19 Comments

  1. Rogers and Patrick are possibly my favourite, sassiest duelling divas! This film passes the bechdel test AND THEN SOME, and I love how the snappy dialogue doesn’t sacrifice any of each character’s qualities. Despite all the snippy-ness, there are no men to fall back on, these women are in it together, there’s a true camaraderie that truly reflects female relationships and what it means to be a woman.

  2. I’ve wanted to see this for years! It looks like so much fun, and I bet Ginger and Gail were having a blast. I love the reaction shots of Jean and Linda at the nightclub you’ve included, haha!

  3. This is a great film and your post is a great intro to the rivalry between these two wonderful actresses and the coming barbs between Kate & Ginger. Thanks for choosing this jewel.

  4. Great choice, Leah! The level of sass and venom is sky here. Ginger wins the sass award, but you are right about Gail – a cool assassin with the looks and words.

  5. I love the Rogers/Patrick scenes. They deliver their lines quickly and with venom and such polish! They make it look easy. (Honestly, how could they get through some of those scenes without laughing?)

    This is a great choice for the blogathon. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this film and you made me realize how much I miss it. Must see it again soon. 🙂

  6. Leah, you wrote about one of my absolute favorite movies of the 1930’s. What an ensemble cast, right? Everyone’s timing was impeccable. So cool how you highlighted the verbal sparring between them, when it’s usually Ginger and Kate that comes immediately to mind. Ginger’s the scrappy sassy brawler, while Gail Patrick…well, I can’t say it any better than you: what was it, “cool assassin”? She was soooo beautiful, it’s a shame, that in many of her films she actually doesn’t get the guy. You captured many of the zingers that flied fast and furiously throughout the film. Nice read.

  7. When I first saw Stage Door as a teenager, I think I borrowed it from the library every week for six months, largely because I loved seeing Ginger interact with Patrick and Hepburn SO MUCH. As much as I love her with Fred, I think this is actually her finest hour.

    I may have to subject my husband to this movie in the near future! Mwahahaha.

  8. Must see alert! Wow, this catfight sounds thrilling! I love Ginger, but Gail Patrick is almost an unknown to me. I’ll certainly check this movie when I find it!
    Thanks for the kind comment!
    Le

  9. Dcto

    Patrick was so good in supporting roles, never understood how she failed to become a huge star. Unrelated, Lucy is working her way from model/chorus girl to MGM star/Mrs. Ricardo here. So 2 decades after Stage Door, she owned the studio it was filmed @, RKO became Desilu. In fact, she signed off on the pilots for Mission: Impossible & Star Trek, the 2 most expensive pilots to date (twice in Trek’s case, they filmed ai 2nd pilot, Kirk was not in the original), they are still cash cows today. One producer said before Trek the only special effect @ Desilu was Lucy’s hair. He also recounts his studio head sweeping up after filming completed on Trek, saying, “Oh, I hate for anyone to miss a wrap party.” No wonder we loved Lucy!

    • I love that comment!! Her hair did indeed have special effects:) Yes, I wonder if Patrick was so good at being a villain that they couldn’t see her as a lead. But even then! Plenty of interesting lead roles were villainous. Imagine her in some Bette Davis roles…

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