Guest Wife (1945)

A foreign correspondent (Don Ameche) creates a fictional wife for himself to appease his boss (Charles Dingle). But when the boss insists on meeting the non existent wife, he borrows the wife (Claudette Colbert) of his best friend (Dick Foran) to pass off as his own. The premise of having a fake husband or wife has been used many times in film. Most recently, the Sandra Bullock comedy THE PROPOSAL comes to mind. This is an acceptable if middling comedy but it doesn't quite work because of the unpleasant implications. What kind of man loans his wife to his best friend? It doesn't help that Foran's character seems more concerned with the welfare of his best friend than he is with his wife or their marriage. She eventually gets her comedic revenge on them both but one can't help but wonder why she doesn't just leave both of the jerks as neither are worthy of her. Foran doesn't have a funny bone in his body which doesn't assist matters. Thank heavens for Colbert's expert timing and she plays the substandard material as if she were playing Noel Coward. Directed by Sam Wood (FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS). With Grant Mitchell and Wilma Francis.