New book chronicles making of classic comedy 'The Women'

ATLANTA - Featuring blockbuster releases like "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz," 1939 is often referred to as Hollywood’s greatest year. 

And amid that legendary lineup, another box-office powerhouse carved out a unique place in film history: George Cukor’s "The Women." 

Beloved by fans for its rapid-fire comedy, glittering costumes, and a completely male-free cast, "The Women" holds a special place in film history — even here in Atlanta, where it was the very first movie screened when the iconic Plaza Theatre opened its doors in 1939.

Now, acclaimed actress and film historian Illeana Douglas is peeking behind the curtain at the movie’s drama-filled production in her new book, "Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM’s ‘The Women’." The book begins with Clare Boothe Luce, the fascinating woman who wrote the Broadway hit upon which the movie is based. 

"Interestingly, the play is still being done and produced, but the movie fell out of favor," Douglas says. "And I wanted to write about all of the women from ‘The Women.’"

Those women include superstar Joan Crawford and her on- and off-screen rival, Oscar-winner Norma Shearer — then considered the queen of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio lot. For film fans, the book offers a unique look at Shearer, whose immense stardom in the 1930s doesn't always receive the same contemporary attention as her peers.

"She carefully curated her image, and what I tried to write about in ‘Jungle Red!’ was how different her carefully created image was from the real Norma Shearer," Douglas says.

Douglas says she also wanted to detail the film’s success as a way to shatter Hollywood myths about women-led cinema.

"The premiere, 15,000 people came to Grauman’s to see ‘The Women,’" Douglas says. "This was a movie they were afraid nobody was going to show up to. I write about the film in the context of today, and this idea that 'women can’t open movies.' This has always been this crazy, longstanding thing...and then 15,000 people came to see the movie, and it was a huge hit."

For more information about "Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM’s ‘The Women’" by Illeana Douglas, click here. "The Women" is also currently available on digital platforms and physical media via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.