The Classic Film Collective: Career Women in Love: Ex-Lady (1933), The First Hundred Years (1938) and Woman of the Year (1942)

This was originally published in the former The Classic Film Collective Patreon.

As someone who appreciates classic movies while also watching them through a contemporary lens, I look for the subtle or not so subtle signs of feminism in early films. I want to see how the role of women evolved over the 20th century and how Hollywood packaged these portrayals for mass consumption. Woman of the Year (1942), George Stevens’ delightful comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, is one of those films that has an interesting feminist angle which is then canceled out by the ending. And yes you can love a movie even though you hate how it ends. Hepburn plays Tess Harding, a successful newspaper correspondent specializing in international affairs. Tracy is the sports writer with whom she falls in love. Their marriage can’t withstand Tess’ hectic schedule and their impasse is resolved in just the sort of way you would expect of a 1940s Hollywood film. I’ve watched this film many times over the years, sometimes skipping the ending and imagining another outcome for Tess. Compromise is a key element to relationships, on screen and off, but usually it’s the women who have to sacrifice something. And for a working woman it’s giving up her career to raise a family. The ending is never a surprise. Hollywood liked to keep the status quo. However, the joy in watching these early films about career women in love are those moments where the woman stands her ground, planting seeds of dissent in an otherwise male dominated world.

“I don’t want to be like my mother, the yes-woman for some man. I want to be a person of my own.” Bette Davis as Helen in Ex-Lady (1933)

 

There are two 1930s films that broach the same subject matter and face the same dilemma. Ex-Lady (1933), a Pre-Code directed by Robert Florey for Warner Bros., stars Bette Davis as Helen Bauer, a talented illustrator who is at the top of her game. She’s in a relationship with Don (Gene Raymond) but refuses to marry him. Instead they live “in sin”. When keeping up this lifestyle becomes too much, Helen agrees to marry Don and that’s when everything goes haywire. Don’s talent agency takes a nosedive and the two begin to see other people. The story is partly inspired by the real life relationship of writers Edith Fitzgerald and Robert Riskin, who were also in a long-term relationship in which they lived together but remained unmarried (Riskin went on to marry actress Fay Wray). Bette Davis has some great lines in this film questioning the institution of marriage. She finds it dull and fears that it will strip away both their independence and individuality. There are two key scenes early on in the film when Davis and Raymond contemplate their relationship. Davis declares ”no one has any rights about me except me.” At the time, Davis was fighting Warner Bros. for better parts and eventually faced the studio in court. According to film historian Sloan De Forest, Davis accused “the studio of ‘slavery’ by forcing her into ‘mediocre pictures.’ Bette lost the court case, but she won Warners’ eventual respect…” Even though Davis looked poorly upon Ex-Lady, in many ways she was playing herself.: a successful woman who craved the independence that a studio contract/marriage would deprive her of.

“Can I love you and still be interested in something else?” - Virginia Bruce as Lyn in The First Hundred Years (1938)

When I was shopping the Warner Archive Collection’s final 4 for $44 sale (you can watch my haul here) I discovered a film I had never heard of: The First Hundred Years (1938). It’s an MGM film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring two of my favorite actors of that era: Robert Montgomery, Virginia Bruce and Warren William. Reading the synopsis the film immediately reminded me of Ex-Lady and I quickly added it to my shopping cart. Virginia Bruce plays Lynn Conway, a top talent agency at a big New York City firm. She is highly sought after by authors, actors and directors to land theatrical gigs and regularly travels to Hollywood to book movie deals. Robert Montgomery plays her husband David, a shipbuilder who receives word that there is a job waiting for him in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Neither of them want to give up their jobs or the marriage but something here has to give. Because we’re now in the era of the strictly enforced Hays Code, The First Hundred Years is stripped of any of the sexual chemistry and innuendos that you’ll find in Ex-Lady. Where Raymond and Davis lust for each other in the Pre-Code film, Montgomery and Bruce have a sweet and tender romance. Any lust is relegated to secondary characters like Warren William who plays the hard-drinking talent agent and Binnie Barnes who plays a socialite trying to steal Montgomery’s David away from his wife. And yes The First Hundred Years has just the sort of ending you would expect. However, it doesn’t quite feel like a disappointment. Perhaps because the film does a good job at slowly distancing the female protagonist from her job so she can be more consumed with the social aspects of her life.

As a married career woman myself I find this sub-genre of classic movies endlessly fascinating and I’ll always be on the lookout for more. Even if I know exactly how they’ll end.

The Classic Film Collective: 7 Life Lessons from Cicely Tyson’s Memoir

 This was originally published in the former The Classic Film Collective Patreon.

