A Letter to Three Wives

Starring:Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas, Barbara Lawrence, Jeffrey Lynn, Connie Gilchrist, Florence Bates, Hobart Cavanaugh, Joe Bautista, Patti Brady, Mae Marsh, Thelma Ritter, Stuart Holmes, Ruth Vivian, Ralph Brooks, Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer, George Offerman Jr., Sammy Finn
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Before he made the classic All About Eve, writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz made this clever story about three wives who spend an afternoon at a children's picnic mulling over a letter all three had just received, from a woman who says she's just run off with one of their husbands. As the wives--a former farm girl (Jeanne Crain), a radio soap opera writer (Ann Sothern), and a social climber from the wrong side of the tracks (Linda Darnell)--mull over the troubles of their marriages, each begins to think that she's the one left behind. A Letter to Three Wives doesn't have the crackling show-biz milieu of Eve, but it has the same mix of snappy dialogue and topnotch performances. The tone ranges from florid sentiment to unblinking cynicism, yet Mankiewicz holds it all together with smooth, witty direction. Also featuring Kirk Douglas and the great character actress Thelma Ritter. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Joseph Mankiewicz's unique intriguing comedy stars Ann Southern, Linda Darnell and Jeanne Crain as three wives who must wait out a long day to learn which of them has lost her husband to another woman.

Amazon.com essential video

Before he made the classic All About Eve, writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz made this clever story about three wives who spend an afternoon at a children's picnic mulling over a letter all three had just received, from a woman who says she's just run off with one of their husbands. As the wives--a former farm girl (Jeanne Crain), a radio soap opera writer (Ann Sothern), and a social climber from the wrong side of the tracks (Linda Darnell)--mull over the troubles of their marriages, each begins to think that she's the one left behind. A Letter to Three Wives doesn't have the crackling show-biz milieu of Eve, but it has the same mix of snappy dialogue and topnotch performances. The tone ranges from florid sentiment to unblinking cynicism, yet Mankiewicz holds it all together with smooth, witty direction. Also featuring Kirk Douglas and the great character actress Thelma Ritter. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Joseph Mankiewicz's unique intriguing comedy stars Ann Southern, Linda Darnell and Jeanne Crain as three wives who must wait out a long day to learn which of them has lost her husband to another woman.

Customer Reviews:

A Letter to Three Wives.......2007-06-21

The legendary Joe Mankiewcz received direction and screenplay Oscars for this sharp little gem, too often eclipsed by his masterful follow-up, "All About Eve". "Wives" uses a clever narrative device to explore the pettiness of small-town life, and the foibles and insecurities in three marriages, as the three women react to the mysterious note by taking stock of their lives, each knowing one of them is in for a big shock at day's end. Intelligent, incisive, and adult romantic drama. Look for Kirk Douglas in an early role as one of the husbands.

Three Wives unnerved.......2007-05-30

This is an excellent film and the strengths lie as much with the script as they do with the cast. The cast with includes Linda Darnell, Ann Southern, Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, and the always marvelous Thelma Ritter are great, but it is doubtful they would be as good without the incredible script by Joseph L. Mankiewicz who also directed it.

For me, this movie should be shown on a double bill with The Best Years of Our Lives since it sums up so many aspects of the immediate post-war period and almost exists as a marvelous historical document of the concerns and day to anxieties of the period. That so many of these same concerns exist today also makes it still relevent.

The movie follows the concerns of three upper middle class couples all of whom are dealing with a particular set of problems. As the wives are leaving for an outing with underprivilage children, they receive a letter from Addie Ross, who is credited as the perfect woman by the men in tne movie. She announces that she has run off with one of their husbands and this uncertainty provides the dramatic tension of the film. Three distinct episodes follow in which each of the women ponder whether her husband has left. Is it Brad Bishop (whose wife worries about fitting in with her husband's upper class friends), George Phipps (whose wife is trying to have a career and a home) or Porter Hollingsway (whose wife is from the wrong side of the tracks) who has left town with the never seen Ms Ross?

The movie deals with issues such as commericalization, readjustment to civilian life after WWII, social mobility (a thread that runs through all the three stories) and what makes a marriage work. The script is so well done that it keeps the viewer guessing until the last minute who has left with Addie Ross. To be able to tackle all of these issues in an entertaining fashion is what marks this film as the important and still relevent vehicle that it still is.

A LITTLE GEM.......2007-03-28

I have watched this film on a number of occasions over the last 30 years and each time I find something more to enjoy about it. It is undoubtedly politically incorrect by today's standards, emphasising as it does the accepted thinking of the time that a woman was nothing without a successful husband. That aside, it is extremely well acted. Of particular delight is the inimitable Thelma Ritter as Sadie and Celeste Holm doing a superb "voice over" for the unseen Adie Ross. The film has a clever plot, a sharp, snappy script and faultless direction. The casting of Crain, Sothern and Darnell works extremely well, but for me, my favourite character of all has to be Porter Hollingsway, the typical hard nosed businessman with the soft centre, so admirably portrayed by Paul Douglas. I am sure Paul Douglas must have been one of the most under rated actors of his time. Unlike Kirk Douglas, who also appeared in this film, he was not, and did not become, a really "Big Star", possibly due in part to his untimely death in the 1950s. Nevertheless, his excellent portrayal ensures Porter Hollingsway comes over as the most natural and believable of "the three husbands". Overall, a truly super film which never fails to delight and which deserves a much higher profile than it currently receives.

