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IMDbPro

What Every Woman Knows

  • 19341934
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
416
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
80,388
19,336
Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
Comedy
The story takes place in Scotland, where plain Maggie Wylie's family, fearing she may become a spinster, finances young John Shand's studies in return for his agreement to marry her in five ... Read allThe story takes place in Scotland, where plain Maggie Wylie's family, fearing she may become a spinster, finances young John Shand's studies in return for his agreement to marry her in five years. Recognizing his ambitions, Maggie helps to guide his career without his realizing i... Read allThe story takes place in Scotland, where plain Maggie Wylie's family, fearing she may become a spinster, finances young John Shand's studies in return for his agreement to marry her in five years. Recognizing his ambitions, Maggie helps to guide his career without his realizing it. He honors his commitment, even though he does not feel real love for her as she does fo... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
416
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
80,388
19,336
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Gregory La Cava
    • Writers
      • J.M. Barrie(play)
      • Monckton Hoffe(screenplay)
      • John Meehan(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Helen Hayes
      • Brian Aherne
      • Madge Evans
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Gregory La Cava
    • Writers
      • J.M. Barrie(play)
      • Monckton Hoffe(screenplay)
      • John Meehan(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Helen Hayes
      • Brian Aherne
      • Madge Evans
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos14

    Brian Aherne and Madge Evans in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne and Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne and Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne and Madge Evans in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne and Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne and Donald Crisp in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Donald Crisp in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Madge Evans and Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    Brian Aherne, Madge Evans, and Helen Hayes in What Every Woman Knows (1934)
    What Every Woman Knows (1934)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Helen Hayes
    Helen Hayes
    • Maggie Wylie
    Brian Aherne
    Brian Aherne
    • John Shand
    Madge Evans
    Madge Evans
    • Lady Sybil Tenterden
    Lucile Watson
    Lucile Watson
    • La Contessa la Brierre
    Dudley Digges
    Dudley Digges
    • James Wylie
    Donald Crisp
    Donald Crisp
    • Mr. David Wylie
    David Torrence
    David Torrence
    • Alick Wylie
    Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson
    • Charles Venables
    Lowden Adams
    • Venables' Secretary
    • (uncredited)
    Norman Ainsley
    • La Comtesse's Butler
    • (uncredited)
    Sidney Bracey
    Sidney Bracey
    • Constituent Shouting 'Three Cheers'
    • (uncredited)
    Larry Burke
    • Tenor Singing During Opening Credits
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Phyllis Coghlan
    • Alice - Maggie's Maid in London
    • (uncredited)
    George Cowl
    • Cabinet Member
    • (uncredited)
    Phillip Dare
    • Bridegroom
    • (uncredited)
    Neil Fitzgerald
    • Shand's Friend
    • (uncredited)
    Elinore Grant
    • Committee Member
    • (uncredited)
    Winter Hall
    Winter Hall
    • Cabinet Member
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Gregory La Cava
    • Writers
      • J.M. Barrie(play)
      • Monckton Hoffe(screenplay)
      • John Meehan(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After a disappointing preview in Los Angeles, director Gregory La Cava put the film back in production for retakes, but complained so bitterly that Helen Hayes decided to abandon movies and concentrate on stage productions because of his attitude.
    • Quotes

      Alick Wylie: What is charm exactly, Maggie?

      Maggie Wylie: Oh, it's... it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don't need anything else. And if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women, a few, have charm for all, and most have charm for one, and some have charm for none.

    • Connections
      Version of What Every Woman Knows (1917)
    • Soundtracks
      Loch Lomond
      (uncredited)

      Traditional Scottish folk song

      Sung during the opening credits by tenor Larry Burke

      Played on piano by Helen Hayes and sung by her, David Torrence, Brian Aherne,

      Donald Crisp and Janet Murdoch

      Hummed by Brian Aherne

      Played as background music often

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Helen Hayes and Brian Aherne are a delight
    Maybe you have to be Scottish to completely appreciate this, but I've always loved this film. It is great to see Helen Hayes not playing the victim in a film role for once - although she played them well, and Brian Aherne, always a good actor, is a vivacious hunk at age 32, perfect for the role of a man who thinks he is more than he really is.

    The story starts out with Maggie Wylie's (Helen Hayes') brothers pacing the floor worrying about what is to become of their baby sister given that she has reached the age of 27 and is unmarried with no prospects. They end up making a deal with a burglar (Aherne as John Shand) to finance his education IF at the end of five years he marries Maggie if she is still single and willing. You see, Shand was a student who ran out of money and has been breaking into the Wylie home every night to read the books they have in their extensive library - and nothing else.

    Shand agrees, but manages to waste the money, never gets his education, and the five years is up. A bargain is a bargain to a Scot, and although he wants to run for a seat in Parliament he decides to go for a job in the local foundry instead so he and the still unmarried Maggie can be wed. Maggie insists he go for the Parliament seat instead. He does and wins, due a great deal to Maggie's help.

    Now Maggie very much knows that John does not love her, although she seems like she has loved him since he first stood up at a town meeting - prior to the burglary discovery - and insulted the entire town, AND her brother -something the all too outwardly passive Maggie seems itching to have done, but is glad to have John do it instead.

    The complication in all of this is two crises collide. John (and Maggie) believe the nation's troubles can be averted by going off the gold standard, but John would have to threaten to resign his seat to make a meaningful stand, AND a beautiful woman of poise has actually captured John's heart - and Maggie knows about it. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

    The funny part about all of this is how really clueless the men are in this film which is almost feminist in nature. Maggie's brothers are so concerned about her marital status when none of them are married themselves and are well into what was then called "old bachelorhood". To top it off all three are buffoons. Maggie seems to know this and loves them anyways. The same could be said of Shand, since Maggie is his strength and he seems blind to that, not that he treats her rudely.

    I recommend this one. It is very quirky and fun for an early post production code film.
    helpful•6
    0
    • AlsExGal
    • Aug 1, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 19, 1934 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • O Valor das Mulheres
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $428,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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