Dawn's top 25 favorite films about strong women.

I thought it would be fun, to post a list of my favorite films about strong women both "good girls" and a few... "bad girls":

Adam's Rib (1949). A film ahead of its time about the battle of the sexes, between two married trial attorneys on opposite sides.  It was written by the husband-wife team of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin (the recipients of the film's sole Academy Award nomination). The story was inspired by the real- legal case of a husband-lawyer team (William and Dorothy Whitney), who after the divorce proceedings married their clients.

Many film historians consider this sixth film the best pairing of the nine films made by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

All About Eve (1950). The movie's strength comes from Anne Baxter's performance, as the.. scheming, back stabbing fan, Eve Harrington. An overly helpful young woman who, threatens Channing's career and her relationships.

Australia (2008). Is epic/historical/ romance directed by Baz Luhrmann. Cast: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It is the second-highest grossing Australian film, the first being, Crocodile Dundee.

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat with plenty of attitude, inherits a ranch and joins up with a stock-man to help protect her ranch from a takeover plot. As they drive 2,000 head of cattle, across Australia they witness the bombing of Darwin, Australia.

To Have and Have Not(1944). This was Bacall's first film. She was 19 years old and full of confidence, when she says her famous line, asking Bogart if he knows how to whistle....

Please click here to read past To Have and Have Not movie review.

Double Indemnity (1944). This was Stanwyck's first villainess role, where she played a calculating femme fatale housewife wearing an enticing gold anklet. She and her insurance agent plan cold-blooded scheme to brutally murder her husband for financial gain. Their almost perfect crime leads to guilt, suspicion and finally betrayal.

Please click here to read past Double Indemnity movie review.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Is a film about the 25-year friendship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron and her Black chauffeur, Hoke. It is only when Hoke is retired and Miss Daisy is confined to a retirement home that the two realize that they are best friends.

Emma (1996). Emma Woodhouse, is a 20-year old clever, independently wealthy woman who lives with her aging father in the English countryside near the village of Highbury. Although, Emma says that she does not want to get married (as she has no financial need to, having a large inheritance) she finds herself falling in love with her friend George Knightley.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Evelyn Couch is having trouble in her marriage and while in a nursing home visiting relatives, she meets Ninny Threadgoode, an interesting old woman, who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode, a strong, young, woman, living in Alabama, in the 1920's. Through Idgie's life story, Evelyn learns to stand on her own two feet.

The Gay Divorcee (1934).. Ginger, plays a strong willed, wealthy, Mimi, a young woman trying to keep her distance from Fred's character while she's planning a divorce.

On TCM: March 16th. The Graduate (1968). Is a groundbreaking film for woman and has influenced film-making ever since.

On TCM: March 23rd. Gun Crazy (1949). This is fast-paced story with a dominant femme fatale, who has an obsession with guns and the deadly sexual attraction to her trigger-happy husband who substitutes guns for sex.

Please click here for past Gun Crazy movie review.

His Girl Friday (1940). Rosalind Russell, plays Hildy, a independent career woman, that pre-dates the major feminist movement of the mid-sixties by 25 years.

On TCM: March 15th. Jezebel (1938). A story about headstrong Southern Belle, who loses her fiance due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back.

Please click here to view past Jezebel movie review.

Johnny Guitar (1954). A film about a strong willed, woman saloon owner, who is wrongly suspected of murder and bank robbery by a lynch mob, because she helps a wounded gang member.

On TCM: March 30th. The Lady Eve (1941). This fun film proves.. "good girls" aren't as good as you think they are and "bad girls" aren't as bad.

Please click here to read past The Lady Eve movie review.

Mildred Pierce (1945). After kicking her cheating husband out of the house, Mildred Pierce proves she can become independent, successful woman, but.. can't seem to win the approval of her heartless, spoiled daughter.

Please click here to read past Mildred Pierce movie review.

On TCM: March 11th. Mrs. Miniver (1942). This is a film about a well loved woman, who has to come up with enough strength to face tragedy and destruction of war.

My Fair Lady (1964). This is a film about the transformation of a dirty flower girl Eliza Doolittle, into a grand lady. She puts Higgins, in his place when he takes all the credit for her transformation.

My Man Godfrey (1935). One of Carole Lombard's best performances, playing Irene Bullock, the spoiled socialite, who..  frees herself from the security of her wealthy family.

Please click here to read My Man Godfrey movie review.

Out of Africa (1985). In this period film Streep, is perfect for the role as Karen Blixen, a strong woman, who on her own runs a plantation in Africa.

Please click here to read past Out Of Africa movie review.

Out of the Past (1947). Jane Greer, is perfect for the part of the Femme Fatal, who had stolen $40,000 from her gangsta boyfriend and falls in love with the man, who is sent to find her..

Please click here to read past Out Of The Past movie review.

Pat and Mike (1952). This film showcases Katharine Hepburn's athletic ability. Had she not decided to pursue a acting career, Hepburn could have gone into either tennis or golf. Later, her aging health problems slowed her down.

Steel Magnolias (1989). This is a film about the supportive friendships of six Southern women, living in a small town in Louisiana.

