FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A LETTER TO THREE WIVES
A Letter to Three Wives closely resembles the world of Desperate Housewives: a
suburb
of perfectly manicured
lawns, tree-lined streets, and dances at the country
club. The trio includes the farm girl newly married into money (Jeanne Crain), the harried
working woman (Ann Sothern) who manages to
bring home the bacon and care for her young twins, and the mismatched pairing of a beautiful
young woman (Linda
Darnell) and her older, wealthier husband (Paul Douglas in his first screen
role). At a charity function, the women receive a
letter from their mysteriously absent friend Addie Ross, informing them she has run away with
one of their husbands.
Set during the course of one day, the movie uses flashbacks to depict the tensions within each
marriage. With each backstory, the characters are fleshed out a bit more and by
the last, you can’t help but be sympathetic towards these women, who must
compete with the popular Addie, who is never directly seen but heard
as narrator. Aside from a few awkward moments in the transitions to the past, the movie holds
much in the way of dramatic tension
and style. The sharp dialogue is witty and at times eerily relevant to today.
It’s as if ABC lengthened an episode and added color to Wisteria Lane.
DVD Extras: Biographer Kenneth Geist concentrates largely on the film’s production, while son Christopher Mankiewicz
provides details on his father, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and historian Cheryl Lower
expounds on
the actors’ careers. For someone who is not
familiar with the time period, the commentators help to distinguish
the film in its time period. Other features consists of a
restoration comparison of the actual 1949 film print to the digital version made for the DVD
release. The comparison allows for side-by-side viewing of the different
versions within the same scene. Paragraphs of detailed information about the process are
provided and
unlike the other features on the disc, this one does not add enhance the film when viewed again.
In a short clip from the 22nd Annual Academy Awards, writer-director Mankiewicz
wins in both categories as
Paul Douglas hosts. And it pays to reevaluate Linda Darnell’s performance after watching an
A&E
biography on the actress, which tells tales of her failed relationships
and her professional highs and lows. Knowledge of her real life
helps the viewer to appreciate her performance even more. Mallory Potosky
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