New Book on MGM Classic ‘The Women’ Reveals Extent of Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer’s Feud (Exclusive Excerpt)

Illeana Douglas ’ new book Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women , published on Sept. 15 by Lyons Press, delves into the titular 1939 classic which boasted an all-star cast of actresses — among them Joan Crawford , Norma Shearer , Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine — and provided a template for modern female-driven projects like Sex and the City and The Real Housewives.

In the following exclusive excerpt from the book, Douglas makes the case that the greatest Hollywood “feud” of all time did not involve Crawford and Bette Davis or sisters Olivia de Havilland and Fontaine, but rather Crawford and Shearer. Related Stories Movies Ann Blyth, the Evil Daughter in 'Mildred Pierce,' Dies at 98 Movies Casey LaLonde, Grandson of Joan Crawford, Dies at 54

If MGM had been primed to sell The Women as “the Catfight of the Century,” they didn’t need to invent antics or drum up stories of feuds. Everyone knew that Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford really didn’t like each other. In March of 1939, before Crawford had even set foot on set, Howard Strickling had approved a Look cover promoting The Women that depicts Shearer and Crawford glaring at each other, with a headline that reads, “They Don’t Like Each Other… Inside Stories of 31 Hollywood Feuds.”

On April 25, 1939, MGM’s production, listed as #1091: The Women , began shooting. A movie based on the stories of what happened behind the scenes might make a good sequel. When director George Cukor was asked whether he was fearful that longtime rivals Shearer and Crawford would try to upstage each other, he laughed, saying, “They’re too smart for those antics.” He was being optimistic. The best publicity angle, since there were no men in the cast and no juicy romances, was to exploit their longstanding “feud”. How much each actress fueled their “feud” is a matter of opinion, but since every squabble — the billing, the dresses, the trailers, and their eventual showdown because of Crawford’s knitting needles — was dutifully reported on, you have to imagine someone was spilling the tea.

Anita Loos, screenwriter of The Women , said, “Norma and Joan could never have been personal friends— they came from different worlds. Norma thought Joan crude and pushy and Joan considered Norma overbearing and uppity — but they both knew the ‘feud’ was good copy, and so they helped it along.”

When Shearer hosted a wrap party luncheon, chiefly to show the press how well they were getting along, Crawford skipped it. She seemed delighted to let the bad feelings percolate, telling gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, who was cast in the film, “So many people say Norma and I don’t like each other. Who are we to disagree with the majority opinion?”

Shearer then refused to attend the premiere and penned an open letter to the trades downplaying her role and casting shade on the one actress she had least wanted to work opposite, Crawford. “I’m asked about the so-called power and influence I had at the studio. I don’t think anyone acted more like an employee than myself. Just because of my marriage to Mr.