My Two Husbands (1940)
"Too Many Husbands" (original title)

Long-missing Bill Cardew returns to find his wife Vicky re-married... and in no hurry to settle for just one husband.

Director:

Wesley Ruggles

Writers:

Claude Binyon (screenplay), W. Somerset Maugham (play)

Stars:

Jean Arthur, Fred MacMurray, Melvyn Douglas

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Arthur	...	Vicky Lowndes
Fred MacMurray	...	Bill Cardew
Melvyn Douglas	...	Henry Lowndes
Harry Davenport	...	George
Dorothy Peterson	...	Gertrude Houlihan
Melville Cooper	...	Peter - the Butler
Edgar Buchanan	...	Detective Adolph McDermott
Tom Dugan	...	Lieutenant Sullivan

Storyline

It's been a year since Bill Cardew was declared dead by drowning, and his widow Vicky is now married to his old friend and business partner, Henry Lowndes. When Bill unexpectedly returns from the island where he was marooned, what is Vicky to do? Well, having twice been a rather neglected wife, Vicky finds all the attention from two husbands competing for her favors delightful, and is in no hurry to make a decision...much to the discomfiture of hapless Bill and Henry.

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | indecision | missing person | beauty | father daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

HOW HAPPY SHE COULD BE WITH EITHER...IF THE OTHER WOULD JUST GO AWAY! (original Insert Card - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wesley Ruggles' Too Many Husbands

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Treen (Emma), Garry Owen (Sign Painter) and Lee 'Lasses' White (Mailman) were listed as cast members for their roles in Hollywood Reporter pre-release news items and production charts, but they were not seen in the movie. A modern source also lists Walter Soderling (Customer), Ralph Peters (Cab Driver) and Jerry Fletcher as cast members, but they too were not seen. The one cab driver in the movie was played by Billy Wayne.

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Connections

Referenced in The Alchemist in Hollywood (1940)

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Soundtracks

"Tyrolka"
(1940) (uncredited)
Music by Walter Jurmann
Played as dance music at the nightclub

User Reviews

What a concept

Though one might suspect "Too Many Husbands" as being in the same vein as "My Favorite Wife," it's actually based on a Somerset Maugham play. The stars of this 1940 film are Jean Arthur, Melvyn Douglas, Fred MacMurray and Harry Davenport. After her first husband, Bill Cardew (MacMurray) was lost at sea, his grieving, lonely widow Vicky marries his friend and business partner, Henry Lowndes (Douglas) six months later. Boy is she surprised when Bill shows up alive. So is her new husband and her father (Davenport). It then falls to the confused Vicky to decide which husband she wants.

This is a very amusing comedy with terrific performances from all the stars. Melvyn Douglas, one of the truly great American actors, had to do this type of film until he finally reached old age and could show the world how sensational he was. He's very funny, his voice cracking when he's upset. The men act like quarreling children, playing games of oneupmanship and chasing Vicky everywhere. Seeing the frilly guest room, Bill questions Henry's effeminate taste. "What's this fabric?" Bill asks, holding up a piece of curtain. "DOTTED SWISS!" Henry yells in a booming voice. In another scene, Bill impresses Vicky by jumping over furniture, causing Henry to give it a try. He falls flat on his face. Arthur does an excellent job as a somewhat dizzy woman who loves both men, and Davenport is a riot as her sober-faced, worried father. MacMurray has always seemed bland to me, but he holds his own as the returning husband who's been stranded on an island for a year.

Much better than I thought it would be, and Arthur fans will love it.