Julia Misbehaves (1948) - Star of the month... Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor & Peter Lawford on the set of the film

'Julia Misbehaves' is a 1948 romantic comedy directed by Jack Conway and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, Cesar Romero, Lucille Watson, Mary Boland and Reginald Owen.

Julia Packett is an actress living in London in 1936 who receives an invitation to her daughter Susan's (played by Taylor) wedding. She has not seen her daughter since she was a baby, and is excited about going to the wedding. Meanwhile Julia's disapproving mother-in-law (played by Watson) is horrrified once she finds out Julia is coming for the wedding and sends Julia's husband William Packett (played by Pidgeon) to stop her. On the trip to Paris, Julia meets acrobat Fred Ghenoccio (played by Romero), who proposes to Julia.  Matters are complicated once Julia has to chose between her estranged husband and her new fiancee. 

Musical program

Greer Garson sings two sings in the film:

• "When You're Playing With Fire"
• "Oh, What a Difference the Navy Made to Me!"

Song: "When You're Playing with Fire" - Greer Garson

Did you know...

Elizabeth Taylor & Peter Lawford in the film

• This was the fifth of eight movies to star Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
• Peter Lawford gave Elizabeth Taylor her first on-screen kiss in this film
• Greer Garson met future husband E.E. Fogelson, a friend of Peter Lawford, on the set of this film

Closing remarks

Not a well known MGM romantic comedy, but still a lot of fun despite it's cliched plot and predictable ending. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon still make a great pair in their fifth movie together, although  Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford deliver average performances in this film. Supporting stars Cesar Romero and Mary Boland steal the film with their over the top comedic delivery. Worth watching and without high expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Women (1939)

Star Birthday - Paulette Goddard

Paulette Goddard was born on 3 June 1910, and first found fame on Broadway as a Ziegfeld Girl, before moving to the movies. Goddard died on 23 April 1990.

Recommended Viewing

• Modern Times (1936)
• The Women (1939)
• Second Chorus (1940)
• The Great Dictator (1940)
• So Proudly We Hail (1943)

The Women (1939)

Be careful what you say in private - it could become a movie.


That's exactly what happened when Clare Booth Luce heard some interesting gossip in a public toilet. It inspired her to write the play on which this film is based.

"The Women" is an entertaining husband snatching catty tale, which starts with a bitch fight (literally), as two female pet dogs violently snap at each other. Shortly after this, as Sylvia Fowler (played by Rosalind Russell) is having her nails done, the manicurist let's slip her cousin Mary Haines' (played by Norma Shearer) husband is having an affair with perfume salesgirl Crystal Allen (played by Joan Crawford). Knowing this juicy bit of gossip Sylvia takes it upon herself to spread this to everyone she knows.


The cast features 139 women and not a man in sight. Even the pet animals in the film were female. The film's supporting cast features Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine, Marjorie Main, Virginia Weidler (a forgotten actress whom I particularly like), Lucile Watson, Ruth Hussey, Virginia Grey and Butterfly McQueen.


The film includes a 10 minute fashion show sequence filmed in Technicolor. Although dazzling and visually stunning, the sequence is pointless and adds unnecessary time to an already long film.


The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."


 The film was later remade as a musical in 1956, 'The Opposite Sex', starring June Allyson, Joan Collins and Ann Miller.

Did you know...

• No stunt doubles were used when Rosalind Russell bit Paulette Goddard's leg, leaving a permanant scar
• Lesbianism is subtlely portrayed in the character of Nancy Blake
• As of June 2012, Joan Fontaine is the only surviving credited cast member
• This film was Butterfly McQueen's film debut