
Of the two, I did prefer the play. The plot flows better, and the ending isn’t quite as odd (although it still had me wanting to talk some sense into Mary). It also featured much less of the annoying child. But it still left me confused as to why anyone would consider The Women a comedy.
Yes, the cat fights and snide social maneuvering are entertaining, but the heart of this play – of what was expected of women in the 1930s, of what married women of a certain social class were expected to accept – is dark. I like dark comedy, but that’s not what’s going on here. This is not a comedy exposing the foibles of society or using satire to mock society’s pretensions. This is a serious look at marriage and a woman’s role within marriage, and there’s nothing funny or light about what it uncovers.
The characters come from the upper class, but they aren’t empowered. Their petty drama and gossip seems less funny and more forgivable, because it’s about the only aspect of their lives over which they have any control.
One scene in particular – when a husband, whose wife has confronted him about his affair, is heard explaining to her that he’s terribly fond of her while refusing to use the word love – struck a particular chord with me. While all of the action is off stage, it’s a heartbreaking moment. Not at all funny.
From a historical perspective, The Women is worth a read. It captures 1930s attitudes towards marriage and women in a way that I’ve never seen put in such stark, unforgiving terms. I’m glad I read it. I just wish people would stop calling it a comedy. Recommended.
July 7, 2022
Wow. Whatever you've heard about this play, it's true. The good, the bad and the ugly, it's all true. An all-female cast with every conversation revolving around men. The attitudes, the society, the...I just got my mind blown up into smithereens. Now I think would be a good time to revisit the movie version my callow teenage self didn't finish.
January 20, 2011
I'm trying to keep in mind when this play was written and all, but holy jeebus I was really annoyed with pretty much every character, even when they were being hilarious.
I'm sure I'm missing some higher point here but with plays, where the dialogue is everything, I find it hard to accommodate talk over why one character's cook brings out such drab meals or why the Princess is trading on her title in the department store dressing room. Men - even the presumed best of them - are resigned to being shallow cheaters and still somehow fought over by the women.
Class divisions and gender divisions are very actively drawn here, even as the women themselves seem to find multiple methods by which to be mean to each other. As they say, 'When you have friends like these...' While it seems clear that Luce is commenting on the shallowness of rich women (to a certain degree anyway), I find it hard to read a play where the characters are for the most part wholly unsympathetic.
I'm sure I'm missing some higher point here but with plays, where the dialogue is everything, I find it hard to accommodate talk over why one character's cook brings out such drab meals or why the Princess is trading on her title in the department store dressing room. Men - even the presumed best of them - are resigned to being shallow cheaters and still somehow fought over by the women.
Class divisions and gender divisions are very actively drawn here, even as the women themselves seem to find multiple methods by which to be mean to each other. As they say, 'When you have friends like these...' While it seems clear that Luce is commenting on the shallowness of rich women (to a certain degree anyway), I find it hard to read a play where the characters are for the most part wholly unsympathetic.
June 20, 2014
Absolutely HILARIOUS.
I am so excited to play Peggy in my upcoming school's play! :D
I am so excited to play Peggy in my upcoming school's play! :D
September 23, 2019
Written in the 1930s and then later updated by the original author, this play is a fascinating look at how men impact women's lives without even being there (none are in the play, though is revolves around marital affairs). It has incredibly funny moments and a colorful cast of characters that show some of the ugliest sides of female friendship in an entertaining way.
June 23, 2021
The Women are all terrible! Is it funny to have a sort of vicious takedown of society ladies? Yes. Clare Boothe Luce "updated" the play at some point, which means adding one random reference to the Beatles and like one other '60s thing that just makes a very 1937 play seem like an actor messed up a reference anachronistically and then continued on her Art Deco way. Weird.
March 19, 2023
Read with a group online. The miserable 30s rich people enactment of gender roles was quite overwhelming and awful for me, and also I was fascinated and drawn in completely.
Read
October 1, 2025Another read for my Women in Drama class. Is this play feminist or misogynistic?? I can’t tell…but it was entertaining
January 25, 2021
Re-read.
November 29, 2017
A truly dreadful storyline. For a play that was the first to feature an all-female cast on Broadway, and that was written by a woman who later became The United States' first female ambassador, it did not provide any female role models and perpetuates sexist stereotypes that pigeonhole women into submissive gossips who care only about each other's husbands. Granted it was written in 1936 (which is confusing because there is a reference to The Beatles who formed in 1960? Was it edited later to make it more modern?) but the storyline surrounds cheating husbands and women plotting against each other to make up for their husbands' wrongdoings. It pins woman against woman, plays on tropes of no woman can be trusted, men will be men, women are hysterical, and women don't think about anything other than men. It was very disappointing.
