I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

79% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(6,395 ratings)

Howard Hawks directed this classic farce about how love attempts to triumph over military red tape after the close of World War II. Capt. Henri Rochard (Cary Grant) is a French officer who is assigned to put a stop to a black market operation in occupied Germany with the help of Lt. Catherine Gates… More Howard Hawks directed this classic farce about how love attempts to triumph over military red tape after the close of World War II. Capt. Henri Rochard (Cary Grant) is a French officer who is assigned to put a stop to a black market operation in occupied Germany with the help of Lt. Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan), an American WAC. While their initial meetings are hardly harmonious, in time Rochard and Gates find that opposites really do attract, and they fall in love. The two decide to get married, which seems simple enough, but the moment Gates receives orders to return to the United States and Rochard wants to join her, they soon discover just how complicated the U.S. Army can make things. While the Army has a strict protocol for dealing with "war brides," there is no similar routine for men who marry female Army personnel, so in order to follow his new wife into the States, Rochard has to disguise himself as a WAC. From this moment on, nearly everything that happens to Rochard is an affront to his dignity and/or his patience, from his inability to share a bunk with his new bride to his discovery that Army regulations prevent him from driving a motorcycle (Gates has to take the handlebars, while her husband is forced to ride in a sidecar). As more than one writer has pointed out, while Grant gives a deft comic performance, it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that he's French (but probably no more than to imagine that anyone would really believe that he's a woman). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Howard Hawks
Written By: Charles Lederer, Leonard Spigelgass, Hagar Wilde
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1949 Wide
On DVD: Jan 6, 2004

Critic Reviews

Bosley Crowther, New York Times
The flimsiness of the film's foundations and the disorder of its episodes provoke the inevitable impression that it all fell together en route.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
Howard Hawks's darkest comedy (1949) -- a loosely constructed, episodic film that traces the progressive humiliations suffered by Free French army captain Cary Grant.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
High-spirited subversive loosely structured comedy.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Funny, revealing (about WWII humor) farce w/Cary Grant.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Saddled with an egregiously thin premise and woefully underdeveloped characters...
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's very entertaining.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
A silent newsreel is also included that shows the stars and director of the film interacting with a Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army during the shooting of the film.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
Howard Hawks and Cary Grant made several famous films together but it's a shame this one is often overlooked since it's a true comic gem that works well on every level.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Very funny star vehicle with Grant and Sheridan at their best.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
"Cary carries off a one-joke premise"

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jennifer D

Not the best, but not the worst by any means!
Spencer S

One of the more contrived Grant films, Cary is perfect as the broad shouldered, debonair, confused as ever bride to his officer wife. A dose of the unfamiliar makes it ever the more believable.
AJ V

This is one of my favourite Cary Grant movies, Ann Sheridan movies, and movies of the year 1949. It is so hilarious and perfect for a military romance movie. A must see for Grant fans.
xGary X

Amusing war-time farce featuring an on-form Cary Grant as a french officer who is classed as a war bride by US military red tape. All the usual cross gender gags and misunderstandings ensue, but Grant's easy-going charm makes it a cut above the usual lightweight rom com.
moon r

a lesser effort by archie leech et al, but still worth a cursory once over, why not

Cast

            Cary Grant as Capt. Henri Rochard

            Ann Sheridan as Lt. Catherine Gates

            Randy Stuart as Mae

            William Neff as Capt. Jack Rumsey

            Eugene Gericke as Tony Jewitt

            Kenneth Tobey as Seaman

            Ruben Wendorf as Innkeeper's Assistant

            Lester Sharpe as Waiter

            John Whitney as Trumble

            Robert Stevenson as Lieutenant

            Alfred Linder as Bartender

            David McMahon as Chaplain

            Joe Haworth as Shore Patrol

            André Charlot as French Minister

            Russ Conway as Cmdr. Willis

            Alex Gerry as Waiter

            Paul Hardtmuth as Burgomeister

            Gil Herman as Naval Officer

            Arthur Hill
            
            Carl Jaffe as Jail Officer

            Lily Kann as Innkeeper's Wife

            Harry Lauter as Lieutenant

            Mike Mahoney as Sailor

            William McLean as Expectant GI

            Martin Miller as Schindler

            William Murphy as Sergeant

            Barbara Perry as Tall WAC

            William Pullen as Sergeant

            Otto Reichow
            
            Bill Self as Sergeant

            John Serret as French Notary

            William Yetter Jr. as German Policeman

            John Zilly as Shore Patrol

            Kay Young as Maj. Prendergast

            Marion Marshall
            
            Bill Neff
            
See full cast