Sassmouthdames

The number and variety of stories collected about Paulette Goddard far exceed the wildest plot of any picture she starred in. Paulette was a siren with a serious business acumen. She parlayed her beauty, charm, and intelligence into a very comfortable living. In her first picture for MGM, the year before the crown jewel of woman's pictures (The Women), she takes a cue from Katharine Hepburn's imperious performance in RKO's gem Stage Door. I close the episode with a brief excerpt from 'Anatomy of a Siren', an essay by Anita Loos.