It's a pleasant and pure romantic comedy. The script is stylishly witty. There are many funny scenes in this movie (I let you discover them). As I am French, I was really interested in discovering Edwige Feuillère in an international movie and speaking English!(one of the most famous and talented French actresses). What a good surprise as she speaks in English so well. I suppose this movie was unique in her career. She really looks like a Hollywood star, playing charmingly, elegantly, wearing superb dresses. She gives a fine performance. The director, Terence Young, wanted her in his movie after watching her in Jean Cocteau's film "The Eagle has two heads" (in which she played the Queen Natasha). So, she had to learn English very quickly. Steward Granger is irresistible, alluring, at ease in comedy. The leading support is very good too. Highly recommended for any fan of romantic comedy. I don't know whether this classic movie will be released on DVD one day. So, in the meantime, I keep it carefully on video. As to me, I once saw Madam Edwige Feuillère, on stage, in Paris. What a perfect voice!
14 Reviews
Title makes no sense, but film does.
mark.waltz24 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The dashing Stewart Granger gets Edwige Feuillère, the French version of Marlene Dietrich in this surprisingly enjoyable British comedy where Granger, playing the head of a vast country estate who pretends to be the caretaker in order to get to know French movie star Feuillère, hiding out in order to get away from fans, photographers and phony publicists out to stick their nose in every aspect of her life. Only the few staff members know who Granger is so he's able to get to know her without his own desire for publicity being invaded.
Feuillère is quite mysterious and yet fun loving when she's let her hair down, and she gets to let it down when she's locked in the well stocked wine cellar with Granger. There's also Granger's butler (Ronald Squire, forced by him to be a spy) and Feuillère 's chatty assistant (Jeanne De Casalis) who seems to be obsessed with romance herself. Feuillère isn't amused by the plot to deceive her when she realizes who he really is and seeks to get even. It's not really clear why he has to hide his identity, so this becomes better simply based upon the individual situations rather than the plotline.
Feuillère shows off some amazing comic timing (especially when she arranges to fool him into think she's drowning), but at times, she lacks warmth which has an impact on her performance overall. At times, the humor seems far too forced, and that reduces some of the intended laughs to groans. But then there's Granger's delightfully feisty grandmother (Mary Jerrold) and an amusing sleepwalk sequence where Feuillère ends up in Granger's bed. It's predictable fun that doesn't challenge the brain but it won't be easily remembered.
Feuillère is quite mysterious and yet fun loving when she's let her hair down, and she gets to let it down when she's locked in the well stocked wine cellar with Granger. There's also Granger's butler (Ronald Squire, forced by him to be a spy) and Feuillère 's chatty assistant (Jeanne De Casalis) who seems to be obsessed with romance herself. Feuillère isn't amused by the plot to deceive her when she realizes who he really is and seeks to get even. It's not really clear why he has to hide his identity, so this becomes better simply based upon the individual situations rather than the plotline.
Feuillère shows off some amazing comic timing (especially when she arranges to fool him into think she's drowning), but at times, she lacks warmth which has an impact on her performance overall. At times, the humor seems far too forced, and that reduces some of the intended laughs to groans. But then there's Granger's delightfully feisty grandmother (Mary Jerrold) and an amusing sleepwalk sequence where Feuillère ends up in Granger's bed. It's predictable fun that doesn't challenge the brain but it won't be easily remembered.
Blame the editors
evans-1547515 January 2022
Hilarious Romantic Comedy
Linda-4531 August 2001
A French film actress, Colette Marly (Edwige Feuillere), tells the press she is bored with men. Lord Datchett (Stewart Granger) hears this statement as a challenge and sets out to prove her a liar. He sends her a letter inviting her to stay at his country estate to rest "while he is away."
Stewart Granger is devilishly charming as the woman hater, and the supporting cast is magnificent. Jameson (Ronald Squire), Lord Datchett's butler, drips with dry humor. Clair (Jeanne De Casalis), the French maid, is hilariously witty!
I am lucky enough to have this movie on video, but I believe it is now out of print. Hopefully it will be released on DVD.
Stewart Granger is devilishly charming as the woman hater, and the supporting cast is magnificent. Jameson (Ronald Squire), Lord Datchett's butler, drips with dry humor. Clair (Jeanne De Casalis), the French maid, is hilariously witty!
I am lucky enough to have this movie on video, but I believe it is now out of print. Hopefully it will be released on DVD.
Amusing Bit of Fluff
psych-shawn18 March 2015
If you like Stewart Granger in any movie, you will like him in "Woman Hater" as he plays himself once again.
The plot is silly and has been done over and over again. The fun is not in the destination but in the journey.
Ronald Squire steals the picture as the butler who gets all the best lines:
French movie starlet with an attitude upon entering the castle: "Oh, it looks like the inside of a prison."
