In the tradition of the Palm Beach Story and It Happened One Night - the great Sam Wood (The Devil and Miss Jones) directs this screwball romantic comedy starring Claudette Colbert (Since You Went Away) and her Midnight co-star Don Ameche (Moon Over Miami) about a wild marital mix-up. Determined to impress his old-fashioned sentimental boss, a quick-thinking unmarried foreign correspondent (Ameche) talks his best friend's bride (Colbert) to pose as his wife. When the hoax gets hopelessly out of hand, he nearly ruins the couple's honeymoon and their marriage. The Guest Wife is practically a hidden treasure from Hollywood's heyday of screwball comedies with two legendary stars and a great supporting cast of Charles Dingle, Grant Mitchell, Chester Clute and Richard Foran as Colbert's husband and Ameche's best friend. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Joseph A. Valentine (Shadow of a Doubt).
S**N
ok Colbert but not her best
Conservative small town Ohio husband and wife are off to NYC when a prankster/rabble-rouser friend of the husband's shows up. From there on the plot is set--the guy has lied to those in his life in NYC about being married to his friend's wife. The movie really didn't do it for me. As I have said I love Colbert. And two her films are my top favorites. But this isn't one of them. I do find it interesting (again) in comparing American society back then to today. I mean you have the hotel investigator lecturing a guy suspected of "immoral behavior" on the Ten Commandments. Today people are suing each other over the presence of the Ten Commandments in court houses and personal prayer in schools. You have a banker secretly adhering to an audit at night before word gets out one of his employees is under suspicion on "moral charges" as people would "lose confidence in the bank and pull their money out" back then. Today bankers are lying/cheating and never go to prison let alone cause banks to fold. But this movie took place long before the foreign invasion of Jews after WWII and the rest of the world thereafter. Oh well. Nice experiment America was I say. Anyway other than this tidbit time capsule of early American culture this movie was a little boring to me.
C**L
Good value
Like the movie,. Good price
K**0
Great Movie!
Hilarious. I really enjoy a good screwball comedy, and this was a great one! I collect screwball comedies and was so glad to add this one to my collection. Even though my husband and I are from a much younger generation, these were the movies that were genuinely funny with wonderful actors!
N**R
Claudette is wonderful as always
This is a fun movie for those who like romantic comedies. Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche team up again in this cute story about two friends and the predicament that one gets himself into. Don Ameche finds himself having to borrow his best friends wife in order to fool his boss that she is his wife. Let the laughter start. Do they pull it off or don't they? A great light and airy comedy for the whole family.
A**R
Great Movie
I received the dvd in great shape and enjoy the movie as all Claudette Colbert shows!
A**W
Good comedy that should be watched
This was a new movie to us. The acting was good. The plot fun. Definitely a winner. Do not expect the dresses to be lovely since the wardrobe matches the times and income of the characters.
N**Y
OK
I am a big fan of Claudette Colbert, and I have most of her movies on DVD. This is a screwball comedy, but not one of her best. I prefer another of her movies titled "Midnight." It is a very funny Cinderella story, with some of the most hilarious dialogue I have ever heard in any other comedy.
J**.
Movie to make you smile
I love Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche. So for me this was a no brainer. Just a light hearted comedy.
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