June 19, 2014
LOVE the classic movie, had to read the play. My edition was slightly "Reno-vated" with passing references to The Beatles and James Bond, and Buck Winston was in the movies rather than on radio. Plus our heroine Mary had two children, but one was a boy, so they kicked him to the curb. Otherwise it's almost exactly like the original film adaptation, acerbic, silly, smart and funny, with only women in the cast. It's a bedroom farce with heart. Read it, or better yet see the movie made in 1939, Hollywood's Golden Year. It's great!
BTW, the author's name is Clare Boothe Luce.
BTW, the author's name is Clare Boothe Luce.
January 24, 2012
Hilariously drawn insightful account of Park Avenue socialites, catty female relationships. Little hard to relate to as a 'modern woman'. Vivid portrayals of marriage and life in the thirties.
August 24, 2025
The Women, based on the play by Clare Boothe, screenplay by Anita Loos
Seven out of 10
The Women has a few important merits:
Launched in 1939, it has a stellar cast, nec plus ultra:
Joan Crawford as Crystal Allen, Joan Fontaine aka Mrs. John Day, Norma Shearer as Stephen Haines Mary and Rosalind Russell as Howard Fowler Sylvia…
George Cukor was one of the best directors of all time.
F. Scott Fitzgerald has contributed to a screenplay that has another genius involved – Anita Loos – by a strange coincidence; I have finished reading Gentlemen Prefer Blondes yesterday, an extraordinary comedy adapted for the big screen and starring Marilyn Monroe.
This motion picture has been included on the New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:
https://www.listchallenges.com/new-yo...
Yet, the film failed to produce such a glorious sensation.
Therefore, we come to possible shortcomings – possible, for it is more likely that this cinephile is wrong.
In the age of WOKE, #MeToo movements, it may seem bizarre, or outright inappropriate to cherish the message of the film.
Which seems to be – granted, among others – that a man can cheat on his wife and manage to get away with it.
Nay, much worse – the injured party worships him.
Having said that, it must be stated that the plot, narrative is much more complex than that and a group of intelligent – mostly – women are at the forefront and it is not an easy case of I forgive you.
Another important merit of The Women is evident from the title, the fact that it promotes Women at the center of the plot.
Indeed, even the infamous character of Mr. Stephen Haines does not appear on screen, he is completely absent.
As are all other men – there is no male presence in this feminist (?) motion picture and that is surely to be applauded.
Mary Stephen Haines finds out about the infidelity of her husband in the most gruesome manner.
She is a customer in the beauty salon where a talkative employee mentions the spouse and the well-known affair.
The overwhelmed wife stands up, without continuing with the service she had come there for.
When the gossiping nail painter understands she was rambling about the woman in front of her she is taken aback.
The protagonist confronts her rival eventually and even if in a way we can see that she has the higher, moral ground – as a rule, it seems a bit outdated, perhaps conservative to condemn a love affair.
Even if outside the marital constraints, if two people fall for each other they might be understood and not immediately ostracized – we can think of Professor Marston and his Wonder Women…
Professor Marston is the inventor of the lie detector test, the one who created the DISC theory and the character of the Wonder Woman, a celebrated figure now, and he lived with…two women, in a ménage a trois.
Mary Stephen Haines separates from her husband, but only with the conviction that with her out of the house, he will realize how much he loves her and then he will call and all will be well.
It does not happen, on the contrary, a friend who says that she has abandoned the fight first scolds her, she should be with him and not retreated in Reno and this is a battle she must win.
Somehow, it seems to the wrong attitude (seen from 2019?) and not just because of what happens next, when the former spouse calls to say that he has married, in the meantime, his lover.
Crystal cheats her new husband and for that she is presented as the villain of the story – why is that so, she just felt like having sex with another, like she had done with her present consort.
There are Games People Play (like in the Eric Berne transactional analysis classic) but some of them seem out of place today…if I am not mistaken.
Posted 3rd January 2019 by realini
Seven out of 10
The Women has a few important merits:
Launched in 1939, it has a stellar cast, nec plus ultra:
Joan Crawford as Crystal Allen, Joan Fontaine aka Mrs. John Day, Norma Shearer as Stephen Haines Mary and Rosalind Russell as Howard Fowler Sylvia…
George Cukor was one of the best directors of all time.
F. Scott Fitzgerald has contributed to a screenplay that has another genius involved – Anita Loos – by a strange coincidence; I have finished reading Gentlemen Prefer Blondes yesterday, an extraordinary comedy adapted for the big screen and starring Marilyn Monroe.
This motion picture has been included on the New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:
https://www.listchallenges.com/new-yo...
Yet, the film failed to produce such a glorious sensation.
Therefore, we come to possible shortcomings – possible, for it is more likely that this cinephile is wrong.
In the age of WOKE, #MeToo movements, it may seem bizarre, or outright inappropriate to cherish the message of the film.
Which seems to be – granted, among others – that a man can cheat on his wife and manage to get away with it.