Butler: "You have the advantage of me."
Movie starlet: "Where did you learn how to make Crepes Suzette like that?"
Butler: "I was a cook in the Army."
Lord Datchett after a major foulup, now getting ready for dinner: "I going to change now."
Butler: "Excellent idea, sir."
There is also a fair bit of slapstick in the film which didn't work as well for me, but it kept me amused throughout.
The plot is silly and has been done over and over again. The fun is not in the destination but in the journey.
Ronald Squire steals the picture as the butler who gets all the best lines:
French movie starlet with an attitude upon entering the castle: "Oh, it looks like the inside of a prison."
Butler: "You have the advantage of me."
Movie starlet: "Where did you learn how to make Crepes Suzette like that?"
Butler: "I was a cook in the Army."
Lord Datchett after a major foulup, now getting ready for dinner: "I going to change now."
Butler: "Excellent idea, sir."
There is also a fair bit of slapstick in the film which didn't work as well for me, but it kept me amused throughout.
Failed battle of the sexes
mls418210 December 2021
Just because actors have looks, charm and charisma it doesn't mean they have a flair for comic timing. The writing is adequate but the direction and lack of comedic skills of the leads make watching downright painful.
When I Was a Woman
richardchatten18 June 2021
Ironically prefaced by Talking Pictures with the warning the film "contains discriminatory language which some viewers may find offensive", the cartoons accompanying the credits are probably the only amusing thing about this damp squid. Although she enjoyed making it, it proved the only English-language film by that gallic enchantress Edwige Feullere (huge in France but still shamefully little-known this side of the Channel), since she understandably confined herself to sophisticated continental fare thereafter.
Both Feullere and Granger are actually well-cast as a glamorous film star and an abrasive misogynist, but Granger later recalled that "After my disastrous experience with that lovely French actress, Edwige Feullere, in 'Woman Hater', I knew comedy wasn't exactly my line". And I'm not going to argue with that!
Enlivened by familiar faces (including Ronald Squire unusually without his moustache), it looks good but - with the ominous name of Nicholas Phipps among the writers - sounds terrible, including a twee score that renders it even less amusing than it already is.
Both Feullere and Granger are actually well-cast as a glamorous film star and an abrasive misogynist, but Granger later recalled that "After my disastrous experience with that lovely French actress, Edwige Feullere, in 'Woman Hater', I knew comedy wasn't exactly my line". And I'm not going to argue with that!
Enlivened by familiar faces (including Ronald Squire unusually without his moustache), it looks good but - with the ominous name of Nicholas Phipps among the writers - sounds terrible, including a twee score that renders it even less amusing than it already is.
Ouch!
brogmiller27 January 2020
Whilst appearing on stage in London in Jean-Louis Barrault's production of 'Partage de Midi', the magnificent Edwige Feuiliere found time to make 'Woman Hater'. Upon seeing the finished product she no doubt wondered why she bothered. Even she cannot keep this afloat as it sinks under the weight of heavy-handed direction by Terence Young and the performance of leading man Stewart Granger whose undeniable screen presence cannot compensate for his lack of the 'lighter touch' required for this sort of material. Even the excellent Ronald Squire fails to sparkle whilst Michael Medwin injects some energy into a small role as a spivvy PR man. The most interesting character by far is that of Jean de Casalis. If you can ignore everything else Mlle Feuiliere is mesmerising.
In her memoirs she alludes to this film but omits to mention the title.
I wonder why?!
So underrated and misunderstood
thetinymew12 January 2023
This is one of my favourite movies and I don't understand why it recieved all the bad critics in the past.
I can't count how many times I watched this one already and I'm sure I'll continue watching it many many times more.
When I have a bad day it always makes me laugh and feel better again.
I love how the scenes contain many obvious jokes but you can still discover new details every time you watch it.
I personally am a huge fan of Edwige Feuillère who plays the female lead"Colette Marley" here.
She plays hercharacter with confidence and elegance and I love her French accent even though her English is really good for the fact that she had just been learning English for three months when they started shooting the film.
If you have the chance to watch it I would really recommend it !!!
I can't count how many times I watched this one already and I'm sure I'll continue watching it many many times more.
When I have a bad day it always makes me laugh and feel better again.
I love how the scenes contain many obvious jokes but you can still discover new details every time you watch it.
I personally am a huge fan of Edwige Feuillère who plays the female lead"Colette Marley" here.
She plays hercharacter with confidence and elegance and I love her French accent even though her English is really good for the fact that she had just been learning English for three months when they started shooting the film.
If you have the chance to watch it I would really recommend it !!!
