A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
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100% of critics liked it
(10 reviews) -
83% of users liked it
(3,625 ratings)
Three wives, played by Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell, are about to embark on a boat trip when each receives a letter, written by a mutual friend named Addie, informing her that Addie is about to run off with one of their husbands. In flashback, each wife wonders if it is her marriage… More Three wives, played by Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell, are about to embark on a boat trip when each receives a letter, written by a mutual friend named Addie, informing her that Addie is about to run off with one of their husbands. In flashback, each wife wonders if it is her marriage that is in jeopardy. Deborah (Crain) recounts her fish-out-of-water relationship with her up-and-coming hubby (Jeffrey Lynn); businesswoman Rita (Sothern) asks herself if she's been too rough on her professorial spouse (Kirk Douglas); and Lora May (Darnell), a girl from (literally) the wrong side of the tracks, questions the security of her marriage to a brash business executive (Paul Douglas). The voice of Addie, who is never seen, is provided by Celeste Holm. Thelma Ritter shows up in a hilarious unbilled bit as a slatternly domestic, while an equally uncredited Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer makes a quick entrance and exit as a bellhop. Written with perception and not a little witty condescension by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, A Letter to Three Wives won two Oscars ,both for Mankiewicz. Based on a novel by John Klempner, the property was remade for television in 1985, with Ann Sothern back again in a supporting part. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Written By
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jan 20, 1949 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Mankiewicz's writing is bright and hard -- he's sharpening his teeth for All About Eve, made the next year -- but his acid wit is almost too much for his fragile characters to bear.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Mankiewicz's plot device is brilliant and intriguing: On the way to an annual picnic, three housewives learn through a letter that the town's most desirable woman had run off with one of their husbands--flashbacks reveal the state of their marriages.
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Star-loaded film with innovative plot.
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Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Much of what makes All About Eve such a brilliant film was used previously (and to good effect) in A Letter to Three Wives.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Sharp and bright multi-character film from Mankiewicaz at his best.
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Cast
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Jeanne Crain
as Deborah Bishop
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Linda Darnell
as Lora May Hollingsway
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Ann Sothern
as Rita Phipps
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Kirk Douglas
as George Phipps
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Paul Douglas
as Porter Hollingsway
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Barbara Lawrence
as Babe
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Jeffrey Lynn
as Brad Bishop
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Connie Gilchrist
as Mrs. Finney
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Florence Bates
as Mrs. Manleigh
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Hobart Cavanaugh
as Mr. Manleigh
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Patti Brady
as Kathleen
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Ruth Vivian
as Miss Hawkins
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Thelma Ritter
as Sadie
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Stuart Holmes
as Old Man
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George Offerman
as Nick
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Ralph Brooks
as Character
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James Adamson
as Butler
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Joe Bautista
as Thomasino
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John Davidson
as Waiter
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Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
as Messenger
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Celeste Holm
as Addie Ross
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Ted Offenbecker
as Nick
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Sam Finn
as Waiter