1930s and 40s Movies: More Feminist than You Think

For most of my life I have not been a fan of Rom-coms, thinking they are the essence of fantasy and usually, a guy's fantasy. Here and there I found a few I liked, but the ones I was most drawn to were either movies from the 1930s and forties or TV/movies that seemed like they were.

Because we've all mostly been forced to stay home so much right now, I started hunting around for something to keep me occupied besides my usual diet of dramas and horror films. Those thirties-forties films are still standing up--mostly because of the dialogue.

I want to talk about them today because I think they did a much better job of the whole man-woman thing - or even man-man and woman-woman. Actually, what I'M looking for is interesting roles for women - and even in movies today, that can be hard to find.

If you're looking for a smart, sexy, feminist woman hero, try Katherine Hepburn in just about anything. Even the silliest movies like Bringing Up Baby work because the dialogue (and she) are so snappy and fearless. (And no, baby is NOT a human).

Unfortunately, Black actors were shamefully scarce in movies and TV roles until recently. That meant exceptional artists such as Theresa Harris, Daisy Bufford, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne, Jospehine Baker and numerous others did not get the roles and credits they should have had. It also means the rest of us missed out on some amazing talent.

I would recommend trying to hunt down movies for all these actors and though it's not a comedy and was made in the fifties, you should definitely check out Carmen Jones. There's a short piece on Theresa Harris via YouTube, but I'm not having luck finding any of her movies. If you can, let me know?

Meanwhile, I'm not sure how conventional Hollywood managed it, but while the writers likely knew nothing of feminism or race/gender equality, they somehow sneaked some fascinating women into their scripts here and there. The ones I liked best were never helpless or dependent on the men playing alongside of them (much the opposite, in fact). All I can say is, they weren't politically correct in any way--but they were, without trying, creating role models for the future.

So here's my list (and again, we're missing a ton of ethnic actors from that era):

His Girl Friday is great for refusing to let the character played by Rosalind Russel take a back seat to anyone and Greta Garbo in Ninotchka couldn't be stronger or hotter. Ditto for Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night or Carole Lombard in To Be or Not to Be. If you don't agree, at least try seeing Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not.

Whenever I see one of those films (and let's not forget Ginger Rogers and all those backwards-in-heels jokes about Fred Astaire) -- I feel more hopeful about women's roles altogether. I'm telling you all this because chances are you may have a daughter one day. You may want to pump her up before she starts going out in the world, getting disappointed by one relationship after another. So I would start early with those 1930-40s films to give her something to shoot for when she gets older.

And yes, Girls is cool and funny-- but I'd hardly want to be in any of the relationships those ladies find (though I DO love the ladies and dialogue). Mad About You had some of the breeziness I'm talking about--so if you can find it online or in reruns, I'd say yes. Gilmore Girls was lovely and there are days when I really miss it.

If I had to choose anything at the moment it would be Working Moms and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (though the fifties was a pretty bad decade overall for feminists).

I still don't know what category to put Elaine from Seinfield in because, while I freely admit to worshiping her, Elaine was probably the opposite of breezy. Don't you think?

At the moment, I'm really looking for snap-crackle-pop dialogue that bounces between two protagonists until one or both of them wind up falling down or over a waterfall. Bogart and Bacall did a great job of it, though I think Bacall was really the master.

Uh-oh. I think Myrna Loy would be kicking me right now for skipping The Thin Man series - and she'd be right. Myrna and William Powell are one of my favorite couples. 

But if there's only one film you can show your daughter from the thirties or forties, what would it be? I'd say To Have and Have Not. If you do share it, tell your daughter she needs to be sure to find someone who will let her talk like that.

Then all she'll need is a writer--but tell her if she can make up her own lines? All the better.



1930s woman: Jules 1643