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4.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. He Knew Women remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like watching people in expensive suits be absolutely terrible to each other while drinking tea, then yes. It is definitely worth a watch.
You’ll probably hate this if you need action or if you can't stand movies that feel like filmed plays. It’s basically just four people in a very nice apartment talking about their feelings and their bank accounts.
I honestly think Lowell Sherman was born to play this kind of role. He has this way of moving his face that makes him look like he just smelled something slightly bad but is too polite to say anything about it. 🍸
He plays Geoffrey, a guy who calls himself a poet but mostly just spends a lot of time being cynical. He’s living off a widow named Alice, played by Alice Joyce, who is way too classy for him.
There is this great moment early on where he looks at a check she gave him. He doesn't jump for joy or anything; he just kind of tucks it away like it’s a boring piece of mail. It’s so cold and I loved it.
Then you have Frances Dade as the younger girl, also named Alice (which gets confusing if you aren't paying attention). She thinks she’s in love with Geoffrey because he’s "deep" or whatever.
She’s actually engaged to David Manners, who is rich and boring. David Manners always seems to play the nice guy who gets ignored, doesn't he?
The dialogue is really the star here. It’s based on a play called The Second Man, and you can tell because nobody ever goes outside.
One line really stuck with me. Geoffrey says something about how he has a "second man" inside him who is always mocking his own emotions. It’s disturbingly relatable for a movie made in 1930.
The sets are surprisingly lush for an early RKO talkie. Usually, these old movies look a bit like they were filmed in a garage, but this apartment looks like somewhere I’d actually want to live.
I noticed a weird flicker in the background during one of the big arguments. Might just be the print I watched, but it made it feel like the room was haunted by the ghost of a better person. 👻
The movie is only about 70 minutes long. That is such a blessing compared to the three-hour marathons we get now.
It doesn't try to be a big "statement" movie. It just shows you these messy people and lets you decide if you like them or not.
I didn't particularly like anyone in the movie, to be honest. But I liked watching them fail at being adults.
Lowell Sherman’s mustache deserves its own billing in the credits. It’s so thin and perfectly groomed, just like his character’s lies.
There’s a scene where he tries to be "noble" and break up with the younger girl. He’s so bad at it that it becomes funny.
If you want something with more energy, maybe go find Crash or even Idaho Red. This one is for when you want to feel sophisticated and slightly mean.
The ending is a bit of a shrug. It doesn't really solve the characters' problems, it just kind of stops.
But that’s life, I guess. You don't always get a big finale; sometimes you just get another drink and wait for the next check to arrive. 🥂
I’d say give it a chance if you find it on a streaming service or a late-night channel. It’s a sharp little gem that doesn't get enough credit for being so grumpy.
It’s much better than some of the other stuff from that year, like Dandy Lions which is just... well, let's not talk about that one.
Anyway, I’m going to go try and grow a mustache like Lowell Sherman now. It probably won't work out.
IMDb —
1923
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