This post is part of Backlots’ 4th Annual Dueling Divas Blogathon. Check out the other entries!
If you haven’t seen Jean (Ginger Rogers) squabble with Linda (Gail Patrick) in Stage Door, I envy you. It’s just such a pleasure. Three minutes into the movie, they are already at it: Jean thinks Linda has stolen her stockings—again—and she’ll forcibly remove them if she has to.
The two are roommates in the Footlights Club, a residence for aspiring stage performers, and their uncomfortably close quarters obviously are doing nothing for either’s temper. Linda denies the theft, calling Jean a “hoyden” and “guttersnipe.” Jean, sensitive to cracks about her class, says she’ll “slap [Linda’s] ears flat against the back of her head.” It takes the manager to prevent blows.
It’s the end of their relationship as roommates, but just the beginning of our enjoyment of their rivalry.
Jean particularly enjoys mocking Linda about her age and her lover, Anthony Powell (Adolphe Menjou).
“If you were a little more considerate of your elders,” Linda smirks to Jean, “maybe Mr. Powell would send his car for you someday….Course he would probably take one look at you and send you right back again. But then you’d have to expect that.”
“Oh, is that so?” Jean answers, imitating Linda’s superior tone.
“Do you know I think I could fix you up with Mr. Powell’s chauffeur?” Linda adds. “The chauffeur has a very nice car too.”
“Yes, but I understand that Mr. Powell’s chauffeur doesn’t go as far in his car as Mr. Powell does.”
“Even a chauffeur has to have an incentive,” says Linda.
“Well, you should know,” Jean snaps.
Although she judges Linda for sleeping with Powell, Jean still envies her for the rich food and garb her actions afford her. “Say, I think it’s very unselfish for those little animals to give up their lives to keep other animals warm,” she says, admiring Linda’s furs.
“You know they’re very smart little animals,” Linda answers. “They never give up their lives for the wrong people.”
“Well,” says Jean, “you understand the rodent family much better than I do.”
Unfortunately for Linda, Mr. Powell takes a liking to Jean, and hires her for a gig at his nightclub. Sitting next to her boyfriend, Linda realizes just whom he’s hired…
And Jean isn’t much happier to see her former roommate…
A few minutes later, Jean jabs at Linda with her cane, and the latter calls her “riffraff.”
Powell is curious about—but not put off by—Jean’s disinterest in him. “You don’t like me, do you?” he asks her.
“Oh, how could I help but like a man who takes his mother out to a nightclub,” coos Jean. “That was your mother you were sitting with?”
Jean decides to date him, even though he initially made her want to “run home and put on a tin overcoat.” How could she resist such revenge while getting a taste of the finer things in life?
Linda tries to be philosophical about her lover’s betrayal, warning Jean it just better be temporary. “It’s one thing to borrow a friend’s friend,” she explains. “It’s another thing to hold him….”
Linda even gives her former roommate some advice, which, of course, is intended to poison their first date. “May I come in?” she begins, entering her room.
“Oh sure, I guess you’ll be safe,” Jean says, “the exterminators won’t be here till tomorrow.”
“How did they miss you on their last visit?” Linda quips.
“Must be galling to you older women to lose your meal ticket to younger riffraff,” gloats Jean.
“Just a leave of absence, dearie,” explains Linda, “and in the meantime, I have my lovely sable coat and my star sapphire to keep me company.”
“It’s lovely, but I’m afraid you paid too much for it.”
The dialogue gives you a taste of these two together, but I can’t capture the chemistry, or the sparkling delivery—Ginger Rogers, with her snappy sarcasm, at her tough-gal best. Gail Patrick, with the flawless cool customer routine she perfected the year before in My Man Godfrey. The two together are magnetic.
The best part? There’s another rivalry in the film too—between Rogers and Katharine Hepburn, which is almost as fun.
For more dueling divas, check out the other entries in the blogathon!
The Dueling Divas Entries | Backlots
[…] Cary Grant Won’t Eat You spoons up some drama between Ginger Rogers and Gail Patrick in Stage Door. […]
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.
Aren’t they wonderful? One of my favorite films, and really more modern than so many films I see today. Inspiring.
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!
Aren’t those shots hilarious? You have to see it. It’s one I can watch over and over again; it just never stops being funny:) Leah
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.
Thank you! I wish it were more famous, but those of us who love it appreciate just how wonderful it is. Leah
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.
Thank you! Yes, “venom” is the perfect word here–when we get to Katharine’s character, Ginger’s sass is still there, but it’s much more playful:)
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. 🙂
It’s true! To get through those lines without laughing–and at that clip! I had to pause so many times to check the words; I just don’t know how they did it, but am so glad they did:) Leah
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.
It’s one of my favorites too. It’s true. The timing is perfect. Wonder how many times it took them to accomplish that?:) Leah
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.
I love it! You obviously had better movie taste than I did in my teens!:) You may be right. Even among all of those talented women, she is the star. Leah
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
Patrick’s perfect in it. Her coolness contrasts so well with Rogers’s energy. You have to see it!:)
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…