Fresh and Exciting

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Where to begin. I'd really rather not give away too much of the story-lines in this one because it's so enjoyable experiencing each in its own right. It's safe to read this and the next paragraph if that's what you decide for yourself. Joseph L. Mankiewicz not only won the Best Director Oscar for this film, but the Best Writing, Screenplay statuette as well. The picture itself was also nominated, losing to All the King's Men (1949). Mankiewicz would win these same two Oscars the following year with the Academy Award winning Best Picture All About Eve (1950); it features an outstanding cast, just like this one.After a brief introduction to two of the wives (Jeanne Crain and Ann Sothern), during which we learn all is not perfect in suburbia (e.g. their marriages), the third (Linda Darnell) joins them at the beach where they're about to embark on a ferry to an island for their community's day-long 18th Annual picnic together. However, just as they're about to board, a messenger arrives with a letter addressed to the three of them from an unattached "high class" socialite, whom had been expected to join them and, whom also has a history with each of their husbands. After debating whether to open it or not, they decide to do so. The letter is then voice-over read to "us" by Celeste Holm, whose voice appears uncredited as the aforementioned woman, Addie Ross. In essence, it says that she has just run off with one of their husbands! They then gaze longingly at the telephone booth on the docks as their ferry boats departs for the island, with them aboard (I guess this story wouldn't work as well in the age of cell-phones).We then learn about the wives' relationships with their husbands, each other and Ms. Ross, in a series of three flashbacks, one for each couple but which also includes the others as well (except for Ms. Ross whom, though we never see her, is involved or offstage in each of them). Crain was a small town girl who met and married the town's "high class" man (Jeffrey Lynn), whom she met while they served together in the Navy (during the war?). He'd always been expected to come home and marry Ms. Ross. This is the shortest of the three segments, and it basically consists of Crain being so scared of meeting her husband's established clan of country club friends, that she gets drunk and embarrasses herself during the event.The second flashback further introduces us to Sothern and her husband (Kirk Douglas). She brings home the bacon as a writer for a radio program, the newest rage, while he's a highly educated school teacher (interesting role for Douglas, eh?). They have twin children, who are never seen such that we don't know if they're boys or girls, and a hired cook (played deliciously, as always, by the marvelous Thelma Ritter, uncredited). She's prepared the home cooked meal for a big invite evening with Sothern's boss, appropriately named Mrs. Manleigh (Florence Bates), who runs roughshod over her husband (played by another great character actor, Hobart Cavanaugh). Darnell and her husband (Paul Douglas) are also dinner guests. There are a series of unfortunate events which lead to a row between the couple after their guests have left. The dialogue in this segment is particularly sharp and poignant. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer also appears briefly, and uncredited, as a messenger boy.The third segment details how the "other side of the tracks" Darnell hooked her "working class" successful business owner husband by playing "hard to get". Douglas's character had been previously married, and originally just wanted to "fool around" with his employee Darnell. This is probably the least interesting of the segments, you've seen it all before or since, but it does involve some noteworthy performances by Ms. Ritter (again), Connie Gilchrist as Darnell's Irish mother, and Barbara Lawrence as her baby sister.The influence of Ms. Ross "over" the husbands is felt by the wives in all three segments, though more strongly in some versus others. However, Mankiewicz's direction is much too clever to reveal the identity of the wayward husband ... and it would spoil it if I revealed any more!

This movie continues to show how well women characters were written for and portrayed. The women portrayed here are independent characters that hold well-rounded lives. They are able to handle home and business which is what life was like after WWII. They show their fears and worries but with strength. The women stand beside the man not a few feet behind and vice versa. Compare the man to woman relationship of these three main couples to the portrayals of the radio sponsor couple-the Manleys. It seems that women characters were stronger when "we did not have equal rights" than now. Fully clothed, little violence, no foul language. The movie "The Women" also had very strong female characters and again look when the movie was made. Addie was a great person and friend - better than these 3 women realized - she fixed it so the women would see that they've been taking their husbands for granted. Wonder if we could ever see a movie entitled " A Letter to three Husbands" that was as sophisticated and mature? The women all looked to the phone booth upon reading the letter. Could we ever have this kind of worry today that resulted in this great story with cell phones, wi-fi, texting, facebook, twitter, gps phone tracking, etc. Nope to each query.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz' beautifully directed, and wittily written, tale of post-1940s America begins with "A Letter to Three Wives": "Dearest Debby, Lora Mae, and Rita ~ As you know, by now, you'll have to carry on without me from here. It isn't easy to leave a town like our town, to tear myself away from you three dear, dear friends who have meant so much to me. And so, I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to take with me a sort of memento, something to remind me always of the town that was my home. And, of my three very dearest friends, whom I want never to forget. And, I won't. You see - girls - I've run off with one of your husbands. ~ Addie" The three troubled wives are: World War II veteran "W.A.V.E" Jeanne Crain (as Deborah Bishop), beautiful gold-digging Linda Darnell (as Lora Mae Hollingsway), and radio career "gal" Ann Sothern (as Rita Phipps). Fetching narrator Celeste Holm (as Addie Ross) professes to have absconded with one of her three "dearest" friends' husbands: Is it charming schoolteacher Kirk Douglas (as George Phipps), rich and forceful Paul Douglas (as Porter Hollingsway), or young and worldly Jeffrey Lynn (as Bradford Bishop)? Under Mankiewicz' expert direction, the wedded six perform very well. The couples have, arguably, less "chemistry" than you might expect; however, this helps suspend disbelief regarding the film's plot.At times, the unrelated Douglas actors (Paul and Kirk) seem to be the "voice" of Mankiewicz; and, their parts are expertly performed. The women are all terrific. The three lead actresses receive fantastic support from Connie Gilchrist (as Ruby Finney), Florence Bates (as Mrs. Manleigh), and Thelma Ritter (as Sadie Dugan). Ms. Ritter, in an early role, was not credited; but, her role is substantial. And, it was nice to see Mae Marsh in a small role. Unfortunately, the film's eagerly anticipated ending is a little weak.******** A Letter to Three Wives (1/20/49) Joseph L. Mankiewicz ~ Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's impeccable film is more than just a satirical look at marriage and the relationship between men and women. It also gives insight to life in suburbia, which was just getting started in America at the time of its release. The plot follows out that there are three women who consider themselves to be each other's best of friends. They all go on a day-long picnic for the local children's orphanage but just before leaving receive a letter from a woman known to them all that says she has run away with one of their husbands.As the three wives ponder their own relationships with their husbands and with each other, they each begin to realize that each of their husbands has his own reason to run off with the accomplished, beautiful, but hidden to us Addie Ross. Deborah Bishop, played wonderfully by Jeanne Crain, is a former Navy girl who is as tough as they come, but worries severely about not being able to impress her new husband's friends. Rita Phipps has been happily married to a wonderful schoolteacher, but she has been pushing him around for some time in order to accomplish a career of her own. And the third wife, Lora Mae played by Linda Darnell, really only got married it seems in order to get out of the working class and become a sophisticated lady of society.The biggest problem most audiences will have is the ending of this terrific story. Everything leading up to is just about perfect. The acting is solid all around with Ann Sothern giving the best performance, in my opinion, as a beautiful and accomplished mother who nevertheless feels she has to do more in order to feel successful. Kirk Douglas is very good as her husband as are all the supporting characters. Of course, the script is very witty and biting as it was written by the same man who gave us All About Eve. And while this isn't as original or cleverly written as that masterpiece, this still holds up very well as an excellent depiction of American life during a time where everything was thought to prim and proper.