You Can't Fool Your Wife (1940)

Director:

Ray McCarey

Writers:

Jerome Cady (writer)
Richard Carroll (story)

Release Date:

21 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Andrew and Clara are school sweethearts whose marriage goes stale after five years. Andrew is a hard worker at the firm...

Plot Keywords:

Marital Separation | Mistaken Identity | Beautiful Woman | Accountant | Impersonation

Cast

Lucille Ball	...	Clara Fields Hinklin / Mercedes Vasquez
James Ellison	...	Andrew 'Hinkie' Hinklin
Robert Coote	...	'Batty' Battincourt
William Halligan	...	J.R. Gillespie, Sr.
Emma Dunn	...	Mother Fields
Virginia Vale	...	Sally
Rosina Galli	...	Mama Brentoni (scenes deleted)
Charles Lane	...	Salesman (scenes deleted)
Oscar O'Shea	...	Dr. Emery, Colony College Chaplain
Norman Mayes	...	Porter at Dock
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Hotel Maid
Charlie Hall	...	Ritz Amsterdam Bellboy
Dell Henderson	...	Ritz Amsterdam Manager
Minerva Urecal	...	Mrs. Doolittle (scenes deleted)
Leo Cleary	...	Mr. Doolittle (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

The Romantic Mr. Hinklin (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6075)

Filming Locations:

Royce Hall - 340 Royce Drive, UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: Towards the end of the movie, Clara has her anniversary present, the music box, in bed with her. Andrew comes in, the music box shortly disappears. Then, later, they are embracing, and it appears in his hand before he leaves the bedroom.

Fluffy romantic comedy is good for a few laughs...

Strictly a B-film programmer, YOU CAN'T FOOL YOUR WIFE would have more accurately been titled YOU CAN'T FOOL YOUR HUSBAND, because it's the hubby who has the wool pulled over his eyes by a plan that backfires when his wife attempts to disguise herself as a Latin beauty.

It's one of those light-hearted romantic comedies with a screwball touch that LUCILLE BALL got to do during her RKO days. And fortunately, although he has a rather thankless role, JAMES ELLISON has good chemistry with her and is a bit less bland than usual in a role that reveals he had a flair for this kind of romp.

EMMA DUNN has the kind of mother role that was a forerunner of the parts THELMA RITTER would play in the '50s--quick with the sarcastic one-liners that have her treating her son-in-law like a bum. ROBERT COOTE has a fine time as a gentleman who comes up with the scheme to save Ellison's marriage.

It spins its tale in just a little over an hour and ends up with a rather bittersweet ending on a false note, and much too abruptly.