Dream Wife (1953)

Clemson Reade, a business tycoon with marriage on his mind, and Effie, a U.S. diplomat, are a modern couple. Unfortunately there seems to be too much business and not enough pleasure on the... See full summary »

Director:

Sidney Sheldon

Writers:

Sidney Sheldon, Herbert Baker,

Stars:

Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Walter Pidgeon

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant	...	Clemson Reade
Deborah Kerr	...	Effie
Walter Pidgeon	...	Walter McBride
Betta St. John	...	Tarji
Eduard Franz	...	Khan of Bukistan
Buddy Baer	...	Vizier
Les Tremayne	...	Ken Landwell
Donald Randolph	...	Ali
Bruce Bennett	...	Charlie Elkwood
Richard Anderson	...	Henry Malvine
Dan Tobin	...	Mr. Brown
Movita	...	Rima
Gloria Holden	...	Mrs. Jean Landwell
June Clayworth	...	Mrs. May Elkwood
Dean Miller	...	George

Storyline

Clemson Reade, a business tycoon with marriage on his mind, and Effie, a U.S. diplomat, are a modern couple. Unfortunately there seems to be too much business and not enough pleasure on the part of Effie. When Clemson meets Tarji, a princess trained in all the arts of pleasing men, he decides he wants an old fashioned girl. Princess Tarji's father is king of oil-rich Bukistan. Because of the oil situation and to maintain good political relations during the courtship between Clemson & Tarji, the State Department assigns a diplomat to maintain protocol until the wedding. Effie!

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Plot Keywords:

princess | diplomat | marriage | telegram | fiance | 

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Taglines:

It's a RIOT how Cary carries on!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Du und keine andere

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:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of three movies that paired Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.

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Goofs

Toward the end of the movie, in the scene where the Khan and Effie converse sitting on his sofa, the vizier announces that the Khan's daughter has returned. The Khan dismisses him, saying, "Ms. Barshi can wait". The correct name of his daughter is Tarji.

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Quotes

Clemson Reade: Gentlemen, I must say, I'm delighted to meet you... mustn't I?

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Connections

Referenced in What's My Line?: Episode dated 9 August 1953 (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Ghi Ti, Ghi Ti, Ghi Ti"
By Charles Wolcott and Jamshid Sheibani

User Reviews

Taken from 'real life'

In Stewart Granger's memoirs he mentions that after seeing future wife Jean Simmons in Black Narcissus, he was so overcome with sexual desire that he felt he had to marry her. It's almost as if Sidney Sheldon had a few drinks with Granger and was told this story years before it came out and decided it would make a great movie plot.

Cary Grant is an oil executive and Deborah Kerr a female diplomat in the previously all male world of Foggy Bottom in the not too distant past. In negotiating for oil leases with the mythical kingdom of Bukistan, Cary is really bowled over by the fact that Princess Betta St. John is so unlike the career minded Kerr. A few words here and there and the engagement between Grant and Kerr is off and between Grant and St. John is definitely on.

Of course the culture clash occurs and it ain't quite what Grant envisions. And Kerr starts to work on St.John and she's got some new ideas sprouting in her head.

The Fifties were so different than now. Those kind of ideas in some Moslem countries would have gotten St. John killed now. Relations between the west and the Moslem world has certainly changed over 50 years.

Grant and Kerr make fine leads and notice should be paid to Walter Pidgeon as Kerr's State Department boss and to Eduard Franz as the King of Bukistan who turns out to be a very wise fellow indeed.

I wonder what Stewart Granger must have thought in seeing this film?