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:

WOMEN: WARNING! See It Before He Does! The Wife You Save May Be YOU!

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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

Early publicity announced that the producers were originally seeking Brigitte Bardot for the role of Jack Lemmon's wife.

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Goofs

In the comic strip detailing the way in which he murdered his wife, Stanley includes a panel showing the purchase of a mannequin. The mannequin, however, is only used to represent his wife for the purpose of taking photos used in the drawing of his strip; it would obviously not be involved in an actual murder plot.

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Quotes

Stanley Ford: Here you are in the prime of life. A handsome figure of a man, successful in business, adored by one and all. In fact, it could be said that you had it made, except for the one thing.
Harold Lampson: I'm a lousy lawyer, huh?
Stanley Ford: [scoffs] No, you're married.
Harold Lampson: Yeah, but being married is the normal way to live. Isn't it?
Stanley Ford: Who says so?
Harold Lampson: Edna?
Stanley Ford: Oh Harold, I think you've been brainwashed. You're missing a very important point: marriage is not a basic fact of nature, it's an invention. It's like the infield fly rule; it ...
[...]

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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

References Divorce Italian Style (1961)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Entertaining and enjoyable comedy

Entertaining and enjoyable comedy which unfortunately is too long for the premise on which it is based, although Lemmon gives his usual faultless comic performance in the lead role of a successful cartoonist who wakes up one morning to find himself married following the previous drunken evening. However, the high point of the movie is undoubtedly Terry-Thomas' pivotal but underwritten performance as Lemmon's gentleman's gentleman whose concern for his employer's changed circumstances is as much as a result of his genuine desire to protect Lemmon's well-being as it is to avoid his own obsolescence.