My Favorite Wife1940
My Favorite Wife (1940)
My Favorite Wife Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Ellen Arden
as Nick Arden
as Stephen Burkett
as Bianca
as Ma
as Tim Arden
as Chinch Arden
as Hotel Clerk
as Johnson
as Judge
as Dr. Kohlmar
as Dr. Manning
as Henri
as Assistant Clerk
as Bartender
as Court Clerk
as Contestant
as Truck Driver
as Lawyer
as Lawyer
as Witness
as Witness
as Phillip
as Assistant Court Clerk
as Photographer
as Miss Rosenthal
as Truck Driver
as Little Man
as Janitor
as Waiter
as Clerk of Court
as Detective
as Caretaker
Critic Reviews for My Favorite Wife
All Critics (13) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (2) | DVD (2)
Ninety minutes of delightfully irrational comedy.
A relatively formulaic (though beautifully produced) bedroom comedy...
The direction of Garson Kanin is spotty, and there is evidence of faults in editing -- but who cares?
While it's pleasant enough, the freshness is definitely off the bloom.
Garson Kanin is not Leo McCarey, who was originally assigned to direct this screwball comedy, reuniting Cary Grant and Irene Dunne (Awful Truth), but he has made a well acted, decent, and enjoyable film.
Nowadays, we would call this the purview of a low-rent TV sitcom. Watching it play out 70 years earlier with top-flight stars doesn't make it any more palatable.
Audience Reviews for My Favorite Wife
i liked this one better than "the awful truth" (a more popular, more well known film), although i don't know why...maybe it's simply the premise appeals to some wacked out sense of comedy i've got somewhere in my attic
Super Reviewer
My Favorite Wife is one of the lesser, lighter Cary Grant movies. In it, he plays a man whose wife is lost at sea. Seven years later, he goes to the judge to have her declared dead so that he may re-marry. No sooner does he re-marry when his first wife comes wandering back home. She had been living on a tropical island for the last seven years and had only been rescued recently by a passing freighter. Naturally, from this all sorts of chaos arises. Well, some minor chaos. This film is listed as a starring vehicle for Irene Dunne (the original wife), so it's little wonder the new wife (Gail Patrick) is barely in the picture at all. There's very little controversy or dilemma involved on the husband's part. He never considers the new wife, even for a little bit. There's a couple of cute gags, mostly involving the guy Dunne was stuck on the island with (Randolph Scott), but this film is way too slight to make anyone go out of their way to see it.
Super Reviewer
Dunne and Grant were teamed many a time, but this film seems a bit broader, and filled with moments where you have to suspend your disbelief, including Dunne's tragic circumstances, and Grant's state of marital contentedness. It's all lovey dovey and amazingly sweet, but it specifically works because the two compliment each other with their zany antics and wanton disregard for lack of wit and candor.
Super Reviewer
My Favorite Wife Quotes
| Nick Arden: | Impulsive? He's full of carrots! |