My Favorite Wife (1940)
The plot of this movie could have made an interesting drama, but as a screwball comedy was just too silly. Cary starts off seeing a judge to get his first wife proclaimed legally dead. She was supposedly drowned after a shipwreck seven years ago. Ten seconds after his request is granted, he marries another woman, Gail Patrick. That same day (of course) his first wife, Irene Dunne, gets rescued and makes her way back to her family. As a drama, there could be a lot of honest discussion about whether Irene should start fresh or go back. Her children were babies when she left and have no idea who she is, even when she wanders into the backyard and strikes up a conversation. Which means Cary never left around photos or portraits of her for the children to idolize as they grew up. They had only been married for four years, but she’d been surviving on a desert island for seven. Her experiences would have changed her; would she really be able to go back to “old times”?
This movie argues yes. It’s silly in every respect, even in those you don’t expect. Irene’s performance is why I never could stand her. She’s constantly (and irritatingly) giggling, rather than spending any time adjusting to civilization or her change in circumstance. She acts like the worst thing that ever happened to her was chipping her nail after a manicure, not seeing her husband marry another woman and finding out her children don’t know her.
There’s really only one good scene to come out of My Favorite Wife: when Cary Grant first sees Randolph Scott. See, Irene wasn’t on that island all alone for seven years. She was with Randolph Scott. Driven mad by jealousy, Cary hopes that his rival is nothing to look at, but when he finally tracks him down at a country club, he observes his worst nightmare. Clad in a skimpy swimsuit, surrounded by drooling girls, Scottie is all smiles as he climbs the high dive at the pool and shows off his muscles by performing an acrobatic routine before his swim. It’s very funny. But the rest of the movie is so terrible, it’s hard to watch. And unfortunately, Scottie is only in the movie for about fifteen minutes. Why can’t we see more of him? Well, you know what I mean.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Randolph Scott movies here!
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1963's Move Over Darling here!
This movie argues yes. It’s silly in every respect, even in those you don’t expect. Irene’s performance is why I never could stand her. She’s constantly (and irritatingly) giggling, rather than spending any time adjusting to civilization or her change in circumstance. She acts like the worst thing that ever happened to her was chipping her nail after a manicure, not seeing her husband marry another woman and finding out her children don’t know her.
There’s really only one good scene to come out of My Favorite Wife: when Cary Grant first sees Randolph Scott. See, Irene wasn’t on that island all alone for seven years. She was with Randolph Scott. Driven mad by jealousy, Cary hopes that his rival is nothing to look at, but when he finally tracks him down at a country club, he observes his worst nightmare. Clad in a skimpy swimsuit, surrounded by drooling girls, Scottie is all smiles as he climbs the high dive at the pool and shows off his muscles by performing an acrobatic routine before his swim. It’s very funny. But the rest of the movie is so terrible, it’s hard to watch. And unfortunately, Scottie is only in the movie for about fifteen minutes. Why can’t we see more of him? Well, you know what I mean.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Randolph Scott movies here!
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1963's Move Over Darling here!