A Woman's Face(1941).

A Woman's Face(1941). Drama, directed by George Cukor, Cast: Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt.

Most of the film is told in flashbacks: Anna Holm, is in the courtroom waiting for her murder trial to begin. The first witness, Herman Rundvik, begins his testimony: Late one night, while aristocrat Torsten Barring is hosting a party, one of the guests named Vera, is the wife of a well known plastic surgeon, Gustav Segert. When the tavern will no longer allow Torsten credit, he charms the badly scarred Anna Holm, into paying his tab.

Bernard Dalvik, then testifies: that he and Anna and Rundvik made most of their money from blackmail.

Vera testifies: When Anna, brings her letters, she demands more money. So while Vera is getting her jewels to pay for the letters, Gustav comes home unexpectedly and Anna tries to distract him. Thinking that Anna is a thief, Gustav wants to call the police, but Vera convinces him not to. Gustav, sees Anna's scars, and offers to perform plastic surgery on her.

Anna is sworn in next: She testifies that her childhood scars were caused when her drunken father accidentally started a fire. Anna, also tells the court that she had twelve operations, because she was in love with Torsten.

After the operation, Anna, is now a beautiful woman when she goes to Torsten, who tells her that his rich uncle, Consul Magnus Barring, is leaving everything to his four-year-old grandson, but.. if something happens to the grandson, Torsten, is next in line to inherit everything.

Anna, agrees to help Torsten, with his plan to kill the boy, by posing as a governess. To her suprise she finds that she really likes the Consul Magnus Barringand and his grandson. One night, Torsten comes to the chateau for a party, as does Gustav, who does not reveal her true identity.

The next day, while trying to listen to a conversation between Torsten and Gustav, Anna leaves the boy too long under the sun lamp and she becomes so upset, it makes Torsten think, she maybe changing her mind about helping him. He then gives her an ultimatum, that the boy must die... will she be able to go through with it?

Joan Crawford, has one of her first great roles in this part thriller part courtroom drama. A Woman's Face, gives Crawford the kind of role that showed off all her talents as an actress. This film, along with Mildred Pierce, Possessed, and Humoresque, might be one of her best.

Osa Massen (13 January 1914 – 2 January 2006) was a Danish movie actress who began her career as a newspaper photographer before becoming an actress. Her best known performance was as Melvyn Douglas' unfaithful wife dealing with blackmailer Joan Crawford in the film, A Woman's Face (1941).

She also appeared as a mysterious woman with something to hide in the film, Deadline at Dawn. Later in her career she performed in guest roles on many television programs. She performed with Lloyd Bridges in the B-movie, Rocketship X-M (1950). Her last role was on television in 1962.