sammysdad97 This movie is captivating. The late 1940s captured in real time. Black and white photography at its best. Dialog that crackles but yet is believable. An excellent cast and an absolutely great third act featuring the stunning Linda Darnell at the absolute peak of her luminous, sultry beauty going toe to toe with Paul Douglas, an everyman for any age. While Kirk Douglas and Ann Sothern have a few good exchanges this movie would be completely forgotten were it not for the 30 odd minutes spent with Lora Mae Finney and her family hard by the tracks and Porter Hollingsway's solitary man of wealth who is used to getting what he wants until Lora Mae takes his measure.1949 was a long time ago. Back then movies took their time setting a scene and introducing a set of characters. If you are impatient with this kind of film making and find yourself wanting to turn this off (for whatever reason) at any point before Linda Darnell and Paul Douglas take center stage then do yourself a favor and fast forward to around the 45 minute mark when Lora Mae's house begins to shake and watch the next half hour unspool as a world class "broad" and a street smart "gorilla" court each other for 15 very memorable rounds.I suspect you will then go back to the beginning and watch the entire film and enjoy it immensely for what it is -- a witty, "penetrating" look at American life just after the Second World War in a world that lacked "instant" communication and instead had to settle for the real thing.

jjnxn-1 Where to begin to praise this fantastic picture? The dialogue is witty and sharp, the situations wonderfully true and the performances by almost all exceptional. Modern technology has made the basic premise of three woman isolated from communicating with their husbands for a day pretty much obsolete but that just makes this all the more enjoyable. The segment with Jeanne Crain and Jeffrey Lynn is not bad but is the weakest of the three since they are the least charismatic performers but the theme of insecurity due to a perceived feeling of inferiority between partners in a marriage is as relevant today as then. Ann Sothern and Kirk Douglas are perfectly matched in their portion and ably abetted by the hilarious Thelma Ritter. The insights into the struggles between education versus crass commercialism are sadly contemporary even if now it is TV and the internet that is dumbing down the nation instead of radio as presented here. The real golden couple and the pair who walk off with the picture are Paul Douglas and, in the best part she ever had, Linda Darnell. She is Oscar worthy here and the fact that she was overlooked for even a nomination is a travesty, yet another example of a quality performer who was never given her due. True the words are there for them to feast on and what a banquet they make. They share a cynical outlook and delivery which puts bite into every word and while it is mostly employed to comic effect beneath their hesitant defensive dance is an obvious feeling which each is too afraid to show. It lends a wonderful poignancy anytime they appear and makes them stand out not just in their part of the film but in what they add to the others. Connie Gilchrist as Linda's mother also makes the most of one of her best roles, she and Thelma Ritter are a brilliantly comedic team! The unseen Celeste Holm was the perfect choice for the narrator, her silky, venomous delivery tells you all you need to know of the mantrap Addie Ross. Mankiewicz deserved his Oscar for making the whole jigsaw fitted together superbly and never letting interest in these people lag for a minute. If you haven't seen this you are missing a great film.

misctidsandbits This is an interesting and thoughtful movie, very well done, with absorbing stories. I think it was tied together well. Good characters and portrayals. It's not a comedy. Life has its humor as you go along, but there's more serious business going on here, and it is handled as such. People refer to this as one of Kirk Douglas' early weak roles, but I think his character exhibited real strength in standing up to his wife about the compromise in her writing. That was a strong scene. They were the soundest couple of the three, being attractive together as well. Linda Darnell is of course quite beautiful, and I thought very competent in this. The character had an interesting and actually disciplined system for her pursuit of a man who would get her out of the railroad flat. Understandable. How was she a floozy? She operated from home and took her mother out with her when she married. She beat the man at his game, which was to use them and lose them. Should she have been another of his casualties? Of course, neither are very secure in their marriage, given their shaky foundation. But there's a reckoning with their respective motivations through the Addie experience.Have never understood Paul Douglas as a leading man. He's downright unattractive. Good actor maybe, but not believable as an eligible man. The story here is a poor girl out to snag a rich guy, and that is accomplished for obvious reasons. But that the famed and beautiful Addie Ross would want to run off with him stretches the imagination.Ann Sothern seemed to step up in this role. Isn't this the strongest production for her? She's always been a B movie player, to my observation. She brightened up anything she was in, even very low productions. I think she did this very well, and could have done more at this level. She is strong and thoroughly attractive, inside and out.To me, Jeanne Crain is rather average, and am surprised that she was considered by some to be beautiful. She is convincing in girlfriend, sister and daughter parts, but not much more than that. She's an insecure wife here and manages that alright. Her character was a mess, having to be propped up by everyone around her, but grows and stabilizes. Jeffrey Lynn. Wish more would have been done with him. He's one of those really attractive people who don't work out somehow. That's more what a leading man should look like, but guess the performances didn't come up. Loved him in "Four Daughters," admittedly a lesser film. But would have liked to have seen him more. Maybe he could have been like Lee Bowman, the good looking other man. I would have been right there ogling ... lolConnie Gilchrist and Thelma Ritter are super treats. I don't know what shakes up that kitchen more, the local coming through or all that snappy dialog. Great character players, always effective. This is a very interesting movie that doesn't disappoint, either as it goes along or as it wraps up. I don't agree that it's a bad ending. Consider how outrageous this one woman was to their lives, hanging over them like a cloud throughout. Yet, all three couples come out strengthened, and the spell is broken. It's the smug Addie Ross that ends up being jilted. Great ending.

wes-connors Joseph L. Mankiewicz' beautifully directed, and wittily written, tale of post-1940s America begins with "A Letter to Three Wives": "Dearest Debby, Lora Mae, and Rita ~ As you know, by now, you'll have to carry on without me from here. It isn't easy to leave a town like our town, to tear myself away from you three dear, dear friends who have meant so much to me. And so, I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to take with me a sort of memento, something to remind me always of the town that was my home. And, of my three very dearest friends, whom I want never to forget. And, I won't. You see - girls - I've run off with one of your husbands. ~ Addie" The three troubled wives are: World War II veteran "W.A.V.E" Jeanne Crain (as Deborah Bishop), beautiful gold-digging Linda Darnell (as Lora Mae Hollingsway), and radio career "gal" Ann Sothern (as Rita Phipps). Fetching narrator Celeste Holm (as Addie Ross) professes to have absconded with one of her three "dearest" friends' husbands: Is it charming schoolteacher Kirk Douglas (as George Phipps), rich and forceful Paul Douglas (as Porter Hollingsway), or young and worldly Jeffrey Lynn (as Bradford Bishop)? Under Mankiewicz' expert direction, the wedded six perform very well. The couples have, arguably, less "chemistry" than you might expect; however, this helps suspend disbelief regarding the film's plot.At times, the unrelated Douglas actors (Paul and Kirk) seem to be the "voice" of Mankiewicz; and, their parts are expertly performed. The women are all terrific. The three lead actresses receive fantastic support from Connie Gilchrist (as Ruby Finney), Florence Bates (as Mrs. Manleigh), and Thelma Ritter (as Sadie Dugan). Ms. Ritter, in an early role, was not credited; but, her role is substantial. And, it was nice to see Mae Marsh in a small role. Unfortunately, the film's eagerly anticipated ending is a little weak.******** A Letter to Three Wives (1/20/49) Joseph L. Mankiewicz ~ Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas