Affectionately Yours

Another reviewer used the word "trite" to characterize the plot of this film. Amen to that! As for the film as a whole? How about lame? Really lame!

Since this was a 1940s Warner Brothers production featuring several of that studio's stalwart players, I had high hopes when I saw it for the first, and almost certainly ONLY, time. But, really, this is a silly story that is hardly ever funny and simply makes everyone involved look foolish. (Butterfly McQueen absolutely sobs her way through this movie. Makes you wish someone had taken her apron and gagged her with it!)

I love the WB product of the 1940s, but this is really a let down. Don't expect anything like "Christmas in Connecticut"!

It's Rita Hayworth day on TCM! the cast list is just a roll call of great stars at Warner Brothers. Here, she's Irene, dancing in a nightclub in Lisbon, with Rick Mayberry (Dennis Morgan). trouble is, he's married. but at least Rick is honest, and tells Irene he's already married. released in May 1941, so a couple months BEFORE WW II breaks out. we were still happy and upbeat. even two guys dancing together, in the club. progressive, for 1941 ! Irene is ALSO on the plane home, so that will probably complicate things. Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen work for Susan (Merle Oberon, aka MRS. Mayberry !) McDaniel and McQueen had BOTH just had huge roles in Gone with the Wind. Ralph Bellamy is Owen Wright (Mister Right, of course) Susan's new boyfriend. they got chummy while Rick was traveling the world, getting chummy with Irene! George Tobias was a master of accents, and here, he's Rick's photographer. we all know him better as Abner, the next door neighbor on Bewitched. James Gleason is his boss back home, and doesn't help matters any. the bottom line here is that Susan can't seem to really decide if she's still in love with Rick, and strings both guys along to see if Rick still loves her. gets annoying after a while. and everyone is in on the act. so many shenanigans. does she still love him or not?? Directed by Lloyd Bacon. no oscars, but made some great films. this one was a bit too silly and overdone for me. i enjoyed the scene where Hattie McDaniel ends up with the bouquet and starts walking down the aisle. funny, considering it was filmed in 1941. different times.

I absolutely loved this story!Rita Hayworth,Merle Oberon and Dennis Morgan are energetic and entertaining throughout this whole film.Ralph Bellamy doesn't get the girl,but he's great anyway.Merle Oberon once commented that she thought this movie "was a real dud..I hate it!"She conceded that her children did like it.I thought it was wonderful and I love when Dennis ties Merle's foot to something on the pier and after struggling to get away...can't budge!She falls over into the water and catches a cold...which leads to Morgan and Bellamy arguing over who gets Merle.You'll have to watch this film to find out what happens!

In the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Ralph Bellamy had a peculiar niche in films. He was cast as the boyfriend who will lose the leading lady by the end of the film in approximately 48230 films (give or take). Again and again, you KNOW by the end of the movie he'll be left alone, so when I saw him dating Dennis Morgan's ex-wife (Merle Oberon) in this movie, I knew he'd be a miserable loser eventually!

The film begins with Morgan learning that his wife's divorce is final and he connives to get her back--though she's now with Bellamy(!) of all people! So, he's off to get her...and pretty Rita Hayworth is following, as she wants him and is thrilled that he's now divorced. While all of this is reasonably enjoyable, I couldn't help thinking that I've seen similar films many times--and often the other films were a bit better. After all, while Moran and Oberon were fine, the likes of Cary Grant, Irene Dunne or Rosalind Russell simply were better. My advice is see "The Awful Truth", "His Girl Friday"

or "My Favorite Wife" instead. The plots are rather similar (and some even feature Bellamy as the sap) and are just better--better written, acted and directed.

The verdict--a good film but nothing especially new.

Richard Mayberry is a world traveling newspaper reporter, who plays around with lots of women, excepting his own wife, who has to stay at home. He's in Lisbon, trying to mess around with lady reporter Irene Malcolm, and she's all for it: but she's like him to leave his wife first.

Meanwhile, his wife Sue has meet "Mr. Wright," literally, and she's about to divorce her husband. Lot of fluffy misunderstandings, misappointments and misdeals follow, as Richard tries to either make his wife jealous with Irene, or tries to foist Irene off on Owen Wright.

You have to watch it to find out what happens, but there is certainly a fair amount of screwball comedy along the way to finding out!