Dated but interesting social document.......2007-03-16

This is a film that has not aged well. The 1948 concerns of women moving in post-war American middle class suburbia are just not biting today. In fact the most interesting characters are those played by Kirk Douglas and Paul Douglas as two of the husbands. The "clever" dialogue is not that clever today - still it does have a few laughs. An interesting social document of the period. Includes a good commentary in the DVD extras.

Mankiewicz at Acerbic Best; Darnell, Crain and Sothern as Nervous Wives.......2007-02-27

World War Two had recently ended and things were settling back to normal in affluent Connecticut suburbia until a bombshell from out of the blue thrust three reasonably contented wives into a state of panic.

Joseph Mankiewicz had a genuine feel for dialogue and human conflict. He directed and wrote "A Letter to Three Wives" in between "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison and his classic of theatrical double and triple dealing, "All About Eve" when newcomer Anne Baxter on the surface seeks to befriend Broadway star Bette Davis while plotting to overthrow her theatrical dynasty.

The 1949 release reveals the women frightened over a letter that a local charmer noted for having her way with men has written to three wives informing them that one of their husband is preparing to run away with her and say goodbye to suburban Connecticut marriage. The question is "Which one?" and this is the driving force that makes this sophisticated Mankiewicz drama a pure delight.

We never see the dazzling woman who has such compelling power and presence over the opposite sex that three beautiful and intelligent women fear that she will run off with her husband. Mankiewicz knew how to tease his viewers, offering them just a little bit, then holding back to leave them begging for more.

This is illustrated by the fact that we never see this woman who seeks to manipulate events behind the scenes and drive three women into torturous tizzy. The voice generates a perfect mix of confident appeal and daring sophistication to convince viewers that this indeed is a woman that the film's three female stars have reason to fear. The narrator is Celeste Holm, who got her big break in "Oklahoma" on Broadway and would be cast as Bette Davis's best friend in "All About Eve."

Jeanne Crain exudes a sweet and sincere beauty, the kind that could attract a man like Jeffrey Lynn, her stalwart husband who demonstrates solidity. Crain is fearful that her homespun manner might not be sophisticated and worldly enough to compete with the likes of Addie Ross, the woman behind the scenes.

Ann Sothern is a woman of shrewdness and creativity who feels edgy over the fact that, as a writer of radio soap operas, she makes more money than her intellectual schoolteacher husband. Mankiewicz sets up a fascinating clash between Sothern's husband Kirk Douglas and his wife's bosses, the producers of the soap opera drama for which Sothern writes. Their commercialism and anti-intellectualism disgust Douglas. He gets even in the manner of a teacher by correcting the female boss' grammar.

Linda Darnell grew up literally next to the tracks. The trains pass by at speedy clips and the apartment where she resides with her mother and sister rocks. Linda, a sales girl at the town department store, sees an opportunity to move up the local social ladder when Paul Douglas, the store's owner, expresses romantic interest.

Darnell seeks to steer a discrete course between displaying interest and playing hard to get, eventually winning her man.

The scenes in the apartment being rocked back and forth periodically by jolts from trains speeding down tracks while Darnell's mother, Connie Gilchrist, along with her friend Thelma Ritter drink beer and play cards, deliver superb comic relief from the unfolding domestic suspense.

Ritter delivers her usual saucy lines as the film's Greek Chorus, a role she would soon reprise for Mankiewicz as Bette Davis's lady in waiting in "All About Eve" and eventually for Alfred Hitchcock as she lectures James Stewart on why he should marry Grace Kelly in "Rear Window."

Mankiewicz keeps the pot boiling, maintaining suspense until the dramatic conclusion when the nervous wives learn the identity of the man Addie Ross insists will forego matrimony for her. Who is the man and will he actually leave his wife as Ross confidently proclaims?

Enjoy the suspense and stay tuned.

Average customer rating:

Studio Classics - That's Entertainment
A good collection of movies from 1937-1969
What is this?

Studio Classics Collection Boxed Set
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Tyrone Power , Bette Davis , Maureen O'Hara , and Walter Pidgeon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Film Noir Boxed Set
Literary Classics Collection (Madame Bovary (1949), Captain Horatio Hornblower, The Three Musketeers (1948), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions), Billy Budd)
Studio Classics - Best Picture Collection (Sunrise / How Green Was My Valley / Gentleman's Agreement / All About Eve)
Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection (David Copperfield 1935 / Marie Antoinette 1938 / Pride and Prejudice 1940 / A Tale of Two Cities 1935 / Treasure Island 1934)
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)

ASIN: B000MCH7G6
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Amazon.com

This 40-Disc Collection includes some of the best in classic film, including 15 films nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences for Best Picture of the Year. This is a must-have in any classic film lover's library.

