A Woman's Face main backdrop
A Woman's Face main poster

A Woman's Face

Visit website

6.9/10 • 68

1941-05-091h 46m

DramaThriller

HOW COULD THIS WOMAN WIN A MAN'S LOVE...HIS KISSES...HIS EMBRACES...?

A female blackmailer with a disfiguring facial scar meets a plastic surgeon who offers her the possibility of looking like a normal woman.

Directors
George Cukor
Editors
Frank Sullivan

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Joan Crawford

    Joan Crawford

    Anna Holm

  2. Melvyn Douglas

    Melvyn Douglas

    Dr. Gustaf Segert

  3. Conrad Veidt

    Conrad Veidt

    Torsten Barring

  4. Osa Massen

    Osa Massen

    Vera Segert

  5. Reginald Owen

    Reginald Owen

    Bernard Dalvik

  6. Albert Bassermann

    Albert Bassermann

    Consul Magnus Barring

  7. Marjorie Main

    Marjorie Main

    Emma Kristiansdotter

  8. Donald Meek

    Donald Meek

    Herman Rundvik

  9. Connie Gilchrist

    Connie Gilchrist

    Christina Dalvik

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 25, 2022

7/10

Joan Crawford ("Anna") is on top form in this adept Cukorian adaptation of Francis de Croisset's play. Set in Sweden, she is a young girl scarred after an accident in her home many years earlier. Feeling herself rejected by society, she turns to petty blackmail with "Barring" (Conrad Veidt) and alights on the cheating wife "Vera" (Isa Massen) of plastic surgeon "Gustaf" (Melvyn Douglas). Whilst amidst her extortion attempts, she is apprehended by the doctor who mistakes her for a burglar. Persuaded not to call the police by his wife, "Gustaf" turns his attention to her disfigurement, and offers to help... Meantime, "Barring" is starting to run out of credit, so tells her of his wealthy uncle who has only a young grandson to inherit his fortune. Should anything happen to the young boy, then it would all be his - or, theirs! She pretends to be a governess and heads to look after the young lad. Will she carry out their dastardly plan and dispose of their obstacle to wealth and happiness? It's told by way of a trial at which "Anna" is the accused, so for most of the film we are not entirely sure who has been killed - or, indeed, who did any killing. The method by which each "witness" gives their statement fills in parts of the jigsaw without ever spoiling the suspense. Veidt is great as the baddie - as usual, and Richard Nichols is engaging as the mischievous four year old object of their ploy "Lars-Erik". Crawford's characterisation is strong and layered - we begin to see a little more of this flawed woman as the story progresses - even eliciting a touch of unlikely sympathy. This is a compelling drama, well paced with plenty of meat on it's bones and well worth a watch.

Media

  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster
  • A Woman's Face poster

Recommendations

  • Nightmare Alley main backdrop

    Nightmare Alley

    7.1

  • Mildred Pierce main backdrop

    Mildred Pierce

    7.6

  • Rain main backdrop

    Rain

    6.7

  • Flamingo Road main backdrop

    Flamingo Road

    7.0

  • Above Suspicion main backdrop

    Above Suspicion

    6.5

  • I Live My Life main backdrop

    I Live My Life

    6.4

  • Three Colors: White main backdrop

    Three Colors: White

    7.5

  • One Shot main backdrop

    One Shot

    6.7

  • The Aviator main backdrop

    The Aviator

    7.2

  • Casablanca main backdrop

    Casablanca

    8.2

  • Mission: Impossible main backdrop

    Mission: Impossible

    7.0

  • Hotel Transylvania main backdrop

    Hotel Transylvania

    7.0

  • Parasite main backdrop

    Parasite

    8.5

  • Marriage Story main backdrop

    Marriage Story

    7.7

  • Rear Window main backdrop

    Rear Window

    8.4

  • 12 Angry Men main backdrop

    12 Angry Men

    8.5

  • Shaun of the Dead main backdrop

    Shaun of the Dead

    7.5

  • F/X main backdrop

    F/X

    6.6

  • Eraserhead main backdrop

    Eraserhead

    7.4

  • Mia madre main backdrop

    Mia madre

    6.7

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
sleighblackmailtransformationlove letterplastic surgerychild in perillittle boybitternessdisfigured faceuncle nephew relationshipgovernessblackmaileradulteresscable carmurder trialaversion to mirrors