HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS (Columbia, 1947), directed by S. Sylvan Simon, may sound like a melodrama involving a wife discovering her husband's extra marital affairs, but in fact, turns out to be a comedy about the advertising business. Starring Lucille Ball in her first movie for Columbia since her comedy short appearance opposite The Three Stooges in THREE LITTLE PIGSKINS (1934), HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS may not be the best comedy ever produced, but a step in the right direction for someone like Ball best known for comedy. After many years for RKO Radio and MGM where her career ranged from musicals, comedy and dramas, HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS offers Ball, a few years before her iconic television series of "I Love Lucy" (CBS, 1951-1957), in a sort of role best suited for her comedic talents. Cast opposite Franchot Tone as her business-minded husband, much of the story with familiar overtones, appears more like an extended television episode minus a laugh track and applause.
The story introduces William Weldon (Franchot Tone), an advertising man working for Winterbottom Enterprises spending more time thinking up slogans for his campaign than with his attractive wife, Margaret (Lucille Ball). Professor Emil Glinka (Mikhail Rasummy) is his scientist partner who comes up with crazy scheme inventions as a magic hat placed on the head that nobody feels, shaving cream that removes hair without the use of a razor, hair growing tonic for bald-headed men, embalming fluid that converts people into glass, and a forever flower, all that seem to eventually backfire. William's problem is his wife, who steps into his business affairs where she gets the credit for its success instead of him. Problems arise when William is later put on trial for a proposed murder with Margaret stepping in his defense, and making matters worse for him. Featured in the cast are Edward Everett Horton (J. B. Cruikshank); Gene Lockhart (Peter Winterbottom); Nana Bryant (Mrs. Winterbottom); Pierre Watkin, Charles Trowbridge, and Larry Parks, following his success from Columbia's own blockbuster hit, THE JOLSON STORY (1946) appearing as himself.
While this comedy could have been a similar plot used for any one of the 28 "Blondie" movies at that time starring Penny Singleton (Blondie) and Arthur Lake (Dagwood Bumstead), interestingly, HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS includes "Blondie" regulars as Jonathan Hale, notable for playing Mr. J. C. Dithers, as Governor Fox, and Jack Rice in a smaller role. With the wife stepping in for her husband's business affairs quite common theme in both movies and television, Lucille Ball is the right candidate, and the sole reason for fans of her future television series to consider viewing this obscure 84 minute time filler.
Formerly available on video cassette, HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS has had some cable television viewing such as Cinemax for example, but better chances of finding it on Turner Classic Movies where it's been broadcast since it's humble beginnings of 1994. (**1/2)
