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I Was a Male War Bride

I Was a Male War Bride

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A real treat!
Review: A fantastic film that gets better with age! Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan are perfect in their roles as a French army officer and a WAC lieutenant. At first they can't stand each other, but later realize they're madly in love. They later marry but encounter trouble when due to military rules, Henri Rochard (Grant) can only enter the U.S. as a war bride. This comedy will constantly remind the viewer of Cary Grant's flair for comedy. This is an excellent film that will keep you laughing! Get your copy today; you'll be glad you did!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mr. and Mrs? Or Is It Mrs. and Mrs?
Review: A good old fashioned laugh feast is guaranteed in Howard Hawk's rollicking farce set in post war Europe "I Was a Male War Bride". Cary Grant was always superb in these types of disgruntled male lead roles where he often found himself being put through the emotional ringer by a woman who generally has the upper hand on him. In this funny story the woman in question is the lovely Ann Sheridan who causes poor Cary no end of discomfort and frustration all in the name of true love and in wanting to be fully "man and wife" in the real sense of the term. Unfortunately in this story achieving that seemingly simple state of being is no easy accomplishment and it provides the viewer with many funny sequences that are sure to amuse and indeed surprise some die hard Cary Grant fans.

Cary Grant plays french Officer Henri Rochard who is part of the occuping forces in postwar Germany who are responsible for getting the country back to it's proper operation. He has a real love /hate working relationship with American WAC Lt. Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan in one of her best roles)who in whatever situation they find themselves together in always manages to "get Henri's goat" The pair find themselves continually assigned to various duties together with Henri generally always coming out of these encounters the worst as in the example of his recent brush with the wise cracking Lt. where his private parts took on a strange colour thanks to a vat of blue dye he was dumped in all in the name of duty! Assigned to track down a black market ring the pair grudgingly find themselves going through all sorts of funny situations to achieve that ta

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A timeless comedy, one of Mr. Grant's Finest comedic skits!!
Review: A thought-provoking, Belly-aching look at life, love and marriage told during WWI. Mr. Grant's performance climaxes to the peak of hillarity when He must don a wig-made from the mane of a Horses tail-hose, skirt--the whole nine just to make it into the United States--Leaglly W/ his new Bride..Or was HE the bride? Find out for yourself...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Timeless humour
Review: Ann Sheridan is a perfect match for Cary Grant in this romantic comedy that involves a French army officer (Grant) and an American WAC (Sheridan) who share a mission in post-WWII Germany. Their relationship moves from mutual antagonism to love. The situation becomes complicated when they decide to marry & return to the US with Grant as the war bride.

Two aspects of the movie, made in 1949, stand out - Grant, as a French army officer who speaks not a word of French, and the on-location filming which adds tremendously to the overall impression of the film. It is very similar in this respect to Roman Holiday made four years later with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck . A studio-bound version would have possibly turned this from a classic comedy to a forgettable farce.

Highly recommended. One of my all-time top 10.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Grant and Sheridan Good Together
Review: Cary Grant stars as a French officer looking into the black market in postwar Occupied Germany. He is assigned American officer Ann Sheridan as an assistant, a woman with whom he has had a previous relationship which appears to have ended badly. There are obvious sparks between them, and as they endure a series of misadventures (usually at the expense of Grant), they become close again, marry, and then face another series of misadventures as they try to find a way to get Grant back to the U.S. as a "war bride". Grant is in good comedic form here, although a little sour as the Frenchman who finds the road to romance filled with more than a few potholes. Sheridan, sometimes wasted in her earlier roles at Warner Bros, is warm and engaging and has very good chemistry with Grant. There are a number of good lines and fun situations for the twosome, and the sight of Grant in drag, with the worst wig imaginable, is well worth a good laugh. But I did find the pacing of the movie to be off a bit, which surprised me given that the film was directed by the great Howard Hawks. It moves a bit slowly at times and needed a little more energy. But it's a fun comedy that benefits greatly from its two stars and their easy, expert performances.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not as good as other Grant comedies.
Review: Compared to such classics as Bringing Up Baby and Mr. Blandings Build His Dream House, Grant is not in top comedic form here. I agree with a previous reviewer that the pacing of the movie is off and lacks that true screwball energy. But it is still pleasant and fun. Be ready to suspend your disbelief, too, because Grant is about as French as Tony Blair.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Was impressed
Review: Everyone else covers the plot well enough. I was impressed by the quality of DVD for the price. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very enjoyable movie
Review: French officer Henri Rochard (Cary Grant) marries an American officer Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan) - he actually has to marry her three times - only to find that he has nowhere to spend his wedding night. To make matters worse, the only way he can travel with her to the US is as a war bride. The movie alternates between the subplot of Grant trying to find a place to sleep and trying to get on his wife's ship to the US as her Male War Bride.

The movie is not as funny as some of the other Grant films (i.e. "Operation Petticoat" or "Arsenic and Old Lace"), but that is partially due to the fact that he makes such outstanding movies that just Good appears inferior. Grant carries this film from beginning to end, but it would have been better if he had more support. However, there is no question that it is still worth watching. Plan to laugh out loud some and smile a lot.

The transfer to video is not as good as it could be. The scenes appear faded and sometimes the words are indistinct. The colonized version may improve the picture quality.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: CLASSIC HAWKS'S SCREWBALL IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW TRANSFER
Review: Howard Hawk's "I Was A Male War Bride" has become a benchmark in screwball comedy. Grant plays a French officer stationed in post-war Germany, who falls for stubborn American WAC officer, Ann Sheridan. This is one of those great comedy of errors, in which two people, destined to be together by the final fade out, have to go through the rarest of hoops to acheive their blissful conclusion.
TRANSFER: In a word - gorgeous! A stunning black and white picture with an exceptionally balanced gray scale. Near pristine film elements - perfect contrast levels, solid blacks and NO DIGITAL ANOMALIES, result in a smooth visual presentation that can't be beat. The audio is mono but well balanced.
EXTRAS: NONE! Oh well, nobody's perfect!
BOTTOM LINE: An absolute must for collectors.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Over-rated Cary Grant vehicle. Not one of his best.
Review: I know this film is supposed to be a classic, but I wasn't pleased with this purchase. The gags seemed obvious and tired. Cary seemed tired. This was really the beginning of his most lackluster period on screen. This and the films that followed (CRISIS, PEOPLE WILL TALK, ROOM FOR ONE MORE, DREAM WIFE, MONKEY BUSINESS were all pretty disappointing efforts).

Ann Sheridan was better in her earlier roles at Warners. She seems wasted here.


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