Unfaithfully Yours

As he conducts a symphony in a crowded concert hall, an esteemed musician imagines different ways to deal with his wife's reported infidelity in this Preston Sturges comedy. Rex Harrison is perfectly posh, snobby and indignant in the lead role, though his character is more than a little hard to relate to as he simply assumes that his wife has been unfaithful based on hearsay without ever confronting her and without any real evidence. In this regard, the film plays out a lot like 'Othello', though with a pronounced black comedy streak as some of Harrison's imagined solutions to the issue are really rather grisly. In arguable bad taste or not, 'Unfaithfully Yours' is laugh-out-loud funny at its best with the zaniest moments coming from Harrison later trying to act on his imagined scenarios, only to find himself foiled by unreliable technology and other things that get in the way. The film is incredibly slow to build up though, with over 45 minutes elapsing before Harrison starts to concoct revenge scenarios. While this build-up does allow us to get under his skin a bit better, it also makes him seem all the more foolish for not doing anything more to confirm the suspected infidelity. A rather nice touch of the movie is how his anger gives him the fuel to conduct more brilliantly than ever, but this is not a first rate Sturges comedy, even if it certainly never once bores.

This film brings us Rex Harrison already foreshadowing Professor Higgins. He tries out the arrogant, picayune, verbally acute role and is absolutely successful. The seed is planted and we, who know what is to come twenty years hence, rub our hands gleefully in anticipation of Higgins. But Linda Darnell is no Eliza. Instead, she is a loving, docile, trusting wife, already dressed as though she will be meeting the Queen and looking beautiful and so very desirable.

The dialog crackles and moves fast. Only Rex Harrison and perhaps Cary Grant could have have delivered with the wit and brio that Sturges deserved.

There are two extended slapstick scenes that should have been cut shorter.

Edgar Kennedy as a Private Eye has a couple of great scenes when he turns out to be a classical music devotee and is knowledgeably enthusiastic about Harrison's conducting.

A digression: Harrison tosses a couple of tickets to the Philharmonic concert, they are orchestra tickets a few rows from the front row. Price $3.80, designated as "Patron"' seats.

One of Director Preston Sturges' most enjoyable films, Unfaithfully Yours is a dark comedy which uses the skills of it's leading actors Rex Harrison and Linda Darnell, to perfection.

Harrison plays Sir Alfred De Carter, a famous symphony conductor who has recently wed the beautiful and much younger Daphne (Darnell). Upon returning from a successful concert tour, Sir Alfred is confronted by his brother-in-law August(Rudy Valle), whom he had charged to look after Daphne while he(Sir Alfred)was away. Merely wanting August to drop in on Daphne on occasion, Sir Alfred is shocked to find out that August instead, enlisted a private detective to shadow his wife around town. Outraged when presented with the detective's file, Sir Alfred refuses to even look at it. However, he is eventually confronted with the sleuth's findings, which to his chagrin, reveals that while he was away, Daphne made a very suspicious late night call to a man's room wearing only a negligee. He is further devastated to find out that the rogue in question is his own right-hand man, Tony (Kurt Kreuger), a handsome, dapper fellow more closer in age to Daphne. Believing the worst, Sir Alfred's pristine world is suddenly turned upside down, and he becomes a man consumed with jealousy and suspicion.

From here we watch Sir Alfred's gradual meltdown as the thought of his wife's infidelity haunts his every moment. Even the concert stage can't provide him any solace. While performing before a sold out audience, his mind is less on the music and more on how he will deal with the adulterous duo. With his baton wailing wildly, his mind plays out various fantasies; his first thoughts are of murder, concocting an elaborate scheme which will leave Daphne dead and Tony framed as the killer. In another scenario he sees himself as the forgiving saintly husband, allowing his young wife to leave with his blessing, even going so far as to write her a check to cover their anticipated needs. Finally, he envisions himself cast him as the crazed, pitiful victim, confronting Daphne and Tony and committing suicide before their guilty eyes. As the music ends Sir Alfred has settled on murder as his method of revenge. He abruptly ends his performance and proceeds to put his plan into effect. Hilariously, nothing seems to go quite as smoothly as it had in his vision.

Harrison is masterful as the prim and proper husband who becomes the green-eyed monster bent on revenge. Under Sturges direction, Harrison succeeds in conveying the frailty of the male ego, when faced with the possibility that the little lady may have found the grass a little greener in the neighbor's yard. Darnell as Daphne looks ravishing as the suspected spouse. She ably plays innocent enough to draw doubts about her husband's charges, yet sexy enough to make you believe that the accusations just might be true. A very entertaining movie, I would definitely recommend Unfaithfully Yours particularly for Rex Harrison fans, as this is one of his finest performances.

Noted film critic Leonard Maltin comments "oozing with sophistication" and he's absolutely right.It's a brilliant film for grown-ups (or, at least, grown ups of the 40's).It would probably frighten or confuse todays audiences because the dialogue is so rich it would send them running to the dictionary every other minute.The casting is perfect with many of Sturges' favorite supporting players delivering beautifully.If you're over 50 (and/or have a college degree) you'll love this film.If you're into rock and roll and four letter words this film would be your worst nightmare.

Rex Harrison is a temperamental conductor and Linda Darnell his younger, adoring wife in "Unfaithfully Yours," also starring Lionel Stander, Rudy Vallee, and Kurt Krueger.

Harrison and his wife are so much in love, it's sickening. But thanks to interference from his brother-in-law (a subdued Rudy Vallee), Harrison begins to believe that while he was out of town, his beautiful wife (Darnell) was consorting with his secretary, Tony, played by blond, handsome Kurt Krueger.

As he conducts the orchestra in concert that evening, Harrison imagines several scenarios - one in which he kills his wife and cleverly frames Tony for the murder; one in which he pays her off; and one where he challenges Tony to a game of Russian roulette. Of course, when he actually tries to carry them out, things don't go as he imagined.

This is a hilarious movie, with Harrison absolutely magnificent - and I might add, totally unlikable. One wonders if Darnell will stay with him once the bloom is off the rose.

Lanky and sure of himself, though not particularly handsome, Harrison has a certain magnetism, not to mention a snappy way with a line. "Will I see you tonight at the concert?" Vallee asks him. "Yes!" Harrison yells. "I'm generally there on the nights when I conduct!"

His last scene alone in the apartment is a scream, mainly because Harrison doesn't go for laughs but takes the whole thing very seriously and in character. Darnell is beautiful and appropriately cloying. Edgar Kennedy, as a classical music loving detective, has a wonderful scene with Harrison.

I haven't seen the remake, but I noticed its voting average is lower than the original's. I can imagine Dudley Moore being quite funny, but this role, with its arch egotism, was tailor-made for Harrison.