How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

A dedicated bachelor drunkenly marries a young woman and immediately lives to regret it.

Director:

Richard Quine

Writer:

George Axelrod

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas

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

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 (as Bill Bryant)
Charles Bateman	...	Club Member in Steam Room
Edward Faulkner	...	Club Member in Steam Room / Party Guest
Lauren Gilbert	...	Men's Club Manager

Storyline

Stanley Ford leads an idyllic bachelor life. He is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose Bash Brannigan series provides him with a luxury townhouse and a full-time valet, Charles. When he wakes up the morning after the night before - he had attended a friend's stag party - he finds that he is married to the very beautiful woman who popped out of the cake - and who doesn't speak a word of English. Despite his initial protestations, he comes to like married life and even changes his cartoon character from a super spy to a somewhat harried husband. When after several months he decides to kill off Bash's wife in the cartoon, his wife misinterprets his intentions and disappears. Which leads the police to charge him with murder.

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Plot Keywords:

comic book artist | misogyny | misogynist | scheme | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

26 January 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cómo asesinar a su esposa

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Murder Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The comic strip art in the film was done by Mel Keefer, the artist on Perry Mason, Mac Divot and Rick O'Shay comic strips. In addition, Alex Toth drew a comic strip of the characters as part of a teaser campaign to promote the film.

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Goofs

In the opening scenes, the same woman in a red skirt and black top can be seen walking past Stanley's house (left to right) twice - firstly when Charles is collecting the newspaper and then when Charles and Stanley are leaving in the car.

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Quotes

Charles Firbank: This is Mr. Ford's shower - thermostatically controlled at Mr. Ford's body temperature: ninety-eight point *seven*!

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Crazy Credits

At first, it only says How to Your Wife on the screen, in white letters. Then, the word Murder shows up in red letters in the space between the two rows of text.

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Connections

Referenced in Remington Steele: Illustrated Steele (1985)

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Soundtracks

Happy Days Are Here Again
(uncredited)
Music by Milton Ager
Lyrics by Jack Yellen

User Reviews

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.