The Men in Her Life (1941): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1941, The Men in Her Life is a drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff, running about 89 minutes. “Her life is every woman's dream come true!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. A circus performer becomes a ballerina and then begins her life of a career versus marriage and a home-life. She marries her first husband, her mentor and instructor, primarily out of gratitude. After his death, she marries an American thinking that can be her escape from the world of ballet. But she leaves him to return the dancing. She has a child but does not tell her husband. When her daughter is two-years-old, the husband finds out and takes the child to America. The ballerina continues to dance until her best dancing days have gone by.

Who’s in it. The Men in Her Life stars Loretta Young as Lina Varasvina / Polly Varley, Conrad Veidt as Stanislas Rosing, Dean Jagger as David Gibson and Eugenie Leontovich as Marie, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, The Men in Her Life has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Men in Her Life page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Men in Her Life tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.