The 1939 comedy film famous for having no men in its credited speaking cast is The Women.
Directed by George Cukor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film adapts Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 play. Its large ensemble includes Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, and Mary Boland. More than 130 speaking roles were performed by women.
The film’s premise makes the unusual casting especially striking: men are constantly discussed, but no male character is seen or heard. The story follows Manhattan socialites dealing with marriage, infidelity, gossip, divorce, and rivalry, including a trip to Reno. Even many background details were controlled to preserve the no-men concept.
A common mix-up is the later remake, The Women (2008), which also has a prominent female ensemble but does not share the original film’s complete exclusion of male characters. The 1939 movie was selected for the United States National Film Registry in 2007.