Reviews (27)

VINTAGE SCREWBALL COMEDY...
This early nineteen forties film is a romantic and comedic farce. It centers on a married couple in which the wife was believed lost at sea and presumed dead. It turned out that she was marooned for seven years on a desert island with another man until finally rescued inadvertently. She arrives home on the morning in which her lawyer husband has had her declared dead and remarried another woman. Let the games begin!

Irene Dunne and Gary Grant are the star-crossed couple who find each other again. Cary Grant is excellent, while Ms. Dunne, who is usually sensational, palls a bit in her role, in part due to her difficulty in deciding what accent she should use when reciting her lines. She is still quite good in her role, however, due to her innate ability to charm the viewer. Gail Patrick is excellent as the second wife, giving an icy hauteur to her character. Randolph Scott is terrific as the hunky man with whom Irene Dunne was marooned. Ann Shoemaker is very good as the mother-in-law who warmly welcomes Irene Dunne back into the fold. Look for two absolutely marvelous performance by old time character actors, Donald MacBride, as the confused and outraged hotel manager, and Granville Bates, as the drolly funny judge. They practically steal the show.

The movie has its moments and can be quite funny, at times. The funniest moment is the pool scene in which Cary Grant views his rival for the first time. His reaction to his rival's attractiveness and athleticism at the pool is quite priceless. At other times, the scenes seem a bit forced. While this is not a bad vintage, screwball comedy, it is not the best. There are better ones out there, though those who enjoy vintage films should enjoy this one, whether in the original black and white or the colorized version. I myself prefer the 1963 remake titled "Move Over, Darling", starring James Garner and Doris Day in the lead roles.

I just love Carey Grant
Movies today just seem to a lot of "In your face" action, that is one of reasons that I so much enjoy older movies like "My Favorite Wife" with Carey Grant and Irene Dunne.
Lawyer Nick Arden (Carey Grant) is man with a serious problem. On the day that his first wife Ellen (Irene Dunne) was declared dead and he get remarried to Bianca (Gail Patrick), Ellen shows up a live and well after being stuck on a south pacific island for the last seven years. Needless to say comedy happens as Ellen tries to reclaim her husband and family.
Some viewers will relize that "Move over Darling" with Doris Day and James Garner is a remake of "My Favorite Wife" but let assure you "My Favorite Wife" is much better due the acting of both Dunne and Grant and should not be missed.

Amusing Farce.
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.

I hate to say it...
...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.) There are many far funnier, better scripted and directed Grant comedies.

2.5 stars

BLACK & WHITE
Don't worry, I just bought it and the box says B&W/88 Mins. - that must mean Black & White. Fabulous movie! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Ginger Rogers stars as a department store salesclerk about to be laidoff after the Christmas holiday, who happens to be passing an orphanage when a woman leaves a baby on the doorstep. The orphanage assumes that Rogers is the mother, despite her protests; when they contact the department store, the owner's son (David Niven) decides to restore her job so that she can take care of the child. Before long, rumors are flying that Niven is the child's father, which fills Niven's father (the great character actor Charles Coburn) with joy. The plot expertly weaves a deliciously funny web of assumptions and denials, with Rogers, Niven, and Coburn turning in topnotch performances--Rogers, who sometimes overplays her comic parts, is brilliantly understated in what is one of her best roles. These great actors are combined with a smart script from Norman Krasna (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, It Started with Eve) and smooth direction from Garson Kanin (My Favorite Wife). Bachelor Mother is one of the most underappreciated gems of the screwball comedy era. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (19)

An underrated delight!
In several of Ginger Rogers movies with Fred Astaire she comes across as a true comedienne. But in this movie with David Niven she is a sheer delight as the urban woman who is suddenly landed with a baby. It is chok-full of magnificent one-liners and quirky situations between Ginger Rogers and David Niven, not to mention Charles Coburn, who is often forgotten, even though he was truly great. The chemistry between G.R and D.N. reminds me of the worlds funniest married couple, William Powell and Myrna Loy of "Thin man"-fame. The script by Garson Kanin is wonderfully executed and I recommend this movie highly.