Sunset Boulevard (1950). Swanson, maybe playing herself in this film, as she too was a silent star whose career faded after talkies became popular. Her obsession with her past combined with Holden's desperation to make a living, gives us one of the most amazing films... If someone were to ask me which two classic movies are a must have for their DVD collection. I would have to say...Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Vertigo.

Please click here to read past Sunset Boulevard movie review.

Thelma and Louise (1991). Two girlfriends bored with it all, decide to go on a road trip. Their journey, however, turns into a living nightmare, when Louise, kills a man who tries to rape Thelma. They decide to run to Mexico, but.. they find themselves hunted by the law.

Motherhood + Noir = Mildred Pierce (1948).

Mildred Pierce (1945). Noir. Cast: Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, and Eve Arden. Screenplay by Ranald MacDougall, William Faulkner, and Catherine Turney was based upon the 1941 novel Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain. Director: Michael Curtiz and produced by Jerry Wald with Jack L. Warner as executive producer. Mildred Pierce was Crawford's first starring film for Warner Bros. after leaving MGM and won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

She was not at the award ceremony because she was home in bed with pneumonia. However, there was a story circulated that she faked her illness. Joan did not think she would win the Academy Award and she did not want to attend the ceremony to be humiliated. It was said that after she heard that she won the award for Best Actress, she jumped out of bed, did her make up and put on her best negligee to meet the press.

The film, begins with Beragon being shot. He whispers "Mildred" as he dies. The police believe that the murderer is Mildred Pierce's first husband. She then tells her life story in flashback:

We see a very unhappy Mildred married to a unemployed Bert Pierce, who cheats on his wife and walks out. He worked in real-state with his partner, Wally Fay.

Mildred's wants to spoil daughter Veda, who longs for the life the family cannot afford. Mildred finds a job as a waitress.

One day, Veda gives their maid Lottie Mildred's waitress uniform, which forces Mildred to admit that she is a waitress, embarrassing Veda.

When, Mildred's younger daughter Kay dies of pneumonia, Mildred throws herself into her restaurant. With the help of Ida, Mildred's new restaurant is a success. And Mildred opens a chain of "Mildred's" throughout Southern California.



Mildred continues to try to please Veda, by going into a loveless marriage with gold-digger Monty Beragon in order to improve her social standing.



Beragon lives the wild life supported by Mildred. When Veda becomes romantically involved with Monty, things come to a head at the beach house where the story began.

The movie is very interesting all the way through, because.. of the interesting characters:

Eve Arden, who provides the humor and wise cracks.

Ann Blyth, as the Daughter, is one of the worst kids in the history of film.

Joan Crawford, character is a hard-worker, good business sense (until the end).

Fun Fact:

Monty's Beach House, was owned by the film's director, Michael Curtiz. It was built in 1929 in Malibu. It collapsed into the ocean after a week of heavy storms in January 1983.

Zachary Scott (February 21, 1914 – October 3, 1965), was best known for his roles as villains and "mystery man". He was a distant cousin of George Washington, and his grandfather had been a very successful cattle rancher.

Scott was planning to be a doctor like his father, Zachary Scott Sr. (1880–1964), but after attending the University of Texas for a while, he decided to switch to acting.

He signed on as a cabin boy on a freighter which took him to England, where he acted in repertory theatre for a while, before he returned to Austin, and began acting in local theater.

Alfred Lunt discovered Scott in Texas and convinced him to move to New York City, where he appeared on Broadway. Scott made his debut on Broadway in a revival of Ah, Wilderness! in 1941 with a small role as a bartender.

Three years later, Jack Warner saw him in a performance of, Those Endearing Young Charms and signed him to appear in The Mask of Dimitrios.

He appeared the next year in the film, Mildred Pierce. In the film, Scott was Joan Crawford's gold-digger love interest, whose mysterious murder formed the basis of the plot.

In 1946 Scott and his first wife Elaine socialized regularly with Angela Lansbury and her first husband, Richard Cromwell. Elaine Scott had met Zachary Scott back in Austin and she made a name for herself behind the scenes on Broadway as stage manager for the original production of Oklahoma!. The Scotts had one child together.

Scott went on to star in: The Southerner, The Unfaithful, Cass Timberlane, Flamingo Road, Flaxy Martin, Guilty Bystander, Wings of Danger, and Shadow on the Wall.

He later starred in, The Young One (La Joven, 1960), Bunuel's second English language movie (the first being Adventures of Robinson Crusoe).

In 1950, Scott was involved in a rafting accident. Also during that year, he divorced his first wife, Elaine, who subsequently married writer John Steinbeck.

Since Warner Bros. did not continue to promote his films, he turned back to the stage, and also appeared on television.

During this period Scott remarried and he and his second wife, actress Ruth Ford, had a child together as well (he adopted her daughter from a previous marriage).

He moved back to Austin, where he died from a brain tumor at the age of 51.

In 1968 the Austin Civic Theatre was renamed the Zachary Scott Theatre Center to honor their native son. His family has endowed two chairs at the University of Texas's theatre department in his name. A street at the old airport Mueller Redevelopment in Austin is named in his honor.