Rating: 
Summary: I hate to say it...
Review: ...but this is a pretty weak movie. I'm a huge Cary Grant fan and think his charisma, versatility, and impeccable comic timing are justly legendary. My Favorite Wife just barely slides by on those strengths, along with Irene Dunne's charm. The writing is clunky, clumsy, and--worst of all--rarely particularly funny. The situations in this movie could have been flat-out hilarious but instead only manage to be mildly amusing. Unless you're a Grant completist, there's no rush to get this one. (Just wait until TCM inevitably airs it again.) 2.5 stars
Rating: 
Summary: Fine, light prewar comedy with Cary Grant in peak form
Review: A genuinely bizarre screwball comedy, starring Cary Grant as a man who has just remarried after his wife (Irene Dunne) has been declared legally dead, having gone missing for several years following a shipwreck in the Pacific. Naturally, she shows up the very same day, only to find her beloved hubby remarried and the kids all grown up, with no idea she's their mom. But, for some reason, neither Grant nor Dunne can muster the courage to tell anyone right away what has gone wrong (it'd be an awful short film if they did...) and though that aspect of the movie is completely implausible, the film itself is predictably fun. Several interesting aspects to the production... first off, Cary Grant is at his absolute most drop-dead gorgeous; just looking at him light up the screen makes up for any deficiencies in the script. Dunne, who I usually find unappealling, also looks pretty good here, as does Randolph Scott (who plays Grant's romantic rival)... I suspect the cinematographer is largely to thank; the lighting on this film was very skillful, and brought out the best in all these stars. Also check out the elaborate set design on the scenes that replicate the famous Awahnee Hotel, in Yosemite Valley... You can tell it's not quite the real deal... but -- man! -- is the set design impressive! Not the greatest film ever, but still a nice slice of fun, prewar entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: HILARIOUS MARRIAGE FARCE
Review: A thoroughly delightful romp with the legendary team of Grant and Dunne. Returning to her newly re-married husband and their children in their home in Monterey, California, Ellen Arden is flabbergasted at the sight of the tall and icey Gail Patrick who has taken her place! Ellen was thought long dead after the customary seven years, but in reality, she survived a near fatality and had lived on a desolate island with another man! Based upon the ancient Enoch Arden theme which dates from the 1860's, this merry romantic maritial mix-up holds up as one of Hollywood's funniest flicks of the forties. As usual, Grant and Dunne are terrific in their comedic exchanges and Gail Patrick is cold and cynical in a role typically played by her. A memorable scene has Patrick showing off her newly acquired wedding ring to Dunne. Irene says with with her eyes blazing and her teeth flinching - "I used to have one just like it - EXACTLY like it!!" Predictible yet highly amusing is this feature which was re-made in the sixties as the inferior (yet watchable) MOVE OVER DARLING with Doris Day, James Garner and Chuck Conners.
Rating:
Summary: HILARIOUS CHARMER FROM 1940.
Review: Although this isn't quite on a par with their 1937 comedy smash hit THE AWFUL TRUTH, Grant and Dunne shine in this cheery film. Ellen Arden (Irene Dunne), lost on a desert island for seven years, turns up just after she has been declared legally dead and after her husband, Nick (Cary Grant), has married icey Bianca (Gail Patrick). Although her Ellen's children don't recognise her, the dog does (!). In order to see her husband, Ellen arrives at the new couple's honeymoon hotel where Nick spots her....Tennyson's plot for ENOCH ARDEN, which is the source for this film, was one of the most durable in Hollywood. This type of comedy was, of course, Cary Grant's forte, and he plays it to perfection. For instance, when he first sees Ellen, he's in an elevator. The doors are closing: leaving his feet in place, he leans sideways until he is touching the opposite wall, his body completely on the bias. Because it is enacted by Grant, the scene looks like the most natural behaviour in the world, and he carries it off beautifully. Overall, Irene Dunne (she was 41 here) is lighthearted and cute: she convinces the audience that if Nick were to lose her, it would be a great mistake. Donald McBride is a kick as the suspicious hotel clerk, contorting his face into a bulldog pout and popping his eyes in amazement when Grant checks in with another wife. This colourised version is advantageous because the print is sharp and clear.
Rating:
Summary: a classic of the early 1940's
Review: Cary Grant and Irene Dunne shine in this zany comedy of 1940. Irene Dunne is the wife who re-appears five years after supposedly drowning at sea. Cary Grant is now just re-married to a high society woman (Gail Patrick) and Dunne has found them at the hotel as their honeymoon begins. The acting is superb and the chemistry between the two stars makes this movie an unforgettable classic. In 1963, James Garner and Doris Day starred in the remake "Move Over Darling" which was a poor substitute for the original.
