Thirteen Women

with Myrna Loy

Release date October 14.  1932

"Stop talking about it, stop thinking about it! Anyone can think themselves in anything!"(Laura)

"What have I done? What have anyone done to make you so inhuman?"

"Do I hear the very human white race ask that question?"

Ursula Georgi (Myrna Loy) a Javanese/Indian half-caste who had to endure a lot from her classmates that led to her leaving school searches for revenge. Via clairvoyant Swami Yogadachi (C.Henry Gordon), she sends them terrifying horoscopes using her knowledge about them and believing that the power of suggestion will make the predictions come true. Soon the first women are victims of self-fulfilling prophecies: accidents, murder and suicide seem to be their inescapable fates. Even the Swami can´t get away from what is written for him in the stars and throws himself in front of a train - hypnotized by Ursula though. Alarmed by those premature deaths young widow Laura Stanhope (Irene), the most sensible and poised one of the whole troupe, tries to assemble the last of the sorority sisters trying to "laugh those fool horoscopes right out of our heads". However, before the gathering the next victim is to bemoan...should Laura take seriously her horoscope which predicts the death of her son Bobby? Who has sent those poisoned candies for his birthday? Can police sergeant Barry Clive (Ricardo Cortez) stop Ursula? Who will win the mental battle between Laura and Ursula...

 Laura with Bobby (Wally Albright)

That´s an interesting, odd, disturbing little film which hadn´t the luck of being successful in its time but has got some appreciation in the last years. After poor reviews, "Thirteen Women" was edited from its initial 74´minutes down to 59´minutes, which is the duration of the print we can watch nowadays. Those missing 15 minutes explain some of the discrepancies of the script - to start with the fact that there are only 10 women and not the announced 13. Two characters were deleted completely and as rumors will have it a scene of Myrna chasing Irene through a train - I´d love to watch that! Considering what is packed in the surviving 60 minutes one can only imagine what happened in this missing quarter of an hour. Even the fact that RKO held back the release of  "Thirteen Women" to take advantage of Irene´s great success in "Back Street" didn´t help matters. It seems this story of deleting one victim after the other, which reminds slightly of slasher elements of our modern films was just too brutal for contemporary moviegoers - and I assume that this film was quite a shock for Irene Dunne fans having still the impression of "Back Street" on their minds.  

Ursula (Myrna Loy) gone wild...

The most compelling role is the one of murderess Ursula which is fortunately in Myrna´s very capable hands. Made up almost unrecognizable as an exotic vamp she finds impressive, calm-sinister facial expressions making the hypnotic impact believable. In an intense scene between Ursula and Laura shortly before the climax and end of the film she hurls her accusations into Laura´s face: the rejection of the girls which led to her leaving school had the most horrible consequences for her. It´s not said directly but it seems that she had to prostitute herself. Though Ursula is brutal, sexual-manipulative, and even tries to kill an absolutely innocent child one can´t help to have some kind of understanding for her, especially because all of her former classmates - but Laura - are rather weak characters. All of them have their weak spots like Ursula had hers having to live as a half-breed with all the occurring prejudices against her - it´s implied that with one chance Ursula could have made it...an interesting mixture of crime and action elements with a social background! 

Action, action!

As Myrna is typecast in this period as exotic vamp - still some way to the "Thin Man Myrna" - Irene is typecast as being poised, behaved and sensible - the most interesting aspect being that she is totally defined through motherhood in this film. Irene´s screen persona certainly had a maternal streak through the years; she played 18 times a mother in her 41 films. I can´t imagine that "Thirteen Women" was much of an acting challenge for Irene - not after "Back Street" - but it´s surely once again a consolidating of her screen image.

Irene...hypnotized...

Although Myrna only gets third billing behind Irene and Ricardo Cortez, her role is the most extensive one. For me this film is more interesting as a Myrna Loy film and an early representative of its genre than as an Irene Dunne film - but of course having two of my favorite actresses at hand playing an impressive scene together is a real treat!

