Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944)

Theo has had many boyfriends who wanted to marry her. Since her mother, Mrs. Selworth, has been married many times, Theo is unsure of commitment. Without much thought, she finally accepts ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

David Hertz (screenplay), Lenore J. Coffee (screenplay),

Stars:

Lana Turner, James Craig, John Hodiak

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lana Turner	...	Theo Scofield West
James Craig	...	Capt. Miles Lancing
John Hodiak	...	Lt. Tom Cochrane West
Frances Gifford	...	Sissy Mortimer
Hugh Marlowe	...	Joseph I. Murdock
Natalie Schafer	...	Mrs. Irene Selworth
Keenan Wynn	...	Maj. Bob Wilton
Herbert Rudley	...	Ted Mortimer
Paul Cavanagh	...	Mr. Selworth
Morris Ankrum	...	Mr. Ed Scofield
Jane Green	...	Martha
Tom Drake	...	Bill Rice
Shirley Patterson	...	Mary Saunders
Neal Dodd	...	Minister (as Rev. Neal Dodd)
Nana Bryant	...	Nurse

Storyline

Theo has had many boyfriends who wanted to marry her. Since her mother, Mrs. Selworth, has been married many times, Theo is unsure of commitment. Without much thought, she finally accepts the proposal of Air Corps Lieutenant Tom West. After the honeymoon, Tom's father dies and Tom goes into the defense industry. When Theo has a baby, she hates the idea of being matronly and wants to be the old party girl. The problem is that her husband is working constantly. She looks to her friends, who are having their own problems, and to her old flame Captain Lancing. To decide on what she wants to do with her baby and her life, Theo must grow up.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Taglines:

It's SO Romantic!

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Felicidade Vem Depois

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tennessee Williams, then little-known, contributed some additional dialogue to the film without credit.

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Connections

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001)

User Reviews

Early Lana Turner Movie about Marriage

Lana Turner, in one of her earliest movies where she takes center stage and top billing, stars in this comedy-drama about marriage being nobody's business but the couple's. James Craig loves her, even though she marries John Hodiak. This does start off talking silly, as John proposes to her and on their honeymoon, but it's to the movie's credit and intelligence that it plays out very well in its treatment of its characters and make them very relate-able to the audience, the other characters being John's friends Sissy and Ted, a married couple, and Joe, played by Hugh Marlowe. Lana's mother (played by Natalie Shafer, who was Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island) was in and out of marriages all the time and did not provide Lana with a good role model. But, the viewer is left with the message that you should work in your own garden, before tending to someone else's, that you should go into it, knowing who you are and that all decisions have consequences. "Marriage is a Private Affair" is one of Lana's best unknown movies and needs to be discovered by more people today.