"A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" (1949) Review

 

"A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" (1949) Review

I am a big fan of Hollywood history. And I have either read my share of books on the topic or watched a great deal of documentaries about Old Hollywood. One of the movies mentioned numerous times was the 1949 romantic comedy-drama, "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES".

Based on John Klempner's 1945 novel, "A Letter to Five Wives", the 1949 movie was adapted by Vera Caspary and Joseph L. Mankiewicz and directed by the latter. "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" told the story of the unseen narrator, Addie Ross, who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has plans to run away with the husband of one of them, but fails to indicate which one. The movie begins with neighbors and friends Deborah Bishop, Rita Phipps, and Lora Mae Hollingsway gathering to accompany a group of underprivileged children on a riverboat excursion and picnic. Before the riverboat can depart, a messenger delivers the letter to the three wives.

During the children's river excursion and picnic, the three women recall certain moments in their husbands' courtship or their marriages and how Addie may have affected their lives. Deborah Bishop was an inexperienced farmer's daughter who met her wealthy husband, Brad, while she was a WAVE during World War II. Following their marriage, Deborah struggled to overcome her insecurities, her difficulties in easing into Brad's social circle and the knowledge that he had been expected to marry the vibrant Addie Ross. Rita Phipps was a career woman who wrote radio soap operas and whose husband George, a schoolteacher who earned less money than she did. Not only did George felt emasculated by Rita's higher salary, but also disapproved of her involvement with radio (being something of a cultural snob) and her obsequious attitude toward her employer, Mrs. Manleigh. A flashback featured a dinner party Rita gave in honor of Mrs. Manleigh, only she held it on George's birthday. Only Addie Ross, who had befriended George in the past, had remembered his birthday by sending him a present - a rare Brahms recording. Unlike the other two leading characters, Lora Mae Hollingsway's flashback centered on the circumstances that led to her marriage to department stores owner Porter Hollingsway. She was a working-class woman who began dating Porter, her employer. Much to the surprise of many, Lora Mae had managed to woo Porter from the likes of his former girlfriend, the elegant Addie Ross. Unfortunately, Lora Mae had a tendency to hide her true feelings for Porter behind a mask that she maintained after their wedding.

It is very rare for Hollywood productions to explore both marriage and infidelity (genuine or otherwise) with any semblance of maturity and realism without those productions ending up as exaggerated melodramas. What I enjoyed about "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" is that the three protagonists and their husbands are portrayed as flawed individuals with feelings and not one-dimensional caricatures. Deborah suffers from insecurity over her difficult to assimilate into her husband's social circle. Rita's ambition nearly leads her to not only overlook her husband, but also kowtow to her employer in a cloying manner. And Lora Mae seemed to feel the need to hide her emotions and project this image of a cool and socially ambitious woman to the detriment of her marriage. Even their husbands have their own set of flaws and insecurities that lead them to regard Addie Ross as some kind of ideal woman. There is the old saying that it takes two to break up a relationship. Thanks to Joseph Mankiewicz's screenplay and direction, movie audiences were allowed to see this adage play out.

"A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" had earned at least Academy Awards nominations, but none for acting. I found this surprising, due to the first-rate performances that came from the cast. The movie featured solid performances from the likes of Barbara Lawrence, Florence Bates, Hobart Cavanaugh and Connie Gilchrist. I can also say the same for Jeffrey Lynn, who portrayed the aristocratic and slightly self-absorbed Brad Bishop. However, I wish he had a stronger appearance in the film. But for me the more impressive performances came from Ann Southern as the ambitious Rita Phipps; Kirk Douglas as her culturally sensitive husband George Phipps; Thelma Ritter as Sadie Dubin, the neighbor of Lora Mae's mother; Jeannie Crain as the insecure and sensitive Deborah Bishop; and Celeste Holm, who gave an excellent voice performance as the film's narrator, Addie Ross. Hands down, my two favorite performances came from Linda Darnell and Paul Douglas as Lora Mae and Porter Hollingsway, the couple who spent more time tiptoeing around each other, hiding their true feelings for one another behind masks. I was so impressed by Darnell and Douglas' performances that I felt disappointed to learn neither was nominated for an Academy Award.

As much as I had enjoyed "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES", I had a few problems with the movie. One problem I had was the character, Brad Bishop. Considering his emotional impact on the nervy Deborah, I found it odd that his presence in the film seemed diminished in compared to the other two husbands. Even after the movie ended with an unexpected twist, he failed to make an appearance. I was perplexed by one other aspect in the film. The unseen Addie Ross had informed the three wives that she planned to run away with one of their husbands in one letter. She had addressed one letter to all three of them. Why? Why informed them in that manner? If she had plans to run off with one of the husbands, why not simply address the soon-to-be-abandoned wife? Was this a case of a bitchy woman playing mind games with the three women? The matter of addressing one letter to three wives just seemed vague and unnecessary to me.

I cannot deny that I found "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" ambiguous, emotionally complicated and mature. I especially enjoyed the cast's performances and the story arc surrounding Lora Mae and Porter Hollingsway's marriage. I thought Joseph L. Mankiewicz did a first-rate job as the film's screenwriter and director. But I do not think I would ever regard this film as a favorite of mine. Was it the vague manner in how one of the arcs ended? Or the idea of a woman sending one letter to three women, taunting them with her plans to run away with one of the husbands? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I liked "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES". I had even enjoyed it to a certain extent. But I do not think I would ever love this film.