At the end of shooting The Women, Norma a great party on set, with an orchestra for dancing. One of the guests was Ernst Lubitsch. He told Rosalind Russell “mischievously” that if she wanted all her close-ups in the movie, she better dance with Norma. Rosalind went to Norma and told her what Lubitsch had said. Norma “who gave one of her most brilliant smiles and held our her arm. Cheek to cheek they whirled past Lubitsch.
George Cukor, Norma Shearer, and Rosalind Russell on a lunch break on the set of The Women
Norma had it in her contract that only a man could be named a co-star with her on any picture. For The Women, she capitulated and said Joan Crawford might also be starred above the title, but when it came to me, that was another story. she must have felt sh’d been pushed enough. I, on the other hand, wasn’t willing to settle for billing that said ‘with Rosalind Russelll.’
About five weeks into production on The Women, I got sick. You couldn’t pull that trick in the first fews days, they’d just replace you. I never attempted it again my whole career. Norma Shearer wouldn’t give in on the billing, so I wouldn’t come to work. I wasn’t holding up production, they had plenty to shoot, but I let it be known that I was going to be under the weather for quite a long time.
Everyday Benny Thau, head of talent, would call. The last time he called-it was the third or fourth day of my strike-he said, ‘Oh, something happened this afternoon. Norma Shearer says you’re so good in this film that she’s going to allow you to be starred too.’ ‘That’s very nice of Norma.’ I said. ‘Do you think you’d feel well enough to come to work tomorrow?’ Benny said. ‘I’ll call my doctor and make a stab at it.’
-Rosalind Russell
“At the end of shooting Norma threw a lavish party on the set, with an orchestra for dancing. Joan did not attend. Among the guests was Lubitsch, who told Russell mischievously as she went into a fox trot with Cukor, “If you want all your close-ups to stay in the picture, better dance with Norma.” Amused, Russell reported this to Norma, who gave one of her most brilliant smiles and held out her arm. Cheek to cheek, they whirled together past Lubitsch.”
Norma Shearer by Gavin Lambert
