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Monday, April 4, 2011

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)

While in France, an American millionaire (Gary Cooper) falls head over heels for the daughter (Claudette Colbert) of a penniless French aristocrat (Edward Everett Horton). He proposes, she accepts but on the eve of their wedding, she discovers he's been married seven times before! The pedigree to this one is pretty good. The great Ernest Lubitsch directing a script by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett with Cooper and Colbert in the leads but a promising start that anticipates a witty, sophisticated comedy with that Lubitsch touch runs out of steam about halfway through the picture. Once Cooper and Colbert get married it becomes a tiresome exercise with Colbert holding on to her virginity while Cooper deploys several attempts to consummate the marriage. Colbert is charming but Cooper is very awkward here. The large supporting cast is good though including David Niven who has one good scene, Franklin Pangborn and Elizabeth Patterson.

2 comments:

  1. De Witt, I just wrote up my review and you say the same thing better in half the words. Bravo!

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    Replies
    1. I read your review. Concise and to the point. Great minds think alike.

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