Ginger and David are wonderful together.
This is the sweetest movie based upon a highly unlikely plot device. Ginger finds a baby on a door-step and David Niven refuses to believe the baby is not hers. Ginger and David are wonderful together. This movie proves that Rogers is a great actress. She leads you into the story with seemless acting. A very funny comedy.

Bachelor Mother
Wonderful old movie, funny, good plot, good writing, good action. Excellent.

A Classic Comedy From An Innocent Time
This is a hilarious comedy of assumptions with a very strong cast. Ginger Rogers, David Niven and Charles Coburn all star in this delightful comedy.

Ginger Rogers is a store clerk who happens to see a woman leaving a baby at the door of a church. She rushes forward to tell the woman not to do such a thing when suddenly the woman flees and the door opens. Ginger is assumed to be the mother of the baby and the priest insists that she keeps the child. And from there the story springs.

The Church, in their role of helping, interferes at the store to make sure Ginger keeps her job so that she can raise the child. This brings her to the attention of her boss. Fascination and romance follow.

Ginger is like a rider on a roller coaster. She can not get off or change things. She must hold on as best she can until the ride ends.

This movie is wonderful and delightful, but only really works if one accepts the innocent nature of films of the day. Ginger is accused of having a baby. Even the people she has worked with every day believe it. All this despite that fact that in the movie Ginger has a waist of about sixteen inches and there is no way she could have been pregnant without everyone seeing her condition. But that aside, it is a truly wonderful film.

"A Funny Case of Unexpected Motherhood"
This is one of the few Ginger Rodgers movies in which she is very funny in. When Rodgers finds a baby and is mistaken for the baby's mother and that is when the fun begins. David Niven is delightful as well. One thing that I remember about this movie is when Niven tries to exchange a child's toy (the store had a no refund policy) in his own store and Rodgers is standing right behind him mumbling word from word what the cashier's says. I won't tell the rest but I laughed and it keeps you entertained too ... Read more

Reviews (19)

An underrated delight!
In several of Ginger Rogers movies with Fred Astaire she comes across as a true comedienne. But in this movie with David Niven she is a sheer delight as the urban woman who is suddenly landed with a baby. It is chok-full of magnificent one-liners and quirky situations between Ginger Rogers and David Niven, not to mention Charles Coburn, who is often forgotten, even though he was truly great. The chemistry between G.R and D.N. reminds me of the worlds funniest married couple, William Powell and Myrna Loy of "Thin man"-fame. The script by Garson Kanin is wonderfully executed and I recommend this movie highly.

Ginger and David are wonderful together.
This is the sweetest movie based upon a highly unlikely plot device. Ginger finds a baby on a door-step and David Niven refuses to believe the baby is not hers. Ginger and David are wonderful together. This movie proves that Rogers is a great actress. She leads you into the story with seemless acting. A very funny comedy.

Bachelor Mother
Wonderful old movie, funny, good plot, good writing, good action. Excellent.

A Classic Comedy From An Innocent Time
This is a hilarious comedy of assumptions with a very strong cast. Ginger Rogers, David Niven and Charles Coburn all star in this delightful comedy.

Ginger Rogers is a store clerk who happens to see a woman leaving a baby at the door of a church. She rushes forward to tell the woman not to do such a thing when suddenly the woman flees and the door opens. Ginger is assumed to be the mother of the baby and the priest insists that she keeps the child. And from there the story springs.

The Church, in their role of helping, interferes at the store to make sure Ginger keeps her job so that she can raise the child. This brings her to the attention of her boss. Fascination and romance follow.

Ginger is like a rider on a roller coaster. She can not get off or change things. She must hold on as best she can until the ride ends.

This movie is wonderful and delightful, but only really works if one accepts the innocent nature of films of the day. Ginger is accused of having a baby. Even the people she has worked with every day believe it. All this despite that fact that in the movie Ginger has a waist of about sixteen inches and there is no way she could have been pregnant without everyone seeing her condition. But that aside, it is a truly wonderful film.

