No Minor Vices

A whole lot like Preston Sturges's Unfaithfully Your's with a technique originated in Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude, No Minor Vices is the story of the marital crisis of Dana Andrews and Lilli Palmer brought on by the disturbing presence of artist Louis Jourdan. Of course it doesn't come near being as good as either of the other two works.

The biggest problem that No Minor Vices has is the casting of Dana Andrews in the lead. I don't think that it's an accident that Dana Andrews never did another comic lead again in his film career. The man was just not blessed with the light touch of comedy in his player's persona. The film needed someone like Fred MacMurray or Ray Milland in the part of the jealous husband.

Andrews is a rather smug and self satisfied child psychologist who dispenses advise on everybody's problems asked or not. He thinks that married life is just perfect with a wife who does his bidding at his whim. That is until another guy who is rather full of himself, artist Louis Jourdan enters his life. Jourdan has nothing but time on his hands as his bills are paid by his mother. Charm can come easy when you don't have to worry about bills.

The film could also have used an Ernest Lubitsch or a Mitchell Leisen as well. Lewis Milestone who peaked early in his career with his Oscar for All Quiet On The Western Front is also not a director for classic comedy. Even Billy Wilder would have gotten so much more out of this film.

Not in the best work of Dana Andrews though Louis Jourdan has a few moments I suspect interpolated in the film on his own.