Just as I Am

by Cicely Tyson

HarperCollins

Paperback ISBN: 9780062931078

432 pages

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Larry Edmund's— Powell's

On January 26th, 2021, HarperCollins published Cicely Tyson’s memoir Just as I Am. Two days later, the great screen legend passed away, just as she was gearing up to promote her new book. Just before her passing, Tyson left us a precious gift. Just as I Am offers us mere mortals a look inside the mind of a screen queen. Tyson broke the mold of what black actresses should look like and what parts they should play. Generations of women after her benefited from Tyson’s defiance. Her work included notable performances in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Roots, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and Sounder, all of which she discusses at length in her book. Tyson also shares stories of growing up in the West Indian community of Harlem, becoming a teen mother, her transition from modeling to acting, her tumultuous relationship with musician Miles Davis and the many friendships she formed. Reading Tyson’s memoir was like drinking an elixir that offered me clarity and wisdom beyond my years. Here are some of my favorite life lessons that I extrapolated from reading Just as I Am.

(Note: Tyson’s memoir was co-written by Michelle Burford so quotes are most likely written by Burford but true to Tyson’s voice.)

Life lesson #1: Trust your gut

“I know instantly whether I should take a role. If my skin tingles as I read the script, then it is absolutely something I must do.”

At one point in her life, Tyson developed ESP and claimed that she could make predictions about major life events shortly before they happened. I personally believe these visions were a result of how in tune she was to her gut instincts. She knew when to take on a role and when to turn one down. Trusting her instincts benefited her throughout her career.

Life lesson #2: Know thyself

“The human desire to know where we’ve come from, and who our fore-parents were, is a universal longing that transcends ethnicity.”

Tyson had “misgivings about portraying domestics” and often turned down those roles, with a couple exceptions. Instead, she focused on characters she could connect to even if it meant dressing down or portraying someone much older. Tyson had this innate sense of self that guided her throughout her life making her the sole master of her fate.

Life lesson #3: Personal connections matters most in life

“We’d laugh and carry on for hours, talking about everything and everyone. That conversation went on for sixty years.”

Tyson had an incredible memory and it’s astonishing to see the level of detail she remembered from her childhood and her formative years. She clearly cherished personal connections above all else. This was most apparent while reading stories about her lifelong friendship with dancer Arthur Mitchell. When she accepted her honorary Oscar in 2018, she took the opportunity to pay special tribute to her dear friend. Years ago, he had promised to take her to the Oscar ceremony if she were ever to win. However, he passed away a few days before he got the chance. Make sure you have a tissue handy when you watch Tyson’s acceptance speech! 

Life lesson #4: Do what you love

“I suppose to be truly successful at any pursuit, you have to fall in love with it, surrender to its gravitational pull, allow it to carry you off to that world of giddy sleepiness.”

At first Cicely Tyson balked at the idea of becoming an actress. The acting profession was looked down upon, especially among certain communities, and good opportunities for black actresses were still difficult to come by. However, Tyson found her stride with acting and she felt that she could really tap into a reserve of natural talent within her. At first her mother rejected Tyson’s newfound profession and it put a strain on their relationship. Seeing her daughter’s success, she warmed up to the idea. I really admire Tyson’s devotion to her craft and willingness to overcome obstacles in order to pursue her dreams.

Life lesson #5: Don’t be afraid of being successful

“I have never been shy about making money. The most potent antidote to reticence is survival.”

Years before she ever became an actress, Cicely Tyson started adult life as a fiercely independent career woman and was unapologetic about being so. She worked hard to send her daughter “Joan” to the best schools and to make it on her own as a single mother. She worked as a secretary, hairstylist and model before she was discovered by producer Warren Coleman. As women, we’re often made to feel ashamed for wanted money and/or success. Tyson knew that money could offer her opportunities that were otherwise hard to come by. She was careful about taking on new opportunities, studying and analyzing scripts closely to make sure the role suited her sensibilities. In the memoir she wrote, “as ambitious as I was to earn money, I had no interest in making a public spectacle of myself.”

Life lesson #6: Defy beauty standards, do your own thing

“I never set out to start a natural hair craze.”

In 1962, Tyson had been playing the role of an African immigrant on the TV show East Side/West Side. She put a lot of thought into her character and came to the conclusion that “so adamant was this woman about embracing her native culture, there was no way she would have chemically processed hair. It didn’t feel right to me.” She went to her local barbershop and told the barber she wanted to get rid of all her relaxed hair and started afresh. She was the first black actress to wear her hair natural on TV and by doing so upended a strict standard of beauty. Tyson and women like her have inspired me to wear my hair natural and to embrace my own differences.