"A Funny Case of Unexpected Motherhood"
This is one of the few Ginger Rodgers movies in which she is very funny in. When Rodgers finds a baby and is mistaken for the baby's mother and that is when the fun begins. David Niven is delightful as well. One thing that I remember about this movie is when Niven tries to exchange a child's toy (the store had a no refund policy) in his own store and Rodgers is standing right behind him mumbling word from word what the cashier's says. I won't tell the rest but I laughed and it keeps you entertained too ... Read more

Reviews (1)

FOR THE LOVE OF LUCY.
In this, the second film directed by a very young Garson Kanin, Lucille Ball plays Nancy, a gal who's in love with Lee Bowman, a foreigner: she will inherit an incredible $20 million provided she gets herself a "real" American husband. James Ellison plays the ditch-digging Yank Lucy chooses to hitch in order to grab the cabbage - and then rush for Reno in order to get a quickie divorce... Bickering and battling with each other, the duo endure a wild trailer ride en route to Nevada (which is reminiscent of that in THE LONG, LONG TRAILER) & there is the predictable outcome. Implausible but enjoyable nevertheless, there is a lot of action which goes on without any rhyme or reason, but Ball (her eyebrows are a'la Harlow or Dietrich here) is in fine form and she and Ellison play well together. This little flick was actually considered RKO's best "B" comedy of 1938 - which isn't saying all that much. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

VINTAGE SCREWBALL COMEDY...
This early nineteen forties film is a romantic and comedic farce. It centers on a married couple in which the wife was believed lost at sea and presumed dead. It turned out that she was marooned for seven years on a desert island with another man until finally rescued inadvertently. She arrives home on the morning in which her lawyer husband has had her declared dead and remarried another woman. Let the games begin!

Irene Dunne and Gary Grant are the star-crossed couple who find each other again. Cary Grant is excellent, while Ms. Dunne, who is usually sensational, palls a bit in her role, in part due to her difficulty in deciding what accent she should use when reciting her lines. She is still quite good in her role, however, due to her innate ability to charm the viewer. Gail Patrick is excellent as the second wife, giving an icy hauteur to her character. Randolph Scott is terrific as the hunky man with whom Irene Dunne was marooned. Ann Shoemaker is very good as the mother-in-law who warmly welcomes Irene Dunne back into the fold. Look for two absolutely marvelous performance by old time character actors, Donald MacBride, as the confused and outraged hotel manager, and Granville Bates, as the drolly funny judge. They practically steal the show.

The movie has its moments and can be quite funny, at times. The funniest moment is the pool scene in which Cary Grant views his rival for the first time. His reaction to his rival's attractiveness and athleticism at the pool is quite priceless. At other times, the scenes seem a bit forced. While this is not a bad vintage, screwball comedy, it is not the best. There are better ones out there, though those who enjoy vintage films should enjoy this one, whether in the original black and white or the colorized version. I myself prefer the 1963 remake titled "Move Over, Darling", starring James Garner and Doris Day in the lead roles.

I just love Carey Grant
Movies today just seem to a lot of "In your face" action, that is one of reasons that I so much enjoy older movies like "My Favorite Wife" with Carey Grant and Irene Dunne.
Lawyer Nick Arden (Carey Grant) is man with a serious problem. On the day that his first wife Ellen (Irene Dunne) was declared dead and he get remarried to Bianca (Gail Patrick), Ellen shows up a live and well after being stuck on a south pacific island for the last seven years. Needless to say comedy happens as Ellen tries to reclaim her husband and family.
Some viewers will relize that "Move over Darling" with Doris Day and James Garner is a remake of "My Favorite Wife" but let assure you "My Favorite Wife" is much better due the acting of both Dunne and Grant and should not be missed.

Amusing Farce.
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.

I hate to say it...
...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.) There are many far funnier, better scripted and directed Grant comedies.

2.5 stars

BLACK & WHITE
Don't worry, I just bought it and the box says B&W/88 Mins. - that must mean Black & White. Fabulous movie! ... Read more