Comedy

How to Murder Your Wife

- Bring The Little Woman...Maybe She'll Die Laughing!

Stanley Ford leads an idyllic bachelor life. He is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose Bash Brannigan series provides him with a luxury townhouse and a full-time valet, Charles. When he wakes up the morning after the night before - he had attended a friend's stag party - he finds that he is married to the very beautiful woman who popped out of the cake - and who doesn't speak a word of English. Despite his initial protestations, he comes to like married life and even changes his cartoon character from a super spy to a somewhat harried husband.

Release Date : 1965-01-26

Language :EnglishItalian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Murder Inc.United Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Stanley Ford

Original Name : Jack Lemmon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Ford

Original Name : Virna Lisi

Gender : Female

Character Name : Charles

Original Name : Terry-Thomas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harold Lampson

Original Name : Eddie Mayehoff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edna

Original Name : Claire Trevor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judge Blackstone

Original Name : Sidney Blackmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tobey Rawlins

Original Name : Max Showalter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Bentley

Original Name : Jack Albertson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harold's Secretary

Original Name : Mary Wickes

Gender : Female

Character Name : District Attorney

Original Name : Alan Hewitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Barry Kelley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : William Bryant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Charles Bateman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Edward Faulkner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Men's Club Manager

Original Name : Lauren Gilbert

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Trial Judge

Original Name : Howard Wendell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bald Actor Playing Thug

Original Name : Khigh Dhiegh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Girl

Original Name : K.C. Townsend

Gender : Female

Character Name : Club Member

Original Name : Tom Palmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Hall

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Lemmon unable to save this from averageville. Cartoonist Stanley Ford loves bachelorhood, he enjoys his life, he has a butler to serve him, he can get girls, and he likes a drink or two. Then one night he's at a bachelor party and the beautiful Virna Lisi pops up out of the cake, his life is about to change. For when he wakes up in the morning, he finds he has married her, and to compound his problems, she doesn't speak any English. As a big Jack Lemmon fan I have to say I'm very disappointed in this picture, it's essentially a two joke movie that wastes Lemmon and Terry-Thomas' talent. The first half of the picture plays heavy on the fact that the new Mrs Ford only speaks Italian, this sets us up for a number of funny sequences, particularly when Claire Trevor enters the fray as Edna, but on it goes, and on it goes... We then get to watch as Stanley gains weight due to Mrs Ford's willingness to cook for her new husband, with Lemmon reduced to playing Stanley as an exasperated buffoon, henpecked within an inch of his manhood. The second half of the picture, as the title suggests, sees Stanley grow a spine and decide to deal with his problem by killing the wife. You would think that this sets the picture up for a number of riotous sequences as Stanley tries to do away with her, but sadly no, it's just the one joke that fails to light up the picture in any shape or form. The run in to the finale is marginally saved by the always reliable Eddie Mayehoff, but come the credits you wonder if the film ever meant to be a full blown comedy in the first place? 4/10 for Mayehoff and Terry-Thomas' opening scenes.