Chicago Film Club Meetup Group

The Women (1939), directed by George Cukor, is a biting, high-society comedy-drama unique for its entirely female cast—not a single man appears on screen. However, their influence looms over every scene. The story centers on Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), a virtuous and refined socialite living in a gossipy Manhattan circle. Her world is upended when she discovers, through the malicious whispers of her “friends,” that her husband is having an affair with a ruthless perfume salesgirl named Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). As the news spreads through the beauty salons and fitting rooms of Park Avenue, Mary is forced to confront the fragility of her marriage and the vultures circling her social standing.

Directed by Anthony Mann, The Furies (1950) is a sweeping, psychological Western that plays out like a Greek tragedy set against the rugged landscape of the 1870s New Mexico Territory. The film centers on the volatile and complex relationship between T.C. Jeffords (Walter Huston), a tyrannical cattle baron who rules his vast empire with an iron fist, and his headstrong daughter, Vance (Barbara Stanwyck), who is his equal in both ambition and temper. As Vance fights to secure her inheritance and navigate her father's shifting allegiances—including his pursuit of a high-society widow—their bond deconstructs into a bitter power struggle fueled by pride, vengeance, and betrayal. With its noir-infused cinematography and intense emotional stakes, the film explores the destructive nature of ego and the high cost of legacy on the American frontier.

Let's try to meet each other before the movie at 11:00 a.m. in the theater lounge.