Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)

While in France, a surly 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! Based on the play LA HUITIEME FEMME DE BARBE BLEUE by Alfred Savoir and directed by Ernst Lubitsch (THE SMILING LIEUTENANT). The pedigree to this one is pretty good. In addition to the great Lubitsch, the script is 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, Warren Hymer (very good as a punch drunk prizefighter), Leon Ames and Elizabeth Patterson.