Happy to participate in The Wonderful World of Cinema‘s 120 Screwball Years of Jean Arthur! I originally thought this was my first time seeing any of her movies, but I realized she’s in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which I haven’t seen in years.
I decided to go with Too Many Husbands
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Synopsis:
Vicky {Jean Arthur} remarries after it is believed that her first husband, Bill{Fred MacMurray}, perished during a boat trip. Turns out, he was stuck on an island. He returns a year later only to learn that his wife married his friend and business partner, Henry {Melvyn Douglas}. It is up to her to decide who she wants to be with, but she loves them both.
Jean Arthur
This is the first film where I’ve really seen Jean Arthur and I have to say, she is so cute and funny. She plays Vicky so well and you truly believe that this decision is really hard for her. You believe that her character loves both men so deeply that she has such a hard time deciding. The entire movie, I wanted her to choose her first husband, played by MacMurray. It made more sense to me since she was only married to the second man for 6 months. While I didn’t catch how long her first marriage lasted before he was shipwrecked, I felt that it must have been longer than that.
If she’d been married to the second man longer, I would have maybe questioned who she should be with, but in this instance, I felt it was no contest.
I was amused at how much she enjoyed being fawned over. Jean played that so well and made her character that much more endearing.
Fred MacMurray
I first saw MacMurray in The Shaggy Dog, so it’s really fun to see him in this role. While he’s ultimately a good guy in The Shaggy Dog, he’s a bit grumpy. I thought he was really endearing and funny in this movie. I especially loved the part with him leaping over chairs to try to win back his wife. I thought that was hilarious. It seemed like he was telling her how young and sprightly he was.
Melvyn Douglas
This is my first time really seeing Douglas. I have seen Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, but don’t remember him from that. I believed that his character loved his wife, but he seemed so desperate and I didn’t like him as much as MacMurray’s character. I’m not sure if this was intentional, but he seemed like he coveted his friend’s wife and then went after her once her husband disappeared. Their relationship and wedding were so fast. That part really didn’t sit well with me and I didn’t want her to pick him.
I did like him at the end. That’s the only part where he seemed kind of fun.
Harry Davenport
This man I recognized too! He played Jean’s father in this movie, but I know him best as Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis! This was fun to see him here. He insists that his daughter pick one man and as soon as possible.
Making a Choice
They actually filmed two endings – one where she picks MacMurray and one where she picks Douglas. More than 10K college students were screened to decide the ending!
****Spoiler:
The college students picked the right guy! She picks MacMurray, but Douglas still plans on hanging around waiting for him to make a mistake, so he can swoop back in. I thought that was pretty underhanded, but as I said, I didn’t like his character as much to begin with. I was still satisfied with the ending! I really liked this one and plan on re-watching My Favorite Wife asap as well!
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I loved reading your review with the film so fresh in my memory. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of My Favourite Wife while watching it. However, I think I preferd this one! I’m also glad with the choice she (well, the judge) made at the end. Somehow I thought one of the guys would end up with the secretary from the beginning! I’ve discovered in the recent year that I much prefer Fred MacMurray in comedy roles than in dramas. I used not to be a fan, but now I’m beginning to see his talent. And has you pointed out, he was hilarious in this. I have not seen a ton of Melvyn Douglas’s films, but I would definitely recommend you to see Ninotchka, Theodora Goes Wild and of course Being There. I saw that he was in Annie Oaklay which is a fine film but somehow I really don’t remember him in this (it was mostly Barbara Stanwyck’s picture). As for Jean Arthur, well you can’t go wrong with her comedies. Pretty much all the ones bloggers are writing about for this blogathon are worth seeing. Thank you so much for this great and fun collaboration to my blogathon!
I thought that about the secretary too! That scene with her was so weird haha
Ikr! I mean, it the end if it hadn’t been there the rest of the story wouldn’t have change much..
Oh my gosh, Kristen, this movie looks like so much fun! That clip was an absolute riot to watch! 😀 I’m a big fan of Melvyn Douglas, who had excellent deadpan comedic timing, so it is already funny to think of him being in a situation like this one. Fred is someone who I greatly enjoy in screwbally roles. I think the grumpiness you mentioned is a definitive part of his act which is not unlike Melvyn in films like MR. BLANDINGS. This was quite an introduction for you considering the talent line-up in this picture. I will certainly be watching this the first chance I get!
I’ve not seen this film, and why is that! It sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for this fab review!
I actually wrote a paper about this film and My Favorite Wife for my last grad school course earlier this year! While I think I prefer My Favorite Wife, this one is so fascinating to me because of the wife’s clear enjoyment in having two husbands and the somewhat ambiguous ending. For a Code film, it’s pretty risque. It’s also really interesting how it handles the same situation as My Favorite Wife in a different way.
I hope you’ll seek out more films with Melvyn Douglas! He is one of my favorites and he is so underrated. As Virginie said, I’d recommend Ninotchka, but I also love Third Finger, Left Hand with Myrna Loy, A Woman’s Face with Joan Crawford, and Two-Faced Woman (which has a really bad reputation but I happen to like it a lot).
Aaah, this looks adorable. And I have to add to everyone’s Melvyn Douglas recs–he’s also really good in “Captains Courageous,” although his part is kinda small. 🙂
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