Die Welt gehört der Frau (1954)

Die Welt gehört der Frau: Directed by Jean Negulesco. With Clifton Webb, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Lauren Bacall. An executive plans to fill a high-ranking position by interviewing the candidates’ wives.

“Watching how the actors are strategically placed on screen while performing their chores in WOMANu0026#39;S WORLD made me recall how seldom close-ups were used when CinemaScope was new. Instead, medium shots are used almost extensively so that the screen is filled by someone standing far left and the other far right. Occasionally the camera does move in a little closer for an over the shoulder shot, but itu0026#39;s obvious that CinemaScope was new and lensing a film in Wide Screen was not an easy matter.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe performances are all interesting, with LAUREN BACALL and ARLENE DAHL coming off best, while JUNE ALLYSON is forced to play a klutzy housewife with too many slip-ups to be tolerable. CLIFTON WEBB is the auto executive who wants to examine the wives of men heu0026#39;s considering for a top job at his auto plant. The men are well played by VAN HEFLIN, CORNEL WILDE and FRED MacMURRAY.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you liked films like EXECUTIVE SUITE, all about climbing the corporate ladder, youu0026#39;ll enjoy this one–and furthermore it has sumptuous settings enhanced by color photography. Women will enjoy all the costumes and men will stay tuned to see which man Webb chooses for his open executive job.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWitty dialogue helps with Lauren Bacall handling her lines with the kind of skill she always brought to these kind of roles. Arlene Dahl shows a little more skill than usual as an actress with a strong confrontational scene with Webb.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWorth a look, but donu0026#39;t expect anything deep.”