How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writer:

George Axelrod (written by)

Release Date:

26 January 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Bring The Little Woman...Maybe She'll Die Laughing!

Plot:

A man who has set up the perfect lifestyle for himself makes the mistake of marrying while drunk... and his fantasies of murder are used against him.

Plot Keywords:

Italian Woman | Comic Strip | Beautiful Woman | Courtroom | Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Stanley Ford
Virna Lisi	...	Mrs. Ford
Terry-Thomas	...	Charles
Eddie Mayehoff	...	Harold Lampson
Claire Trevor	...	Edna
Sidney Blackmer	...	Judge Blackstone
Max Showalter	...	Tobey Rawlins
Jack Albertson	...	Dr. Bentley
Mary Wickes	...	Harold's Secretary
Alan Hewitt	...	District Attorney
Barry Kelley	...	Club Member in Steam Room
William Bryant	...	Construction Worker
Charles Bateman	...	Club Member in Steam Room
Edward Faulkner	...	Club Member in Steam Room / Party Guest
Lauren Gilbert	...	Men's Club Manager

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate #20436)

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Murder Inc.

Trivia:

In the Italian version Virna Lisi's character is Greek.

Quotes:

Stanley Ford: My God, you're Italian!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Chappaqua (1966)

Soundtrack:

Happy Days Are Here Again

When Life Imitates Cartoon Art

This was the last of the three comedies that Jack Lemmon made in the middle 1960s that he hated. Like GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM (and not like the abysmal UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE) HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE had a clever script and good production. Lemmon played a successful cartoonist who carefully scripts and photos the scenes he will use in his detective adventure strip. He lives in a townhouse, complete with top rate valet (Terry-Thomas) and has a wonderful life as a bachelor. But while attending a stag party, he meets Virna Lisi, and takes her home. Apparently he has married her (the groom at the stag party had broken up with his fiancé before the party, and throws the wedding ring out - and Lemmon uses it). As a result Lisi starts domesticating him, and Terry Thomas walks out. Lemmon uses the changes in his lifestyle in the comic strip, but finally he revolts and kills off the comic strip version of Lisi. When Lisi sees this she walks out, but everyone thinks that Lemmon killed her. So the scene is set for a murder trial.

This is not a film for feminists. It takes a dim view at the effect of domestication on Lemmon (and his lawyer, a hysterically funny Eddie Mayehoff). But I point out that before the end Lemmon does admit he misses the domestication. Even Terry-Thomas gives into it at the conclusion. It still a good comedy, a worthy minor work if not one of the high points in Lemmon's acting career.