jjnxn-1
Frothy comedy of multiple misunderstandings. An artifact of a different time but performed with zest by a capable cast. Stella Stevens is delightful radiating enough charm to fuel several movies, how she didn't become a bigger star is a mystery. It seems the kind of films in which she excelled were fading from popularity just as she was reaching the point in her career where she would have been the choice to lead them, a pity and a waste of an excellent talent. Even though the subject of the film is marital infidelity it is viewed with an innocent outlook which makes it similar to several of the other big hits of the sixties such as Move Over, Darling and That Touch of Mink. Aside from Stella the rest of the cast from Dino down give light enjoyable performances never taking the proceedings too seriously. If the viewer doesn't either they will find this a pleasant diversion.
vchimpanzee
Carol works in a New York City department store and hopes for advancement, but a lecherous supervisor stands in her way. That's okay. She is given the menial task of delivering dry cleaning, and she ends up finding out that her top manager Harry is cheating on his wife Mary.Harry attempts to keep Carol quiet by offering her a big promotion. He also talks over the situation with his longtime friend David, a fun-loving bachelor who finds out only part of the story and thinks Harry is cheating with Carol. To save Harry's marriage, David pretends to be interested in Carol (hoping she will drop Harry) and finds many opportunities to visit her workplace. Soon they are dating, and David sets her up with an apartment in the same posh building where Harry's mistress Muriel lives. As luck would have it, Carol and Muriel become friends. Another friend is landlady Thelma, who has few good things to say about men.But David soon finds he is in over his head. And one thing he should never have done was claim to have an ex-wife and show Carol where she is buried.The results are hilarious. The writing is very clever. So many misunderstandings create considerable potential for laughs.Dean Martin seems to be a better singer than an actor, but if this movie is evaluated as a mere screwball comedy rather than Oscar material, he does just fine here. Likewise, Eli Wallach is well suited for a role as a straying businessman, but it won't be his most memorable film appearance. Stella Stevens gives a strong performance. One standout actor is a man who finds out what David's plans are for his fictional wife. He is very funny.It's a worthy effort.
JasparLamarCrabb
A really fun, sadly neglected comedy starring Dean Martin. Martin attempts to help out pal Eli Wallach when he believes Wallach's mistress is cheating on him. Through a case of mistaken identity (and more than one comic blunder by Martin), Martin ends up with resourceful career girl Stella Stevens. It's as frothy as they come and very entertaining. Martin is perfect and has great chemistry with the fetching Stevens. Wallach is priceless as he tries to justify his infidelities. Director Fielder Cook keeps things moving at breakneck speed and the script by Nat Monaster and Stanley Shapiro is full of a lot of great one-liners. A clever comedy with a an unusually strong supporting cast including Anne Jackson, Betty Field, Jack Albertson and George Furth.
jorgeiorio-1
A delicious comedy - that's how HOW TO SAVE A MARRIAGE AND RUIN YOUR LIFE must be classified. When HOW TO SAVE A MARRIAGE was released in 1968, I was only a teenager. Today, I regret I had not the opportunity to watch this film by that time, because I always loved that kind of comedy - not necessary to mention Doris Day's ones. Unfortunately, I only had the chance to see it in the late 1970's, firstly at TV broadcasting and afterwards, at my video-cassette home. It might seem strange to some persons, to affirm that all stars on this film have a nice performance - in special the gallant Dean Martin, the sweet Stella Stevens and the versatile Elli Wallach. On the other hand, the critics are generally very rigorous with this kind of comedy because they always expect more sensuality (or more obscenity) on scenes, however, this comedy is very funny just because the absence of malice and the presence of ingredients like a sweet sensuality - a kind of purity which we cannot see neither on today's films nor at real life. The situations are very hilariant - in special that one on which the mother-in-law's grave of a certain man is changed by asking of Carol Corman's (Stella Stevens) to the sunny side of the cemetery, as she believed on that grave was the body of David's wife, and her decision creates a lot of confusion. Stella Stevens is also very fun when she discovers David was never married, and just because of that, she practices to launch darts against David's shirt as if she was launched them over him - her beautiful face express an ingenious and hilarious hate against David, not only because of her beauty but also because of her incredible charm and, of course, her great talent as a comedian. Because of the absolute absence of obscenity at scenes, I think this film deserves to be released on DVD - as this comedy takes some of us for the good times. Special feature to Michel Legrand and to his beautiful song titled "Winds Of Change", and the superb performance by The Ray Conniff Singers at overture and final credits.
AD
