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.

To Have and Have Not (1944).

To Have and Have Not (1944). Hot Romance/war/adventure film. Directed by Howard Hawks. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan and Lauren Bacall in her first film at the age of 19. Based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway.

Howard Hughes sold the book rights to director Howard Hawks, who sold them to Warner Bros. William Faulkner, helped with the script. Hawks' wife "Slim" (whose nickname would be used for Bacall's character, Marie) noticed Bacall on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and showed the photo to her husband, who then signed her for the role.

After filming began, a romance developed between Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, despite the disapproval of Hawks. This romance ended of Bogart's marriage to Mayo Methot, his third wife and to Bacall and Bogart getting married. The onscreen chemistry between the two would continue in the classic films: The Big Sleep, Dark Passage and Key Largo.

Although Hawks had a high regard for Hemingway's writing, said, To Have and Have Not, was a "bunch of junk," so Hawks and Hemingway worked on the story together. The film uses the book's title and the names and characteristics of some of the characters.

The setting was moved from Cuba to Martinique, because of the Roosevelt administration, whose "good neighbor" policy did not to want to show Cuba in a bad light. This change, of the plot made the film similar to the film, Casablanca.

Other changes from the book, was introducing the piano player (Hoagy Carmichael), who had not appeared in the Hemingway book but was in the film, Casablanca.



Several cast members from Casablanca, also appear in the film such as, Dan Seymour, who plays the French/Vichy official Renard - a similar name and position to Casablanca's Capt. Renault. The plotline of Bogart's character helping husband-and-wife resistance fighters was also similar to Casablanca.

Hawks, recognizing the star-making potential of the film for Bacall, emphasized her role, downplaying Dolores Moran's, role the film's other female lead.

 

The story begins, shortly after the war in Martinique, an American named Johnson hires professional fisherman Harry Morgan, to take him deep sea fishing on his charter boat. Johnson, complains about everything including the cost of the expedition and the other passenger Eddie, a drunk and native Horatio.

During the trip Johnson, carelessly loses a rod and reel belonging to Harry. Harry, who has had enough of him, cancels the rest of the trip and wants Johnson pay him for his lost equipment. Johnson, says he will pay what he owes, after the banks open the next morning.

Back in Fort de France, bartender Frenchy asks Harry, to rent him his boat to smuggle in an important underground leader, but.. Harry does not want to become involved in any political activities.

Later, in the hotel bar, Harry witnesses Marie Browning pick Johnson's pocket and follows her to her room to demand that she return Johnson's wallet. In the wallet Harry, finds enough traveler's checks to pay his fees and also that Johnson, was planning to leave before the banks open.

 

After Marie, whom Harry has nick named Slim, returns the wallet to Johnson, Harry wants him to sign off some of the checks, but... instead Johnson is shot and killed. The police detain everyone at the bar for questioning, slowing down their plans.

Later that night, Harry needing money and wanting to help Marie return to America, he agrees to pick up Frenchy's friends and buys Marie a ticket on the first plane leaving that afternoon for the United States.

After picking up Helene and Paul De Bursac, Harry is seen by a patrol boat and Paul, is wounded before they escape. Harry, is surprised to find that Marie, did not leave on the plane. Harry removes the bullet from De Bursac's shoulder and learns that the De Bursacs, are supposed to help a man escape from Devil's Island. De Bursac asks for his help, but... will Harry risk his life to help someone he does not know?

The is a wonderful adventure film, where sparks fly between Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who is amazingly cool and smooth at the age of 19... Lauren Bacall, has become one of our favorite classic movie stars of the 1940s.

More Fun Facts:

The most famous scene in To Have and Have Not is undoubtedly the "you know how to whistle" dialog sequence. It was not written by Ernest Hemingway, Jules Furthman or William Faulkner, but by Howard Hawks. Hawks wrote the scene as a screen test for Bacall, with no real intention that it would necessarily end up in the film. The test was shot with Warner Bros. contract player John Ridgely acting opposite Bacall. The Warners staff, of course, agreed to star Bacall in the film based on the test, and Hawks thought the scene was so strong he asked Faulkner to work it into one of his later drafts of the shooting script.

At the funeral for her husband, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall put a whistle in his coffin. It was a reference to the famous line she says to him in their first film together To Have and Have Not: "You know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together and blow.".

When Howard Hawks discovered Lauren Bacall, he gave her the choice to work with either Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart. She was very tempted to work with Grant, but Hawks ended up casting her with Bogart in To Have and Have Not, and one of Hollywood's greatest romances was started.

"To Have or Have Not" was remade as "The Breaking Point" with John Garfield and "The Gun Runners" with Audie Murphy…

Dolores Moran (January 27, 1924 – February 5, 1982), brief career as a film actress began in 1942 with a uncredited role in, Yankee Doodle Dandy.

By 1943 she had become a popular pin-up girl and appeared on the cover of such magazines as Yank. She was given supporting roles in films: Old Acquaintance (1943) with Bette Davis and Warner Bros. attempted to increase interest in her, promoting her along with Lauren Bacall as a new screen personality when they co-starred with Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (1944). The film made a star of Bacall, but Moran languished and her subsequent films did little to further her career, this probably had something to do with Howard Hawk's decision to marginalise Moran in order to boost the screen presence of Bacall, excising some of Moran's scenes.

The Horn Blows at Midnight, gave her a leading role with Jack Benny and Alexis Smith but her film appearances after this were sporadic, and she suffered ill health that reduced her ability to work.

Her film career ended in 1954 with a featured role in the western film, Silver Lode. She was married to the film producer Benedict E. Bogeaus in Salome, Arizona, in 1946. They divorced in 1962. Moran had an affair with director Howard Hawks while filming, To Have and Have Not, which Hawks undertook mainly as revenge for his rejection by Bacall in favour of Bogart.

To Have and Have Not(1944).

To Have and Have Not (1944). Directed by Howard Hawks. Cast: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, in her first film. Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway.

Shortly after the fall of France to the Germans, an American named Johnson hires Harry to take him fishing on his boat. The fishing trip does not go very well and Harry decides it best to cancel the rest of the trip. Johnson promises to pay his bill after the banks open the next morning.

Back in Fort de France, Frenchy the bartender, asks Harry to rent him his boat for one night to transport some members of the resistance, but Harry refuses to become involved. Later, in the hotel bar, Harry sees Marie pick Johnson's pocket, and when she leaves the bar, he follows her back up to her room. After which they begin stormy relationship.



Later they are forced to take a job for the resistance transporting a fugitive on the run from the Nazis to Martinique.

The chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is some of the most natural acting I have ever seen on film.

Dolores Moran's brief career as a film actress began in 1942 with a uncredited role in, Yankee Doodle Dandy. By 1943 she had become a popular pin-up girl and appeared on the cover of such magazines as Yank. She was given supporting roles in film, Old Acquaintance (1943).She was promoted along with Lauren Bacall as a new screen personality when they co-starred with Humphrey Bogart in, To Have and Have Not (1944). The film made a star of Bacall, but not for Moran. Probably because Howard Hawk's decision to marginalise Moran in order to boost the screen presence of Bacall.

The Horn Blows at Midnight, gave her a leading role with Jack Benny and Alexis Smith. Unfortunately, She suffered ill health which reduced her ability to work. Her film career ended in 1954 with a featured role in the John Payne and Lizabeth Scott western film, Silver Lode.