women executives

[tapit]

I'm teaching a 3 part course in the way Hollywood has depicted women in corporate executive positions. I begin with "Female" and end with "Prada". Am looking for a tong 1950-80ish piece to bridge them.

Any suggestions?

[slaytonf]

The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956)

Network (197)

Baby Boom (1987)

Working Girl (1988)

 

[musicalnovelty]

Check out:

"They All Kissed the Bride" (1942) starring Joan Crawford.

[DougieB]

Maybe "The Best of Everything" (1959). It's an ensemble cast, in which Joan Crawford has a prominent role as the top female editor in a publishing firm. The role isn't without its stereotypes and the movie itself is a melodrama, so I'm not sure what points it would help you make. Otherwise, the four slayonf suggested are all great choices, "Working Girl" in particular. Sigournay Weaver is the executive there and kind of prefigures the Meryl Streep character in "The Devil Wears Prada". 

[slaytonf]

Maybe "The Best of Everything" (1959). It's an ensemble cast, in which Joan Crawford has a prominent role as the top female editor in a publishing firm. The role isn't without its stereotypes and the movie itself is a melodrama, so I'm not sure what points it would help you make. Otherwise, the four slayonf suggested are all great choices, "Working Girl" in particular. Sigournay Weaver is the executive there and kind of prefigures the Meryl Streep character in "The Devil Wears Prada". 

 

 

Your post reminded me of another movie: More Than a Secretary (1936), with Jean Arthur, and George Brent:

 

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3822/More-Than-a-Secretary/

[FredCDobbs]

Also see:

 

Ann Carver’s Profession, 1933, with Fay Wray

 

She becomes a successful lawyer, and her husband feels bad because she is more successful than he is, so she gives up her career and lets him be in charge of her domestic life as she becomes a housewife.

 

 

The Flame Within, 1935, with Ann Harding

 

She becomes a successful doctor, but her new husband doesn’t want her to work, so he talks her into giving up her medical practice and becoming a housewife.

 

[lavenderblue19]

If we're talking about lawyers, there's always ADAM'S RIB. for a high powered woman there's also WOMAN OF THE YEAR. Both lead to problems between a husband and wife. Just not sure this is what the OP is really looking for.

[slaytonf]

If we're talking about lawyers, there's always ADAM'S RIB. for a high powered woman there's also WOMAN OF THE YEAR. Both lead to problems between a husband and wife. Just not sure this is what the OP is really looking for.

 

Yes, she was looking for movies with women as corporate executive employees.

[DougieB]

I'm teaching a 3 part course in the way Hollywood has depicted women in corporate executive positions. I begin with "Female" and end with "Prada". Am looking for a tong 1950-80ish piece to bridge them.

Any suggestions?

It sounds like you have the early part covered, but if you're not already familiar with it, you should check out Jeanine Basinger's "A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women 1930-1960" (1993). She looked at many types of female characters, including women in various levels of the workplace.