NEW Thirteen Women (1932) (DVD)

Warner Archives has just released the elusive DVD transfer of 1932's "13 Women". Ursula Georgi is an East-Indian half-caste, scarred by her taunting white sorority sisters, who all lived together at a private school north of San Francisco. The years have passed, and Georgi has teamed with bogus Swami Yogadachi(her lover, who she soon murders). Georgi sends round-robin letters; astrology forecasts warning all 13 of her class-mates that sudden death is next on their agenda. Georgi threatens them, and their families, and then uses poison, bombs, hypnotism, and auto-suggestion to carry out her plans. A spell-binding performance, Myrna Loy is icy and chilling as Georgi, a dark vamp who uses sex to trap her lovers into completing her strategies. Irene Dunne plays Laura Stanhope, a sorority girl, now married with a young son. Warm family sequences with mother and son are played against Loy's arcane devil-plotting in her secret lair. The cast also has Ricardo Cortez, C, Henry Gordon, and Leon Ames(his scenes were deleted). A former silent-film director, George Archainbaud builds eerie suspense with long, shadowy scenes, some with no sound at all. A brief, forceful soundtrack is by the great Max Steiner. RKO Pictures and producer David O. Selznick were jarred by the movie's middle slow pace, cutting 15 minutes of footage we will never see(The film lasts only 59 minutes). "13 Women" was considered a failure at the time. Peg Entwistle, who played Hazel Cousins, committed suicide the day the movie was released. She climbed to the top of the Hollywood sign, then spelled "Hollywoodland", and jumped off the top of the "H". The same year, 1932, Selznick produced the now classic "Most Dangerous Game" at RKO. We will never know, but once again editors chopped up the final edit, including early scenes with a sailor; among the earliest film acting stints by Lon Chaney Jr.."13 Women" is a must-see for Myrna Loy fans; a spooky, unsettling drama. And by the way, there are only 11 women in the movie, not 13.

If you love the Thin Man, you need to see Ms Loy as something less than noble and nice. You will love hating her

I truly enjoyed this old fashioned movie with a diabolical cast!
And of course, I love Myrna Loy. I highly recommend it.