The Conrad Veidt Society

By Barbara Peterson

A Woman’s Face

THE PLAYERS

SYNOPSIS

The Swedish criminal court convenes

QUOTES:

Torvald - I could kill that doctor.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

This film is a remake of the Ingrid Bergman, 1939, film made in Sweden.

MY REVIEW

From the beginning, you know whose murder Joan Crawford is on trial for (he is the only character that doesn't show up in the courtroom), so a bit of the suspense is lacking. However, this is a delightful film if you like to watch sheer evil (Conrad Veidt's Torsten Baring) at wor

NOTES OF INTEREST

Books which Mention this movie:

Gavin Lambert's book ''On Cukor'' isn't a standard bio; it's a series of interviews with Cukor about his films and his career in general. Neither he nor Lambert have a very high opinion of A Woman's Face. They like the first half very much, where Crawford has a ''character'' to work with and she gives an excellent performance free of self-pity, but after her face is fixed, it devolves into a standard suspense scenario with a ''silly happy ending'' (Cukor's words). The only mention of Conrad Veidt is when Lambert observes that ''everything [in the second half] is really blamed on the demonic influence of Conrad Veidt.''

I've Seen That Face Somewhere Before

Albert Basserman, who plays Consul Baring, also had a bit role in the movie Escape, also with Veidt.

George Zucco, the defense attorney, famous as Professor Moriarty in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Henry Daniell played Moriarty in Basil Rathbone's The Woman in Green.

Marjorie Main, had a bit part in The Return of the Thin Man. In The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao starring Tony Randall, played the wife of the meek man who is turned into stone by the Gorgon.

Videos available from Amazon.com:

Order the video A Woman's Face here.

Books available from Amazon.com:

Order the biography Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh here.

Conrad Veidt

Joan Crawford

Melvin Douglas

Clifford Brooke

Reginal Owens

Albert Bassermann

Marjorie Main

Donald Meek

Connie Gilchrist

Richard Nichols

Osa Massen

Charles Quigley

Henry Kolker

George Zucco

Henry Daniell

Torsten Barring

Anna Holm

Dr. Gustaf Segert

Wickman

Bernard Dalvik

Consul Magnus Barring

Emma Kristiansdotter

Herman Rundvik

Christina Dalvik

Lars-Erik

Vera Segert

Erik

Judge

Defense Attorney

Prosecutor