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IMDbPro

How to Murder Your Wife

  • 1965
  • Approved
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Eddie Mayehoff, Terry-Thomas, and Claire Trevor in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
Theatrical trailer for this mystery thriller
Play trailer3:55
1 Video
42 Photos
Comedy

A dedicated bachelor drunkenly marries a young woman and immediately lives to regret it.A dedicated bachelor drunkenly marries a young woman and immediately lives to regret it.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
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    6.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Quine
    • Writer
      • George Axelrod
    • Stars
      • Jack Lemmon
      • Virna Lisi
      • Terry-Thomas
    • 92User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    How To Murder Your Wife
    Trailer 3:55
    Watch How To Murder Your Wife

    Photos42

    "How To Murder Your Wife" Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi and Eddie Mayhof during rehearsal. 1964 Paramount.
    "How To Murder Your Wife" Dir. Richard Quine, Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi on rehearsal. 1964 Paramount.
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
    Virna Lisi in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jack Lemmon
    Jack Lemmon
    • Stanley Ford
    Virna Lisi
    Virna Lisi
    • Mrs. Ford
    Terry-Thomas
    Terry-Thomas
    • Charles
    Eddie Mayehoff
    • Harold Lampson
    Claire Trevor
    Claire Trevor
    • Edna
    Sidney Blackmer
    Sidney Blackmer
    • Judge Blackstone
    Max Showalter
    Max Showalter
    • Tobey Rawlins
    Jack Albertson
    Jack Albertson
    • Dr. Bentley
    Mary Wickes
    Mary Wickes
    • Harold's Secretary
    Alan Hewitt
    Alan Hewitt
    • District Attorney
    Barry Kelley
    Barry Kelley
    • Club Member
    William Bryant
    William Bryant
    • Club Member
    • (as Bill Bryant)
    Charles Bateman
    Charles Bateman
    • Club Member
    Edward Faulkner
    Edward Faulkner
    • Club Member
    Lauren Gilbert
    • Men's Club Manager
    Howard Wendell
    • The Trial Judge
    Khigh Dhiegh
    Khigh Dhiegh
    • Bald Actor Playing Thug
    K.C. Townsend
    K.C. Townsend
    • Party Girl
    • Director
      • Richard Quine
    • Writer
      • George Axelrod
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    How to Murder Your Wife
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    How to Murder Your Wife

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During a taping of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Jack Lemmon told this story. Prior to starting the film, the husband of co-star Virna Lisi made her promise that she would not be talked into doing a nude scene in her first American film. She assured him that she would not, signed the contract and traveled to Hollywood. While filming the "revelation" scene, where Lemmon awakens to discover in horror that he had gotten married at the bachelor party, she had to disrobe and lay in the bed nude but discreetly covered with a sheet. However, it was this day that her husband, an architect, arrived unannounced at the set to surprise his wife. When he walked into the scene, he became very upset. He focused his anger toward Lemmon who, realizing that discretion was the better part of valor, exited the set at full speed with Virna's husband in pursuit. Running past several sound stages on the MGM lot, he quickly found a garbage dumpster, jumped in and closed the cover. He waited there until security officers found him.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

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

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Featured in TCM Guest Programmer: Tom Kenny (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Happy Days Are Here Again
      (uncredited)

      Music by Milton Ager

      Lyrics by Jack Yellen

    User reviews92

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Comic Strips in the film
    The comic strips in the film were actually drawn by the late Alex Toth. Alex Toth (June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006), pronounced with a long "o", was a professional cartoonist. He began his career in comic strips and comic books but is best known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

    His work included Super Friends, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost and Birdman.

    Toth's work has been resurrected in the late-night, adult-themed spinoffs on Cartoon Network: Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

    Some newspapers even carried 10 days of teaser Bash Brannigan strips which got sillier and sillier with insider Hollywood comments each day of its' short run.

    It was one of those things life blesses us with. - Sparky
    helpful•7
    3
    • StSparky
    • Jun 18, 2006

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 26, 1965 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Wie bringt man seine Frau um?
    • Filming locations
      • Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA(at Rheingold Brewery)
    • Production company
      • Murder Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,467,420
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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    Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Eddie Mayehoff, Terry-Thomas, and Claire Trevor in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
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