Letter to Three Wives, A (1949)
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Honors:
In this story about love, regret, contemplation, and sorrow
comes a 1949 motion picture that was a rather large success for writer/director,
Joseph L. Mankiewicz. At a time when writers were beginning to guide themselves
beyond the creativity of the written word and share their vision from the director’s
chair, Mankiewicz with A Letter to Three
Wives would win himself dual Academy Awards. This creative victory would
help turn the idea of a writer/director from something begged for by an individual
into a badge of honor by future visionaries of filmmaker. This drama takes a
look at the sanctity of a marriage and the fear of its failure due to unintentional
consequences that can harm a relationship.
A Letter to Three
Wives is a “women’s” comedy/drama about a trio of ladies concerns over
their marriages due to a letter from a mutual friend running away with one of
their spouses. On their way to chaperone a outing for underprivileged children,
three friends Deborah (Jeanne Crain), Rita (Ann Sothern), and Lora (Linda
Darnell) receive a shared letter from Addie Ross, a mutual friend and noted flirt,
informing them that she had run away with one of their husbands, but not noting
who. Each lady realizes that their marriages are strained and spend the day recounting
the events that led them to think so.
Deborah’s fears arise from her insecurities she shared while
entering the upper class social circles of her husband, Brad (Jeffery Lynn),
and his fondness for his very attractive friend Addie, causing her to question
his loyalty. Rita’s profession as a radio writer and striving to impress her bosses
had led to her neglect the feelings of her husband, George (Kirk Douglas), most
notably on his birthday, a day Rita
forgot while Addie honored with a meaningful gift. Meanwhile Lora as a girl
from the wrong side of the tracks married a wealthy businessman, Porter (Paul
Douglas), with whom she has shares a friction filled marriage from nearly the beginning
of their relationship despite an underlying love that links them, even with
Porter’s wondering eye that at time find Addie.
Before returning home the three wives arrange an evening at
a club where they will discover who of them had lost their husband which at appears
to be a saddened Deborah saddened. This proves to be a misdirection as word is
Brad has been caught up and Porter reveals his initial intention to leave with
Addie. Porter proclaims he could not follow through and professes his love for
Lora and confesses his shameful though, to which the two make up and understand
better their love for each other.
The picture is a wonderful mix of perception, doubt, and
suspense while being a time capsule of American society during the period of
the late 1940s and early 1950s. A well written drama with a mix of comedic
moments, A Letter to Three Wives produces
three intersecting stories each with fascinating characters respectively different
from the rest. Each character is likable in his/her way with positive and
negative qualities that are understandable for anyone that has ever been in a
relationship. The pay off in the misdirected conclusion is satisfying in a lesser
way, all together allowing for a happy ending, but is probably the weakest
point in the movie. The highlights of the story are the little issues that grow
into the complications that make the ladies question whether of not their
husbands would want to run off with the fun loving, attractive lady friend, or
remain loyal despite the foibles that have pockmarked their marriages. In the
end it is a story of long lasting, unconditional love, a feel good film for
couples form an earlier year in Hollywood history.
The production of A
Letter to Three Wives was the project of writer/director Joseph L
Mankiewicz, a screenwriter that had worked his way into the directing his own scripts,
earning him his recent contract with 20th Century-Fox to do just
that. For this picture he adapted the
original work of Vera Caspar which first appeared in the pages of Cosmopolitan,
whittling down what was originally a story of five wives down to three and
avoiding the more ambiguous ending for a happier conclusion. Mankiewicz’s
writing is peppered with whit and scenarios that can make husbands and wives
laugh and cringe with relatable context. With his creative control from pen to
screen he brought his characters to life with a series of lesser known actors,
each with much experience, producing a picture filled with wonderful timing and
dramatic suspense while being funny and entertaining.
Each of the of the actresses playing the three wives in the
picture, Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, and Ann Sothern, would gain great praise
for their delightfully representations of women from three distinct backgrounds
finding themselves in this uncomfortable scenario. Crain received the greatest
praise as the shy girl who thinks she had lost her husband, growing to stand up
for what is right by film’s end. Darnell, who had already found fame in her
attractiveness in prior films and print, takes steps into a deeper role as a
stronger woman from a lower class upbringing using her looks as well as her smarts
to make it in the world her way. Sothern who also gained great praise as the professionally
top grossing in her on screen marriage produces many good moments of humor across
from a young Kirk Douglas would sadly see the least amount of a push in her
career from the film, even with her character dominating the scenes she is in.
The three male roles play second chairs to the leading
ladies of the picture, as well they should, but they too creating fine canvases
by with the plot plays off of. The most important male role in terms of plot to
the picture has to be seen in Paul Douglas’ portrayal of Porter, husband to
Linda Darnell’s strong female performance. Sadly his performance leaves us the
most clichés, a flatter character that although has the greatest dramatic twist
in the story, lacks genuine feeling, almost B-movie like in presentation. Kirk
Douglas before his breakout role later in the year with Champion shows us here that he plays a mighty fine supporting
character with enough feeling to make the character jump out in the film. Of
coarse, an Academy Award nomination later we would not be seeing him outside of leading
roles any time soon. Jeffery Lynn, the veteran of the male actors, had the most
cinematic credits to his name by this point, but he is perhaps the most
forgettable role in the film, not helping the fact that he is not seen outside
of the first third of the picture.
A Letter to Three
Wives for its day was a massive hit in theaters. Commercially it did well
of Fox, but it did even better critically. It was a huge milestone in the
career of Mankiewicz as the film won him two Academy Awards, one each for his
writing and his directing. The feature would also be up for Best Picture putting
Mankiewicz in an upper echelon as a filmmaker for 1949 as he was the reason for
this film.
Similar story structures as seen in this film can be
observed in other works, but A Letter to
Three Wives would not see a full on remake of its plot until a 1985 in the
form of a made for television movie with very little fanfare. This 1949 picture
is a wonderful feature with a great mix of comedy and drama that remains
enjoyable to watch generations later.
One bonus aspect that makes this picture a delight to watch
today is how it captured American domestic life in its day. Perhaps the most intriguing
is its look at domestic life centered on home entertainment as we get a look at
the age of radio furniture being a major piece of living rooms before the verge
of television taking over this coveted spot. A glimpse of entertainment
centerpieces of the American home for the segment featuring Ann Sothern and
Kirk Douglas give us a slice of American society with the booming mainstream middle
class society before its massive cultural expansion in the 1950s.
A Letter to Three
Wives is very fine film that if you get the chance to watch I would
recommend. With humor, drama, and a slice of Americana it’s a picture that remains
very watchable all these years later.
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