A Letter to Three Wives
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Movie Reviews of A Letter to Three Wives
Movie Review: A little soap, a lot of spice
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife rented this movie and I was ready for something mawkish, sentimental and, well, mostly for women. I was very surprised. This is an incredibly well-written, clever, sophisticated and insightful film that compares the marriages of three archetypal women who have made it to the upper middle class. One got there by being pretty, but fears she doesn't belong because she's a farm girl. One got there by taking a job that pays more than her husband's teaching gig. And one got there by making her (older) boss so frustrated by her unavailability he finally marries her.
All three husbands seem to have been in love with a woman who remains a fantasy figure to us--Addie Ross. We see her hand holding a cigarette on a balcony, a silver frame with her picture lovingly placed atop a piano, and a precious gift of a rare LP. All three wives assume their husbands would leave them for Addie given a chance, as they assess themselves critically and worry about whether they are worthy of their husband's love. It might sound politically suspect in our decade, but the portraits of the women are so three-dimensional, showing them to be far more substantial than they give themselves credit for being--that's really the joke of the movie. They don't like themselves as much as their husbands like them.
This story is told with great intelligence. The structure of the screenplay is unique and effective. The dialogue is amazing; sharp, funny, penetrating. The film was written by Joseph L. Manckiewicz, who later wrote "All About Eve," an acknowledged classic. This one deserves equal billing, and I think I might like it a little better. It is not as well cast as "Eve"--that's probably the only reason it isn't as well known. But there are a few great performances here, most notably Kirk Douglas as the schoolteacher, Ann Sothern as his ambitious wife, and Thelma Ritter as their maid, who also happens to be friends with another character's family.
Movie Review: Three Wives unnerved
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent film and the strengths lie as much with the script as they do with the cast. The cast with includes Linda Darnell, Ann Southern, Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, and the always marvelous Thelma Ritter are great, but it is doubtful they would be as good without the incredible script by Joseph L. Mankiewicz who also directed it.
For me, this movie should be shown on a double bill with The Best Years of Our Lives since it sums up so many aspects of the immediate post-war period and almost exists as a marvelous historical document of the concerns and day to anxieties of the period. That so many of these same concerns exist today also makes it still relevent.
The movie follows the concerns of three upper middle class couples all of whom are dealing with a particular set of problems. As the wives are leaving for an outing with underprivilage children, they receive a letter from Addie Ross, who is credited as the perfect woman by the men in tne movie. She announces that she has run off with one of their husbands and this uncertainty provides the dramatic tension of the film. Three distinct episodes follow in which each of the women ponder whether her husband has left. Is it Brad Bishop (whose wife worries about fitting in with her husband's upper class friends), George Phipps (whose wife is trying to have a career and a home) or Porter Hollingsway (whose wife is from the wrong side of the tracks) who has left town with the never seen Ms Ross?
The movie deals with issues such as commericalization, readjustment to civilian life after WWII, social mobility (a thread that runs through all the three stories) and what makes a marriage work. The script is so well done that it keeps the viewer guessing until the last minute who has left with Addie Ross. To be able to tackle all of these issues in an entertaining fashion is what marks this film as the important and still relevent vehicle that it still is.
Movie Review: A LITTLE GEM
Summary: 5 Stars
I have watched this film on a number of occasions over the last 30 years and each time I find something more to enjoy about it. It is undoubtedly politically incorrect by today's standards, emphasising as it does the accepted thinking of the time that a woman was nothing without a successful husband. That aside, it is extremely well acted. Of particular delight is the inimitable Thelma Ritter as Sadie and Celeste Holm doing a superb "voice over" for the unseen Adie Ross. The film has a clever plot, a sharp, snappy script and faultless direction. The casting of Crain, Sothern and Darnell works extremely well, but for me, my favourite character of all has to be Porter Hollingsway, the typical hard nosed businessman with the soft centre, so admirably portrayed by Paul Douglas. I am sure Paul Douglas must have been one of the most under rated actors of his time. Unlike Kirk Douglas, who also appeared in this film, he was not, and did not become, a really "Big Star", possibly due in part to his untimely death in the 1950s. Nevertheless, his excellent portrayal ensures Porter Hollingsway comes over as the most natural and believable of "the three husbands". Overall, a truly super film which never fails to delight and which deserves a much higher profile than it currently receives.Movie Review: Wonderful performances
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw this film when I was about 13 or so. At the time I was growing to be a true classic film fan. The performances in this film are wonderful, I think the roles were well cast. The film balances drama and comedy far better than any film today. Exceptional for a film about the possibility that a husband who has run off with someone else. Films today about relationships tend to just be about screaming and overly dramatic events. I don't think a film like this could be made today.
The film uses flashbacks and self reflection to tell the story. Most of the action occurs in the past. Each of the women looking at her relationship and trying to see if there are clues the implicate her husband as the one who has run off.
There is the obvious flaw of the film portraying the issues in each marriage as being solely the woman's responsibility. I didn't take a star off for this, because it is a reflection of the time the film was made.
The DVD I received when I bought this a few years ago was in great condition. I think this film was restored. The picture is nice and clear, not grainy or choppy as is the case with some of the classic film DVDs I have seen over the years. The extra biography on Linda Darnell is interesting as well.
Movie Review: Vintage Chick Flick
Summary: 5 Stars
I fell in love with classic black and white movies when I first saw this one. Much as I love the old Joan Crawford movies and Bette Davis' All About Eve, I think this one is still my favorite. It is a tale of three wives who receive one letter addressed to each of them, telling them that one of their best friends has run off with one of their husbands. They are each left to ponder their own thoughts and as they do, it leads to a tale of each of their marriages. Classic performances by the three wives, Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern, and the gorgeous Linda Darnell with great supporting performances by Kirk Douglas, Thelma Ritter, and Paul Douglas (who reminded me a little of Broderick Crawford in Born Yesterday). Each tale involves their nemesis Addie Ross (who you never see) and not until the last scene do you have an inkling of which husband it is. The film is sharp, biting, funny....everything you could want in a vintage black and white and it's a little like eavesdropping in on a fascinating conversation. They really don't make them like this anymore! The dvd has some extras with a biography on the life of Linda Darnell. This is a classic and not to be missed.