This time the last word is reserved for Miss Loy - she deserves it:

"The only one who escaped me in this picture was Irene Dunne, and I regretted it every time she got the parts I wanted."("Being And Becoming" by Myrna Loy)

Symphony Of Six Million

Publicity for "Symphony Of Six Million" with Ricardo Cortez

Release date April 29.  1932

"I dedicate these two hands in service...That the lame may walk, the halt be strong...lifting up the needy, comforting the dying...This is my oath in the Temple of healing."

In every Hollywood career seems to be at least one film which makes you wonder ,well, this is one of those. It´s a small role, it´s back to second billing again and if there is a Dunne film in which she is miscast that´s the one.

Some possible reasons: studio politics? There is always a star rooster to consider...

Putting the increasingly popular Irene in as many vehicles as possible? It seems that Pandro S.Berman - new associate producer under Selznick  - was determined to do so...

Trying go give Cortez a boost by pairing him with an established leading lady? Cortez doesn´t look excactly like a newcomer to me...I personally remember him mainly as being killed off early in several of Kay Francis´ films and erotically dancing Tango with Joan Crawford in "Montana Moon".

                                            

                                           as Jessica

And why did Irene accept that? In that period  she is described as being "pliable in accepting roles handed to her"("The RKO Gals", James Robert Parish). I imagine that this was partly due to her private situation: Irene and her husband Francis Griffin lived bicoastal from 1930 till 1936 and she tried to spend as much time as possible with him in New York. Irene had a clause in her contract that the studio had to provide her with a ten days notice before the beginning of the next film. The sheer amount of work - she made about half of her films in her first six years in Hollywood - and keeping a relationship alive from coast to coast must have been quite a task without fighting about every film...but who knows? Not me, but I know about the result:

  

                      family evening...

Jessica (Irene) - handicapped by a limp and the inability to use her right hand - and Felix (Ricardo Cortez) grew up together in Manhattan´s Lower East Side in the Jewish quarter. Since his childhood days Felix had dreamt of becoming a surgeon and at last - with a lot of hard work and the loving support of his working class parents - this dream came true. He practices happily and sucessfully in his poor Jewish neighborhood and spends his little spare time with Jessica who found her place in life working as a Braille teacher. The disturbing influence in this setting is Felix´ brother Magnus (Noel Madison) having the idea that his brother´s profession ought to gain the family some money. Loving his family and feeling a deep obligation towards them Felix moves on to West End Avenue and ultimately to Park Avenue. The more money comes in the more Felix loses his Hippocratic ideals and the track of what he really wanted to do in life - which certainly was not to take care of rich hypochondriacs.

The real crisis comes when Felix isn´t able to rescue his father who dies on his operating table. In his sorrow and feeling that he can´t go on with medicine Felix turns back to Jessica, who takes a vital step to help him...

                               

                                working in the "ghetto".....

    

                              Felix´new clientele

The best about this filmization of a Fannie Hurst novel is the description of  Jewish life in the Lower East Side "ghetto". We get a wonderful look at young Felix´ family life, just a normal evening, the family members all trying to do the things they like, neighbors popping in and out - a bunch of atmosphere.

Just to mention it all of this takes place before Irene even enters the screen.

    

                      all the family members together...

My secret stars of the film are Mama (Anna Appel) and Papa (Gregory Ratoff) handling their family affairs or chatting with acquaintances - all well directed by Gregory LaCava. This film has a full-fledged score which wasn´t common in 1932, and though I love Max Steiner in latter years, his music distracts me this time. It´s just too pathetic interpreting Felix´ emotions, which brings me to Ricardo Cortez who is rather strained carrying a film like this. Irene - with dark dyed hair but still somehow looking out of place in this Jewish ambience - hasn´t much to do here but offers us a foretaste of what is lying ahead of Miss Dunne and us - a lot of on screen suffering...

                   taking a vital step...and some suffering!

My bottom line: interested in the portrayal of Jewish life on screen? This film is a must see!

Interested in medical issues? Watch it and don´t miss "The Citadel" and "Men In White" either!

Only interested in Miss Dunne? Well, only recommended for human beings who like me have an urgent desire for completeness. For the rest of mankind: move on to more interesting Dunne movies!