What a waste!
brice-1822 June 2007
In 1949 the great Fench actress Edwige Feuillere made her English-speaking debut in this silly comedy. It was a commercial and critical flop, and she returned to France feeling, perhaps, a little bruised. Thereafter we could read of her brilliance in the Sunday paper reviews of drama critic Harold Hobson, who idolised her. Seeing the film again (58 years on!) I am struck by her style and good humour and her easy command of English. She's not particularly sexy, but golly, she has class. Trouper Stewart Granger toils gamely to sustain the humour, but Mlle Feuillere walks away with the film: what a pity it wasn't worth walking away with!
Woman lover.
morrison-dylan-fan12 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Getting ready for bed after the action thrills of Mission Impossible 3 (2006-also reviewed) I suddenly felt cold shivers, and realized that I had come down with a nasty bug.
Recovering enough after two days of being ill to be able to watch a movie whilst continuing to rest in bed,I was in the mood for an easy-going Comedy, and was happy to find one appear on Talking Pictures free online catch-up service, leading to me confronting the woman hater.
View on the film:
Made over a decade before he established the distinctive style for 007 with Dr. No (1962-also reviewed) director Terence Young closely works with Maya (1949-also reviewed) cinematographer Andre Thomas to display flourishes of his elegant, cool style, via gliding panning shots across Datchette's country estate, and Young displaying an action slickness,in push-in shots towards brief moments of physical comedy.
Later displaying a magnificent skill in using minimal locations with Wait Until Dark (1967-also reviewed), Young here is sadly never able to break out of a confined, closed-off atmosphere, with long, stilted mid-shots draining the brief glimpses of Rom-Com Meet-Cute charm.
Her lone English language movie, Edwige Feuillere gives a sparkling turn as Marly, with Feuillere's playful line delivery heightening the comedic aspect, and Stewart Granger having Datchett bounce from withdrawn mistrust, to head over heels in love, bringing out the Rom side of the former woman hater.
Recovering enough after two days of being ill to be able to watch a movie whilst continuing to rest in bed,I was in the mood for an easy-going Comedy, and was happy to find one appear on Talking Pictures free online catch-up service, leading to me confronting the woman hater.
View on the film:
Made over a decade before he established the distinctive style for 007 with Dr. No (1962-also reviewed) director Terence Young closely works with Maya (1949-also reviewed) cinematographer Andre Thomas to display flourishes of his elegant, cool style, via gliding panning shots across Datchette's country estate, and Young displaying an action slickness,in push-in shots towards brief moments of physical comedy.
Later displaying a magnificent skill in using minimal locations with Wait Until Dark (1967-also reviewed), Young here is sadly never able to break out of a confined, closed-off atmosphere, with long, stilted mid-shots draining the brief glimpses of Rom-Com Meet-Cute charm.
Her lone English language movie, Edwige Feuillere gives a sparkling turn as Marly, with Feuillere's playful line delivery heightening the comedic aspect, and Stewart Granger having Datchett bounce from withdrawn mistrust, to head over heels in love, bringing out the Rom side of the former woman hater.
A dull and tedious romantic comedy film - with few laughs!
geoffm602953 September 2021
A dull and daft storyline which plods along and hence fails to generate any interest. Plus with the cliched dialogue and with Stewart Granger, trying, and failing miserably to be witty and debonair, condemns this film as no more than a very average pot boiler. The film needed a Carry Grant as the male lead, whereas Granger's attempt to play the swashbuckling member of the landed gentry never quite comes off. Some good cameo parts with Ronald Squire and Michael Medwin trying to hold the film together, but even their efforts can't save it from being a mediocre B film.
Dismal rom com
malcolmgsw27 March 2012
In 1947 the labour Government slapped a 75% ad valorem duty on American movies.So Hollywood boycotted the UK and the government encouraged Rank to make films to fill the void.This would have been one of those films.Unfortunately just as the films were reaching the screen the government reached an agreement with Hollywood as a result of which their films flooded back into the UK,swamping films such as this and leaving Rank millions in debt.This film shows all the signs of being hurriedly put together as the script is truly appalling.It is the most boring and least funny film that i have seen in a long time.For example the woman wants to get Granger to save her from drowning despite the fact that she was a good swimmer,so she capsizes her boat in the lake,Granger swims to her rescue only to hit his head on the boat.So she rescues him and takes him back to shore.Very original i must say.Pity the poor people who bought "The Stewart Granger" collection only to find this turkey waiting for them.No wonder it is little known and i cannot remember it ever having been inflicted on the TV viewers.
Great fun!
janeadams-669913 April 2022
What a charming and funny film. It was a real treat to see our wonderful Stewart Granger in a comedy, that apparently he really wanted to make as a change. He is very good too and has good comic timing that we, sadly, don't see anywhere else.
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