Life lesson #7: Hydrate and drink your greens

“I’d begin the day with a cup of fresh celery juice (before any solid food, as a way to cleanse my system)…”

In 1976, Tyson went to a health spa where she was put on a diet of organic fruits, vegetables and grains. She came out of the experienced a changed woman. In her memoir she wrote, “when I left there after a week of following that program, the world looked different to me. My head was clear. Colors, smells, and sounds felt more pronounced. My memory improved. I felt energized. So on my own at home, I continued eating that way.” For the next 40+ years, Tyson was a dedicated vegetarian (and sometimes pescatarian). She started her day with 4 glasses of water, eight ounces of fresh celery juice and would eat vegetables and limited fruits throughout the day. At the time of writing her book she said, “the change has agreed with me, it seems. At age ninety-six, I’m still kicking.”

After reading this I immediately started juicing again. I was a bit weary of drinking celery juice straight so instead I make a green juice that includes celery with a bunch of other good stuff mixed in. Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it out. Enjoy!

Green Juice
4 stalks of celery
1 large handful of baby spinach
2 large cucumbers peeled (or unpeeled English cucumbers)
1-inch nub of ginger
1 lime peeled ( it's easier to cut off rind with a serrated knife)
2 apples cored
4 sprigs of mint

Add ingredients to a juicer on the highest setting. Makes about 24 oz of juice.

The Automat (2021)

 

Even if you've never set foot inside of an Automat, chances are seeing one in an old movie will fill you with a sense of nostalgia. There's something magical about that place. They only existed in New York City and Philadelphia but their reputation spread far beyond those city limits. Horn & Hardart Automats were cafes where you essentially served yourself through an automated service. Little glass cubicles lined the walls. You put nickels in the slot, turn the brass handle and a delicious treat would be waiting for you on the other side. Before Doordash and online ordering, the Automat was the most technologically advanced way to get inexpensive and delicious food quickly. The cafe had an air of sophistication. Coffee was poured from their signature dolphin head spouts, elegant tables made up the main dining room and signage offering Pies, Hot Dishes and Salads lined the walls. The Automat offered a magical combination of quality food and atmosphere at a low cost. It's not something that exists anymore—the last Automat closed in the 1990s—but it's something we all so desperately wish could come back. In a time of hyperinflation, being able to access a bit of elegance and quality food for not a lot of money seems like a dream.

I was thrilled to write a piece for Turner Classic Movies to accompany their new programming line-up for November 22nd: The Automat. Ben Mankiewicz will be interviewing Lisa Hurwitz, the filmmaker behind the excellent new documentary on the history of the Automat. The line-up includes screenings of The Automat (2021), That Touch of Mink (1962), an encore of the documentary, Easy Living (1937), Thirty Day Princess (1934) and Sadie McKee (1934). What all of the feature films have in common is that they each feature a working woman in dire financial straits who seeks out an Automat for some solace and nourishment.

Here is a snippet from my TCM article about the new documentary:

"Directed by Lisa Hurwitz, The Automat (2021) explores the history behind Horn & Hardart as well as the Automat’s cultural influence. It playfully starts with comedian Mel Brooks pondering the significance of making this documentary and his own personal memories of Automats being “one of the greatest inventions and insane centers of paradise.” The film is bookmarked with Brooks’ performance of his original song, a sweet tribute to the Automat. In between we hear from well-known names including Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, Colin Powell and Ruth Bader Ginsburg who all share their personal memories of what the Automat meant to them. Hurwitz interviews experts including Automat historian Alec Shuldiner and Lorraine B. Diel and Marianne Hardart, authors of “The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart’s Masterpiece”. Then there are the interview subjects with intimate knowledge of the business side of Horn & Hardart. The most fascinating of these was John Romas, the former Vice President of Engineering who had many stories to tell, as well as a treasure trove of gadgets stashed away from when the final Automat closed. What The Automat documentary excels at is offering viewers a contextual history of how this business was born, how it thrived and how it became part of the social fabric of New York City and Philadelphia. It was a 20th century phenomenon that was truly of its era."

The Automat (2021) is available on DVD from Kino Lorber as well as on digital from Kino Now. The DVD includes an extended video interview with Mel Brooks, commentary by director Lisa Hurwitz, archival footage Horn & Hardart, a theatrical trailer and English language subtitles.

I highly recommend watching all 53 minutes of the extended Mel Brooks interview because he has some great stories and goes off on some interesting tangents. I enjoyed hearing him talk about how his brother helped him with homework, how he secretly would eat ham and cheese sandwiches at the Automat and not tell his mom and hearing him give Hurwitz advice on how to make and promote the documentary (which she didn't need but is charming nonetheless!).

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Deep Discount — Kino Lorber — Official Website

Thank you to Kino Lorber for sending me a copy of The Automat (2021) for review.