Smart Woman

Smart Woman is a 1931 pre-Code comedy-romance and drama film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Mary Astor, Robert Ames, and John Halliday.[2]

Mrs. Nancy Gibson (Mary Astor) sets out to regain the affections of her cheating husband Donald Gibson (Robert Ames), after she returns from a trip to Paris, where she had to look after her sick mother. To welcome her in her beautiful house are her servants and husband and wife Billy (Edward Everett Horton) and Sally Ross (Ruth Weston) — Don's business partner and Don's sister. Nancy learns that Don is with his mistress, Peggy Preston (Noel Francis), who very often is accompanied by her mother Mrs. Preston (Gladys Gale). Nancy has the affection of the Rosses and her servants, but she is at first very shocked. Then she decides to play the modern wife and invites Peggy Preston and her mother for the weekend in her house as her guests. Pretending she herself has fallen for Sir Guy Harrington (John Halliday), a man she met in Europe (in fact she met him on the ship on the way home), she invites him too, hoping his flirtation will help her to gain back her husband, whom she still loves.

In his New York Times review, critic Mordaunt Hall called Smart Woman a "neat diversion"..."spoken [sic] by competent players and Gregory La Cava has directed it with a keen eye on its none too rugged story."[2]