Rating:
Summary: MY FAVORITE CARY GRANT FILM
Review: CARY GRANT IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE ACTOR AND I AM COLLECTING ALL OF HIS MOVIES IN BLACK&WHITE,COLOR AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN COLORIZED.BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS ONE IN ANY COLOR. I WANT THEM ALL. I HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE ON TV MANY TIMES AND I RENT IT TOO. IT IS A TYPICAL GRANT ROMANTIC COMEDY AS ONLY CARY CAN DO. HE IS HANDSOME AND YET HE COULD BE SO SILLY AND MAKE IT SEEM SO NATURAL
Rating:
Summary: i love cary grant/all of his movies he is the greatest actor
Review: cary grant is the greatest actor of the century caRY MADE ME CRY WHEN HE WAS GIVEN AN EMMY GOD BLESS CARY GRANT HE WAS NOT ONLY A GENTLEMAN HE WAS ALSO AN ANGEL/MAY GOD BLESS YOU CARY GRANT/ALSO MAY THE LORD BLESS JENNIFER YOU ARE THE ONE AND ONLY YOU ARE THE ULTIMATE LEADING MAN I LOVE YOU CARY ALWAYS
Rating:
Summary: BLACK & WHITE
Review: Don't worry, I just bought it and the box says B&W/88 Mins. - that must mean Black & White. Fabulous movie!
Rating:
Summary: Amusing Farce.
Review: Here is another fun DVD for fans of classic romantic comedies. I found it to be consistently amusing, although it is not in the same class as "Bringing Up Baby" or "The Philadelphia Story". After seven years of grieving over the apparent loss of his wife in a shipwreck, Nick ( Cary Grant ) marries another woman, Bianca, ( Gail Patrick ), only to discover on his honeymoon that wife # 1--Ellen ( Irene Dunne ) is back, very much alive and kicking. Naturally, Ellen wants to pick up where she left off with her husband, as well as a young son and daughter. Nick is "dazed and confused"--as only Cary Grant can be--and makes the situation much worse through his reluctance to break the news to Bianca. At the same time, Nick discovers that his "first wife" spent the better part of the seven years on an island, alone with another man--a hunky, athletic guy named Burkett ( Randolph Scott ). How will this hilarious mess turn out ? Get the disc and see. We have another superb comedic perfomance from Cary Grant. Irene Dunne is fine as Ellen, "returned from the dead" and determined, by any means, to win her husband back. Gail Patrick's performance is a nice contrast to her sudden "competition"--icy, haughty and seriously "not amused" !
Randolph Scott--usually quite stoic in his many westerns--seems to be having a ball here. In support, special kudos to scene-stealing Donald MacBride as the hotel clerk, who has to book separate suites for each of Cary's "women"--his incredulous face is priceless. The DVD is black and white, and shows a fair bit of wear in places--not enough to spoil your fun though. Keep in mind, the film was made in 1940. The disc also includes a trailer for the film, a radio program with Ms. Dunne, and a funny short film starring humourist Robert Benchley on the perils of showing "Home Movies" to your "lucky" friends ! On the whole, a very nice package. Bottom line--a witty script and a solid cast will give you a very pleasant hour and a half's entertainment. Good fun for fans of old-fashioned comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing Farce.
Review: Here is another fun DVD for fans of classic romantic comedies. I found it to be consistently amusing, although it is not in the same class as "Bringing Up Baby" or "The Philadelphia Story". After seven years of grieving over the apparent loss of his wife in a shipwreck, Nick ( Cary Grant ) marries another woman, Bianca, ( Gail Patrick ), only to discover on his honeymoon that wife # 1--Ellen ( Irene Dunne ) is back, very much alive and kicking. Naturally, Ellen wants to pick up where she left off with her husband, as well as a young son and daughter. Nick is "dazed and confused"--as only Cary Grant can be--and makes the situation much worse through his reluctance to break the news to Bianca. At the same time, Nick discovers that his "first wife" spent the better part of the seven years on an island, alone with another man--a hunky, athletic guy named Burkett ( Randolph Scott ). How will this hilarious mess turn out ? Get the disc and see. We have another superb comedic perfomance from Cary Grant. Irene Dunne is fine as Ellen, "returned from the dead" and determined, by any means, to win her husband back. Gail Patrick's performance is a nice contrast to her sudden "competition"--icy, haughty and seriously "not amused" !
Randolph Scott--usually quite stoic in his many westerns--seems to be having a ball here. In support, special kudos to scene-stealing Donald MacBride as the hotel clerk, who has to book separate suites for each of Cary's "women"--his incredulous face is priceless. The DVD is black and white, and shows a fair bit of wear in places--not enough to spoil your fun though. Keep in mind, the film was made in 1940. The disc also includes a trailer for the film, a radio program with Ms. Dunne, and a funny short film starring humourist Robert Benchley on the perils of showing "Home Movies" to your "lucky" friends ! On the whole, a very nice package. Bottom line--a witty script and a solid cast will give you a very pleasant hour and a half's entertainment. Good fun for fans of old-fashioned comedy.
|
