My Favorite Wife (1940)

 

My Favorite Wife - 1940

Our next film is 1940's "My Favorite Wife", a film where a woman comes back to her family after being missing at sea for several years.  Her triumphal return is short-lived after she finds out that her husband has remarried.

The film's cast includes Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Gail Patrick, Granville Bates, Donald MacBride, and Ann Shoemaker.

After seven years missing at sea, Ellen Arden has returned home after having been rescued from a deserted island.  She's thrilled to be back.

She's reunited with her children, and she can't believe how much they've grown in the time she's been gone.

Ellen goes inside and meets with her mother-in-law.  Mrs. Arden is glad to see her, but she's got some bad news for Ellen.

That very morning, Ellen's husband Nick had her declared legally dead.  He also married his fiancée, Miss Bianca Bates.

At first shaken by this news, Ellen decides to head to the spot where Nick and Bianca are honeymooning and surprise Nick.  She takes a plane and heads to the honeymoon location: Yosemite.  (These scenes were filmed at a landmark Yosemite hotel: the Ahwahnee.)

Once he sees her, Nick is overjoyed and has a hard time letting Ellen out of his sight.  The moment he sees her, Nick forgets all about Bianca.  He spends all of his time with Ellen.

Understandably, Bianca is upset at being left alone on her wedding night.  When she finally does catch up with Nick, she's furious.

He's still can't find a way to tell Bianca that Ellen is alive.  So, they leave the honeymoon early and head home.

Ellen is waiting for them when they arrive.  Wanting to give Nick time to tell her (but anxious that he hurries up about it), she poses as an overly friendly Southern friend of the family.

The tables turn on Ellen when Nick finds out that she was stranded on an island with another man.  He's very surprised to see just what kind of man the guy is when he goes to visit him and find out just what went on during the time they were marooned.  Ellen isn't very happy that Nick doesn't believe that nothing happened between her and this guy (named Steve Burkett).  All her protestations amount to nothing in his eyes.

Bianca finally does find out that Ellen is alive when Nick is arrested for bigamy.  A shocked Nick heads off to jail.

The whole party appears before the same judge who declared Ellen legally dead.  "I'd like to get home and tell my wife about this.  She thinks all my cases are boring," says the judge.  He's able to work everything out to the group's satisfaction.

After the court proceedings are over, Nick is ready to reconcile with Ellen.  Still a little bid upset over his not believing nothing happened between her and Steve, Ellen tells Nick to go on a long-planned cruise and they would talk about their relationship when he returned in time for Christmas.

Nick goes to the attic and finds a Santa Claus suit, which he dresses in.  He returns to Ellen and wishes her a "Merry Christmas".  She laughs, and the two make up.

Cast rundown:

   Cary Grant.............................Nick Arden

   Irene Dunne...........................Ellen Arden

   Randolph Scott.......................Steve Burkett

   Gail Patrick............................Bianca Bates

   Granville Bates.......................Judge Bryson

   Donald MacBride.....................Hotel Clerk

   Ann Shoemaker......................Mrs. Arden

And that's it for My Favorite Wife.  In 1962, filming began on a remake of this movie, titled "Something's Got To Give".  It was supposed to star Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, and Cyd Charisse.  Marilyn Monroe was fired, and that put an end to the production.  The remake was picked up the next year and was titled "Move Over, Darling", and it starred Doris Day and James Garner.

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