Customer Reviews:

Studio Classics - That's Entertainment.......2007-07-04

No - Studio Classics are not the great musicals of MGM, but it is a group of great movies from Hollywood. All but four of the movies are Oscar winners in a major category and four best picture winners. You need to like the black and white movies of the late 30's into the 40's and the All-Star color classics of the 50's. Not certain I'd call this a "collection," since it is a pretty eclectic group of movies, but a treasure chest of viewing pleasure for those that can watch a great movie again and again. Bring on the popcorn!

A good collection of movies from 1937-1969.......2007-01-27

The previous reviewer asked an excellent question - Why part with all of that money if you don't even know what films are included? So, I looked it up and here's the list:

In Old Chicago (1937), Nominated Best Picture, won Best Supporting Actress
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Nominated for Best Picture
The Rains Came (1939), Stars Myrna Loy in an OK sentimental disaster film.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Nominated Best Picture, in AFI top 100 Films.
The Mark of Zorro (1940), Stars Tyrone Power in title role.
How Green Was My Valley (1941), Won Best Picture
The Black Swan (1942), Tyrone Power & Maureen O'Hara in a pirate film.
Orchestra Wives (1942), Stars Glenn Miller and his band.
The Ox-Bow Incident(1943), Nominated for Best Picture starring Henry Fonda.
The Song of Bernadette (1943), Nominated for Best Picture, won Best Actress.
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Gregory Peck nominated for Best Actor
Leave Her to Heaven (1945), Melodrama with Cornell Wilde & Gene Tierney
Anna and the King of Siam (1946), Rex Harrison in non-musical version of "The King and I".
My Darling Clementine (1946), John Ford, who actually knew Wyatt Earp, directs Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp.
The Razor's Edge (1946), nominated for Best Picture.
Gentleman's Agreement (1947), - Won best picture, direction, supporting actress (Celeste Holm).
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Gene Tierney as a widow plus Rex Harrison as the ghost she falls in love with.
The Snake Pit (1948), Nominated for best picture, stars Olivia DeHaviland as a mental patient.
A Letter to Three Wives (1949), nominated for Best Picture. 1 of 3 husbands has left his wife - but which one?

All About Eve (1950), Won Best Picture, helped revive Bette Davis' career
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), A terrific early sci-fi film
Titanic (1953), stars Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck as a feuding couple aboard the doomed ship.
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Nominated best picture
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Nominated best picture
Anastasia (1956), Ingrid Bergman won Best Actress as the amnesiac heiress to the Russian throne.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), Gregory Peck as a businessman trying to balance his career and home life.
An Affair to Remember (1957), Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr in a great romance
Desk Set (1957), One of Tracy & Hepburn's better films.
The Three Faces of Eve (1957), Best Actress award for Joanne Woodward as a woman with three personalities.
Peyton Place (1957),classic melodrama and Nominated Best Picture
The River's Edge (1957, An OK Western/film noir combo.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958),stars Ingrid Bergman as a missionary in China.
The Best of Everything (1959), 1950's view of the world of secretaries. Joan Crawford as an evil boss.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), Nominated Best Picture, won 3 others.

Return to Peyton Place (1961), a mediocre sequel to the original.
Zorba the Greek (1964), Nominated Best Picture, stars Anthony Quinn.
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), Bette Davis in a great bizarre tale.
How to Steal a Million (1966), classic 60's comedy with Peter O'Toole & Audrey Hepburn.
Two for the Road (1967), Nominated for best screenplay, great love story told in flashbacks.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), Best Actress for Maggie Smith as a schoolteacher with unconventional ideas.

All in all, this is a good collection of 40 critically acclaimed and award-winning films from the years 1937-1969 that continue to be popular. They encompass all genres, and I count only two real clunkers among them - "Return to Peyton Place" and "The Rains Came". There are a lot of Academy Award winners among them - and I'm not talking just Best Song or Best Cinematography either. I counted 15 nominations for best picture, and a few actually won the top award. With the price heavily discounted as it is, it works out to six dollars per classic movie, which is a pretty good deal.

My impression is that this is just a DVD bundle, not a collector's edition of any kind. Thus I would not anticipate any extras other than those that are already on the included individual DVD's containing the movies themselves.

What is this?.......2007-01-20

You would think for five hundred and fifty five dollars there would at least be a list of the movies included!!

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

Speed (Large Format) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

More Harry Enfield And Chums

My Favourite Brunette - Bob Hope 100th Anniversary [1947]

DVD: Kickboxing Volume 3 by Hector Echavarria

Now 2005