Classic Films of 1939 Edition of What Would You Do?

Did you ever think to yourself, "I would never have done that?" or "I would have done that SO differently!" after you have viewed a film?

I thought it would be fun to take a peak at some well known classic films from 1939 and ask yourself, "what would you do?"

In the film The Women, Mary Haines divorces her husband who was cheating on her she realizes that she still loves him and that she must fight for him. Although he married the woman he was cheating on his wife with, Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) paints her nails jungle red-her fighting gloves so to speak.

At the end of the film, Mary wins Stephen back and runs to him. Mary's approach to her husband cheating on her was one that modern women took. Most women stood by their cheating husbands and turned the other cheek as her mother wanted her to do (as she did herself with her own husband)

What Would You Do?

Would you have approached your husband with the affair or stuck it out in silence. Would you have divorced Stephen only to run back to him when he was free of his new wife? Would you have fought for him at all??

In the end of the film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy (Judy Garland) wakes up to find her family and friends surrounding her bed. She is frazzled and confused and is wondering, "did she just dream that whole adventure up?"

What Would You Do?

Would you have believed everyone that it was just a dream? Would you have just brushed it off as if battling evil witches and scary flying monkey's was a part of your vivid imagination? Or would you have asked Auntie M if you could be admitted to the nearest psychiatric ward in town and just settle for losing your mind?

Beau Geste is film starring Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston as brothers. A family jewel goes missing and the two elder brother leave and join the French Foreign Legion. The youngest brother John (Milland) follows his brothers in the hope to find out what happened to the missing jewel.

What Would You Do?

If something so valuable that it is called the "Blue Water" disappears and your brothers disappear and each leave behind a note of their confession, would you try to find out really happened? If so, would you follow your brothers into the Foreign Legion only to have to deal with a sadistic Sergeant and oh I dunno, warfare?

For my last 1939 film in my What Would You Do Series, I chose The Little Princess. It holds a special place in my heart as I can relate to how little Sarah feels about her daddy.

Sara (Shirley Temple) is placed in a school for girls due to her father being called to duty to fight in the Second Boer War. Sara is treated like a little princess until a letter comes in stating that her father was killed and that his wealth has been confiscated. She becomes a little slave to the cruel Miss Minchin but never loses hope that she will find her father one day.

And one day she does with the help of another royal, Queen Victoria.

What Would You Do?

Would you have told the Queen (after you "bumped" into her) that you were searching for your daddy? Would you have smiled happily at the Queen and pointed to your daddy, showing her that you found him? Or, would you have told the Queen about the cruel doings of Miss Minchin and asked that she be brought to justice or at least investigated for child cruelty? Would you have smiled happily at the Queen when she left or smiled mischievously knowing that the Queen of England would help you get justice for Miss Minchin's crimes?