This question was put to a select group of Hollywood's most famous stars: Robert Taylor, Irene Dunne, Clark Gable, and Lana Turner.
Robert Taylor: I do not think it is our business to debate this subject, for women mostly work out of material need, and we have no right to object to their doing so. But if my opinion must be given, I hold that the late war brought many woes upon mankind, and among its worst tragedies is that it made woman forget that she is a woman and that her true place is the home. I frankly believe that women who desire to work are not housewives, and that women of this stamp lack much of the femininity and the softness which are the loveliest things in which a woman shows herself. And I must admit that most of those who take a position are fleeing from some abnormal situation, or from a condition far removed from any happiness; and in such a case the woman must not be wronged, for in her flight from the home there is a way of winning back some of her stolen happiness... The world has lately admitted that woman is mentally capable of performing all of man's duties, and therefore we must not bear hard upon her.
And let the woman come to an
understanding with her husband about work before marriage, lest her work cause a misunderstanding that may lead to the ruin of the family.
Irene Dunne: My position is very awkward, and it is not easy for me to argue this subject, because I myself work, and I fear my frankness may bring many women's resentment down upon me. My plea to the women readers is that they not misunderstand me nor judge me in haste.
There is no doubt that the war affected woman's attitude toward her home. After the war's end a great number of women returned to their homes; but their number is very small compared with those who remained at work. And this is proof that these women are
searching for the happiness they lost at home, and we must not deal unjustly with them in our judgment; rather, let our judgment be fair!
I find no justification for a woman's working if she has small children; for however hard she strives to fulfill her duties toward them, she inevitably falls short — and the shortfall is always on the child's side. Therefore a woman must sacrifice every job for the sake of complete care of her children; and when they have grown, and their standing on their own becomes possible, then there is no harm in the mother's returning to her work — if there is an utmost necessity for that work. But if the reason is an increase of comfort and a raising of the standard of living, that reason alone is not sufficient, especially if the man is not pleased with it.... This is a point that must be taken into consideration; and it is not fitting that a woman work unless she is in complete understanding with her husband in the matter, for this subject concerns the man directly, and it is his right to judge in it.
Clark Gable: I hold that the direct cause of woman's working is the economic situation, and not a flight from her domestic misery as some allege. The high cost of living during the war and after it made the income of some men insufficient to meet the family's expenses — which drove women to hasten to save the situation by