[7], For a while, the project was shelved until Mankiewicz returned, working on drafts of the script between March and late April 1948. A Letter to Three Wives appears in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; due to those dimensions, the image has not been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Then studio head Darryl F. Zanuck and Mankiewicz eventually decided in mid-1948 to focus on only three marriages, thus retitling it to A Letter to Three Wives. HD. These three wives are boarding a boat filled with children going on a picnic when a messenger on a bicycle hands them a letter addressed to all three from Addie who has just left town with one of their husbands. Written by Last Letter. Porter stops her, confessing it was he who started to run away with Addie, but then explains that he changed his mind. 2010 96m Movie. They won't know which one until that night. Dale O'Connor , Jeanne Crain was a very pretty girl, Ann Sothern was chiefly noted for her comic turns, and Linda Darnell was a memorable beauty--but although all three appeared in popular films none were particularly celebrated for their acting talents until Joseph L. Mankiewicz tapped them for the roles of three society wives in this poison pen letter to both sexes. When the women return from the picnic, Rita is overjoyed to find her husband at home. Addie informs them that she is leaving town forever... but has decided to take one of their husbands along as a memento. Was this review helpful to you? In 1985, the film was remade into a television movie of the same name starring Loni Anderson as Lora Mae, Michele Lee as Rita, Stephanie Zimbalist as Debra, Charles Frank as Brad, Michael Gross as George, and Ben Gazzara as Porter. 1985 91m Movie. 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. In 2010, The Simpsons made its own version of the story in an episode titled "Moe Letter Blues". She tells him she wants her picture on a piano: her own piano in her own home. For the most part, sharpness came across well. View production, box office, & company info. Now housewife Deborah, businesswoman Rita and lower-class Lora May each ponder their relationships with their spouses, wondering if it's her husband about to leave her stranded. Just as their boat sets off for the day, Deborah (Crain), Rita (Southern) and Lora Mae (Darnell) receive a letter from the alluring Addie Ross (narrator Celeste Holm) stating she has left town with one of their husbands. Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero series arriving in 2021 and beyond. Even so, this is a truly memorable and often very funny film, and one that deserves to be seen more often today than it usually is.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer. Her mother, Ruby Finney, is unsure what to think of her daughter's ambition, but Ruby's friend (and the Phipps's servant) Sadie approves. Porter is late coming home, causing Lora Mae to think he has gone off with Addie, though Ruby insists that Porter loves her and would never leave. Some viewers may also be disappointed with the film's conclusion, which--although extremely ironic--lacks the sharp bite you might expect. A man is reunited with his childhood friend and her husband, who believe he knows the truth about the death of her rich aunt years earlier. They won't know which one until that night. Chain Letter. On January 20, 1949, A Letter to Three Wives premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Addeddate 2020-04-09 08:22:23 Identifier … Also featuring Kirk Douglas and the great character actress Thelma Ritter. Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter. [5] Furthermore, Joan Crawford and Ida Lupino were considered for the (eventually offscreen) role of Addie. The supporting cast, which includes Kirk Douglas, Thelma Ritter, and Connie Gilchrist is remarkably fine as well. When Porter refuses to marry her, Lora Mae breaks off their romance. You may also like. Ann Sothern also appeared as Ma Finney. HD. After years in prison, Max promises revenge on his brothers for their betrayal. Klempner's novel was A Letter to Five Wives. A Letter to Three Wives While the picture is standout in every aspect, there are two factors mainly responsible for its overall quality. During WWII the valet to the British Ambassador to Ankara sells British secrets to the Germans while trying to romance a refugee Polish countess. Add the first question. Three friends heading out on a boat trip each receives a letter from a mutual friend informing them that the letter's author is about to run off with one of their husbands. When they return to civilian life, Deborah is ill at ease in Brad's social circle. Wickedly witty in script, and remarkably acid in tone, A LETTER TO THREE WIVES would put every one involved in the film firmly on the Hollywood map.Three society wives (Crain, Sothern, and Darnell) are committed to hosting a children's picnic on an isolated island--and as the ferry prepares to depart they receive a letter from town femme fatale Addie Ross (never seen but memorably voiced by Celeste Holm.) It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Paul Douglas in his film debut, Kirk Douglas, Jeffrey Lynn, and Thelma Ritter. 'A Letter to Three Wives' is a dazzling film comedy/drama made in 1949, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern and Kirk Douglas. "A Star For Every Wife" by Frank Morriss. A Letter to Three Wives was well received by most critics when it opened with the Variety reviewer voicing the positive endorsement shared by many,"While the picture is standout in every aspect, there are two factors mainly responsible for its overall quality. A Letter to Three Wives (1949) March 25, 2021 10:20 AM Slate podcast transcripts are created by Snackable using machine-learning software and have not been reviewed prior to publication. 1995 117m Movie. A black doctor is assigned to treat two white racist suspects who are brothers, and when one dies, it causes tension that could start a race riot. And before all is said and done, small town society gets raked over coals.If A LETTER TO THREE WIVES has a flaw, it is the same flaw that would trouble Mankiewicz's later and even more celebrated ALL ABOUT EVE: the point of view that a woman is ultimately nothing without a man, an idea that tends to limit the scope of the film and at times even belittle its characters. A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 American romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. [6] His final participation was not confirmed. The excitement begins when three friends go on a trip together and receive a letter from the fourth member who stayed at home. "Take out one of the wives," Zanuck replied. Love Letter. 2012 120m Movie. Each wife spends the fretful day pondering the state of her marriage and the affection each of their husbands has for Addie. She forgot that her husband's birthday was that night, and only remembered when a birthday present, a rare Brahms recording, arrived from Addie Ross. When Porter suddenly arrives and hears about his wife's suspicions, he accuses her of being happy at the thought of having grounds to divorce him and receive a large monetary settlement. 1949 American romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 American romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Paul Douglas in his film debut, Kirk Douglas, Jeffrey Lynn, and Thelma Ritter. [5] Vera Caspary adapted the story to A Letter to Four Wives. The Letter. (1949). Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? 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