Nay, much worse – the injured party worships him.
Having said that, it must be stated that the plot, narrative is much more complex than that and a group of intelligent – mostly – women are at the forefront and it is not an easy case of I forgive you.
Another important merit of The Women is evident from the title, the fact that it promotes Women at the center of the plot.
Indeed, even the infamous character of Mr. Stephen Haines does not appear on screen, he is completely absent.
As are all other men – there is no male presence in this feminist (?) motion picture and that is surely to be applauded.
Mary Stephen Haines finds out about the infidelity of her husband in the most gruesome manner.
She is a customer in the beauty salon where a talkative employee mentions the spouse and the well-known affair.
The overwhelmed wife stands up, without continuing with the service she had come there for.
When the gossiping nail painter understands she was rambling about the woman in front of her she is taken aback.
The protagonist confronts her rival eventually and even if in a way we can see that she has the higher, moral ground – as a rule, it seems a bit outdated, perhaps conservative to condemn a love affair.
Even if outside the marital constraints, if two people fall for each other they might be understood and not immediately ostracized – we can think of Professor Marston and his Wonder Women…
Professor Marston is the inventor of the lie detector test, the one who created the DISC theory and the character of the Wonder Woman, a celebrated figure now, and he lived with…two women, in a ménage a trois.
Mary Stephen Haines separates from her husband, but only with the conviction that with her out of the house, he will realize how much he loves her and then he will call and all will be well.
It does not happen, on the contrary, a friend who says that she has abandoned the fight first scolds her, she should be with him and not retreated in Reno and this is a battle she must win.
Somehow, it seems to the wrong attitude (seen from 2019?) and not just because of what happens next, when the former spouse calls to say that he has married, in the meantime, his lover.
Crystal cheats her new husband and for that she is presented as the villain of the story – why is that so, she just felt like having sex with another, like she had done with her present consort.
There are Games People Play (like in the Eric Berne transactional analysis classic) but some of them seem out of place today…if I am not mistaken.
Posted 3rd January 2019 by realini
September 2, 2021
The Women is one of my absolute favorite films of all time, so I figured it was time to finally read the play it was based on. And despite missing some classic lines (which I will now assume were written by Anita Loos rather than Clare Boothe Luce), the play is just as witty and irreverent. Does it hold up to modern times and modern feminism? No, it certainly does not. However, I do think the story of shitty friends convincing you to act against your own impulses is always relatable, and the characters are absolutely classic!
"I've had two years to sharpen my claws- Jungle Red!"
"I've had two years to sharpen my claws- Jungle Red!"
Read
July 25, 2024What a fun play! It's interesting to consider from a feminist perspective, since it clearly wants to represent a variety of (white) women's experiences but also doesn't depict female friendship in a positive light.
This was the most accessible version for me, and it was revised in the 60s. I didn't really become aware of the revisions until I came across a reference to the Beatles. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how someone in the 30s could have known about them
This was the most accessible version for me, and it was revised in the 60s. I didn't really become aware of the revisions until I came across a reference to the Beatles. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how someone in the 30s could have known about them
January 30, 2023
I read this play for a class and I thought it was really cool, that the play is made up entirely of women. But some of the content is too dated for me, it was made in the 1930's after all. But I enjoyed that some of the themes that are in this play still happen now, if people look closely enough, some things really have not changed much since the 1930's.
July 12, 2017
Witty, caustic banter permeates this play of all-female characters! Each woman's highfalutin lifestyle is flawed, while overlapping the other's marriages with their own girl-coded language and secrets that dramatically unfold throughout the play--and then crescendos at the end. Great, fun read!
December 20, 2023
I usually enjoy reading plays but this one was tough. Once I finished it I watched the 1939 movie to make sure I didn't miss anything. I'm curious to find out more about the overall reception of this play because I am sure it was very scandalous for its time.
June 2, 2017
A fun read, and though I appreciate the all-female cast the negative stereotypes concerning female friendship and marriage prevented me from thoroughly enjoying this play.
June 2, 2017
Good play. The screenplay written for the 1939 movie directed by George Cukor was better.
March 12, 2018
3 1/2 stars
August 16, 2019
Opening my gender and U.S. theatre history class with this play.
November 16, 2019
I did a scene from this in a showcase in Hollywood.
June 4, 2020
Hated this play!!!
July 3, 2020
Too dated to even continue reading past page 11. Very narrow depiction of women, even then, I imagine. Plus 11 different sets! Written for a very different time and not for us.
September 5, 2022
The movie improved on the play.
March 24, 2023
A script from the 40's.
Full of female drama.
Full of female drama.
May 2, 2023
I get that this play is a commentary, and it’s from the 1930s, but the ending really disappointed me. I would rate it 2.75 Stars, but I had to round. Overall, the ending made me feel really lukewarm.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews