User reviews

Guest Wife is directed by Sam Wood, written by Bruce Manning and John Klorer, and stars Claudette Colbert (Mary), Don Ameche (Joe) and Dick Foran (Chris). The story tells of a journalist, Joe, who claims to his boss that he is married because the company would like their employees to be as such, and Joe wants to take some vacation leave. But he happens to still be single. Something that's now a major problem since his boss requests the company of Joe and wife for the weekend! His pal Chris lends him his wife Mary so as to bluff his boss into agreement, however, things start to get complicated.

Obviously hampered by the strict censorship that existed at the time of its making, Guest Wife none the less is a cheeky little comedy that boasts fun acting and a safe and solid script.. Tho referred to as a screwball comedy in some quarters, I feel that doesn't quite do the film any favours. Yes the gags are breezy enough, but they are hardly of the whirlwind scattergun variety. The interplay between the wonderful Colbert and the charming Ameche is spot on, even if the heavy cloud of censorship tone downs stops the material from being fully realised into a classic comedy must see. There's an itch about just who we are supposed to root for since Chris is a nice guy and Mary clearly loves him, and of course Joe is a bit of a cad when one considers his deception. Yet we are in the company of Mary and Joe for the most part, which although it be a fake marriage, it's a nice coupling. So either way come the end some viewers will be left disappointed.

Safe and tidy, with the film as a whole more likely to leave you with a smile more than a beaming grin. 6.5/10

Married couple Chris and Mary are about to set out for a second honeymoon whenever Chris's old friend Joe comes to town. Mary doesn't like Joe because he always brings trouble and this time is no exception. It seems that Joe has been using a fictional wife to improve his job prospects – even sending pictures of his wife and letters from her to his boss to impress upon him what a great guy he is (in the eyes of his fictional wife). However when his employers request the presence of Mrs Parker in New York, Joe has to ask Mary to stand in. Being a good friend Chris says yes and, with him stuck in town, Mary and Joe head off together, apparently oblivious of the sheer amount of problems that they will create.

The basic idea behind this plot means that it is the Mary and Joe that have the best chemistry and spend the most time together on screen, this is a risk that it takes because it means the audience could have felt more for them as a couple rather than Chris as Mary's husband. This would have been a disaster (particularly at the time of release) but the film manages to keep it fresh and keep us engaged in the marriage while also enjoying the sparks between Joe and Mary. It cleverly makes a game to excuse the chemistry and stops us worrying about whether real love is blossoming or not. By doing this it keeps it light and enjoyable, consistently amusing and occasionally laugh out loud funny thanks to some sharp lines and jokes.

The cast match this effortlessly. Colbert has great fun with an increasingly playful role that shapes the film and the other characters; she is the lead and her comic performance is great. Ameche also changes across the whole film as well, going from playboy to "rabbit in headlights" easily and convincingly. Foran has the hardest role in terms of engaging the audience but he does pretty well with a rather simple lug of a character. Support from people like Dingle, Mitchell, Bacon and others in minor roles all help the generally comic air come over consistently.

Overall this is a bit of a balancing act and it is to its credit that it manages to pull it off and keep the audience onside. It is all light, fluffy stuff of course but it is surprising just how enjoyable it is if you are in the mood for it. If you're looking for something inconsequential and fun then you could do a lot worse than trying this film.

What a fantastic premise, and a great experiment to try in real life - if you're very brave. In Guest Wife, Don Ameche plays a fast-talking newspaper man who had put across the lie that he's a happily married man. When his publisher sets up a dinner party and invites Mr. And Mrs. Ameche, Don panics. Claudette Colbert is his best friend's wife, and when she gets "loaned" to Don for the party, it brings up a lot of emotions. It brings out her husband's loyalty and trust, it brings out Don's selfishness, and it brings out Claudette's hatred for Don! Or does it...?

This screwball comedy is hilarious, and since I don't normally like that genre, it must be good. It's interesting, and true to life, that you can be the best of friends with someone and not be able to stand his/her spouse. It also makes you think about marital security. Just because you're married, does that mean you can stop working on your relationship? By pretending to be someone else's spouse for a weekend, can you really get to know them? This movie argues yes, and whether or not you end up agreeing (I did), you'll certainly enjoy the ninety minutes it takes to explain it.

Claudette Colbert is married to Richard Foran and is on her way on a second honeymoon when Richard's friend Don Ameche shows up minutes before they were supposed to leave for the train. It seems Claudette doesn't like to hear from him, as he is always asking Richard for help in his outlandish schemes. The latest one is that Don's boss thinks he's married, because not only did he tell him so, but he showed him a picture of his supposed wife. Claudette doesn't like the sound of this, and rightly so, because the picture of the lady in question is her. And, he now needs her to assist him to carry out this extended farce. Forced against her wishes, she goes with Don, leaving Richard behind due to a misunderstanding. Most of the rest of the film has Claudette with Don posing as his wife, while Richard is trying to get there. The film may sound pretty fun and laid-back with the stars involved, and while it does, it tries too hard to be zany and the situations feel forced, particularly when she decides to turn the tables on Don and act like she likes the position he's put her in. You could do a lot worse, even some of her own films. I've reviewed some of Claudette's pictures that are a lot worse, but considering the stars this feels more annoying in parts than it should. Chester Clute has a memorable bit as a shoe salesman on holiday in the big city, when he recognizes her, which would jeopardize her situation, and all he wants to do is check out her shoes and feet, because he knows his customers' feet! But all he can do is sneak about on the floor under the restaurants' tables, trying to get to her with no sense of direction, startling ladies and causing a commotion! "All I want to do is see her feet!" You may find this little film amusing, but by the end, you'll reach for something better.

I was surprised I'd never heard of "Guest Wife" when I found it on YouTube. After all, I adore classic Hollywood films and it stars a couple actors I really like, Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche. However, after seeing it, I can see why the film isn't more famous. It's not so much because it's bad...but it sure could have been a lot better considering the stars.

When the story begins, Chris Price (Dick Foran) tells his wife, Mary (Colbert), that an old friend of his is visiting and he wants to introduce them. However, when Joe (Ameche) arrives, he has a request...can he 'borrow' Mary as his wife! Let me explain. Joe is a bit of a jerk and isn't married nor has he ever been. He's a jerk because he's created a fictional wife in order to not only please his boss BUT to fenagle various presents for his 'wife' out of the boss! So, in order to not get caught, he wants to borrow Mary and pretend she's his wife! Any sane person would have said no....but then, there wouldn't have been a film! And, naturally, all sorts of complications ensue.

To say the plot is contrived is putting it mildly. In fact, it's pretty silly and hard to believe...and it's even harder to believe they didn't just call the whole thing off when things got too complicated. As a result, the film manages to be both pleasant and enjoyable...as well as dumb and hard to believe! And because my feelings are so mixed, I'd place this in the category of a 'time-passer'...worth seeing but also easy enough to skip.

Foreign correspondent Don Ameche has never met Claudette Colbert, the wife of his best friend, Dick Foran. He has been using her picture and the claim she is his wife to get a lot of bonuses from his employer, Charles Dingle. Now back in the States, he wishes to borrow her for his New York meeting, and through the usual situation comedy mix-ups, does

All three leads are practiced farceurs in this sort of comedy, and under the direction of skilled director, Sam Wood, this is good, if not particularly remarkable movie. The best bits are carried out by others, like house detective Grant Withers, who thinks he has Foran's number, and Wilma Francis, one of Ameche's girl friends who thinks she can recognize true love when she sees it. Chester Clute and Irving Bacon have small but amusing bits.

Ameche had been the highest-paid actor in the world when his contract with Fox expired Suddenly, his movie career collapsed, although his radio, television, and Broadway career did very well for decades. It would not be until the 1980s that he came back in favor, and he made the most of his last ten years before dying in 1993 at the age of 85.

Don Ameche steals the show in this black and white romantic comedy. Don Ameche is in wonderful form. He not only delivers his lines with perfection but his use of his eyes makes his character, Joe, come to life. This movie promises many laughs. Claudette Colbert also offers up a good performance as Mary, the wife that Joe borrows from his best friend Chris.

Dick Foran (Christopher) is happily married to Claudette Colbert (Mary) but will do anything for pal Don Ameche (Joe). Ameche needs a wife to impress his boss and so Chris lends him Mary. Hilarity ensues. Or does it?

I'll answer that right now – no it doesn't. This is a weak and boring comedy. I fell asleep because it was so dull. Foran is a complete duffus that you can't relate to and Colbert plays it as a silly schoolgirl acting out juvenile frolics. The relationship between Foran and Ameche is based on some kind of retarded fraternity bonding whereby they play immature games with each other for one-upmanship – a kibble. We are subjected to this stupid notion of a kibble on several occasions and it really wound me up. There are rare moments of comedy that actually work but it's all under par given the cast. Pretty boring stuff.

This is one of those patented situation comedies that are repeatedly used in the movies or television. So and so has a job, and his boss is a believer in the sanctity of marriage. Somehow the boss learns that so and so is married, and has a nice marriage. When he gets an opportunity, the boss invites so and so and his wife to spend the weekend at his home...which panics so and so because he really is not married, but circumstances (ah, those perennial circumstances) have led to his having claimed he was married. Now his job and his future are on the line...what should he do?

Why, borrow the wife of his best friend, of course!

Variations appear everywhere: Christmas IN CONNECTICUT, for instance, has Barbara Stanwyck usurping the home of her friend Reginald Gardiner to impress her sanctimonious boss Sydney Greenstreet (who has another great "rounded" fat name - Alexander Yardley). On television a failed series in the middle 1960s was OCCASIONAL WIFE, which had an executive in a baby food company requiring a fake wife for the happiness of his employer. He uses his neighbor two floors beneath his apartment (the hero and heroin frequently have to meet on the fire escape of the apartment between theirs, leading to a running joke of the reaction of the man who owns that apartment. About the same time Jack Lemmon made his film GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM, where a married man has to help his neighbor (Romy Schneider) inherit her wealth by pretending he is her husband (Mike Connors). Connors reciprocates by pretending to be married to Lemmon's real wife Connie Stevens (leading to some complicated incidents of both men purposely making each other jealous -and almost driving neighbor Robert Q. Lewis crazy in the process).

Despite it's repetitive use it is not a bad plot, and in GUEST WIFE it was well handled. Here Ameche is a reporter for a newspaper - magazine chain, who has had to make up his marriage to make his copy more relevant. It has made Ameche a major news figure, and his boss (Charles Dingle, pleasantly using his pompous threatening characterization to comic use - and quite well) wants to meet the little woman, who behaved so bravely in the Far East. As Ameche has based her on Claudette Colbert (the wife of his best friend Dick Foran), he goes to Foran to get permission to borrow Claudette for a few hours (for dinner with Dingle). Foran is willing, but Colbert is tired of the number of times Ameche has somehow manipulated Foran into doing things for Ameche that were not in the interest of either Foran and Colbert.

But she goes along, until she finds that Dingle has become more plans for them in the coming weekend. Ameche, for fears for his job, willingly expands the time that Colbert is with him, but this slowly gets the formerly subservient Foran to resent his friend more and more. This leads to some nice pieces of comedy with hotel detective Grant Mitchell and with nosy neighbor Chester Clute. And Colbert, sensing an opportunity she won't miss, takes advantage of the situation to keep turning up the heat on a flustered Ameche. It turns out to be a nice little comedy, well worth viewing and even watching again.

Guest Wife (Sam Wood, 1945) reunites the stars of the brilliant romantic comedy Midnight, as happily married Claudette Colbert ends up spending an inordinate amount of time posing as the wife of her husband's best friend (Don Ameche) in a bid to save the guy's job. It's OK, but the comic situations are often more stressful than funny, and the usually reliable Ameche is both cartoonish and flat. Still, Colbert does her best with the material, while character comedians Charles Dingle and Grant Mitchell work wonders in their supporting parts. Dozens of familiar faces crop up in small roles, including Irving Bacon, Harry Hayden and Chester Clute, playing a town gossip accused of voyeurism. The climactic sight gag is the best joke in the film.