Cable viewers who were channel surfing the other day may have comes across an obscure gem on the Turner Classic Movies channel called When Ladies Meet (1941).

The surprisingly sophisticated romcom/drama’s storyline, which was a remake of a 1933 version, revolves around an author (described by TCM as a feminist) played by Joan Crawford who is in love with her married publisher (Herbert Marshall), while her very red-pilled, wise-cracking boyfriend Jimmy (Robert Taylor) tries to win her back.

Robert Z. Leonard directed When Ladies Meet with a snappy screenplay by S.K. Lauren and Anita Loos from a play by Rachel Crothers. Two other uncredited writers, Leon Gordon and John Meehan, also participated.

In a life-imitating-art scenario, or vice versa, the Crawford character, Mary Howard, is struggling to finish a novel about a woman having an affair with a married man. Thus, Howard’s discussions with her publisher about the last chapter of the tome are masterfully loaded with poignant subtext that actually refers to their own relationship, or budding relationship.

When the elaborately costumed Crawford and the wife (Greer Garson) meet — in a ploy engineered by Jimmy — the conversation before they realize who is who again becomes eve more thought-provoking, underscored by the fact that the actresses back then spoke in a very cultivated way.

The movie’s content was subject to the-then production code, so the film really can’t take it to the next level especially viewing it by today’s standards. Even so, the dialogue — given the limitations – is impressively crafty. And in particular, the lines delivered by Howard’s best friend (Spring Byington) are humorously loaded with innuendo.

Since the Garson character, who is also portrayed as an independent woman, is so delightful, one can’t help but wish that she and Jimmy hook up and let the husband and the author get on with their life, but again the strict production code was in force.

Eighty or so years later, and despite its title (which was alternatively the cringey Strange Skirts), the movie holds up and is not overly corny, even if you’re not into romcoms.

As a side note, the premise is to some degree similar to The Affair, a showtime series about a mediocre, married novelist who only makes it big after writing a fictionalized version of his summer fling with a waitress.

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