Movie review – “A Letter to Three Wives” (1949) ***1/2

Classic film with that terrific premise. I have to put up my hand and say I don’t think it’s totally incredible, but its made with terrific skill and care. Celeste Holm has a voice to die for as Addie Ross – we never see her, presumably because not only would Holm’s appearance not be as sexy as her voice, but no one else’s would either.

The first segment is so-so – Jeanne Crain is a little irritating playing an irritating character, a girl who’s “just so in love” with her perfect rich husband – having said that, Crain does have a funny drunk-while-dancing scene, so maybe it was the character more than the performer (she strikes me as the sort of person a husband would cheat on – but not leave).

Much better is squabbling Ann Southern and Kirk Douglas – meant to be on struggle street but they have a maid for crying out loud; Douglas shows a definite flair for comedy here (not quite believable as a bookish school teacher but you go with it) and Southern matches him insult for insult. This episode gives those issues in gender relations stuff to argue about – is it sexist that Douglas puts Southern in her place?

The best episode is the last – tycoon Paul Douglas and his heated relationship with employee Linda Darnell; Douglas we expect to be good but Darnell is a revelation – she was having an affair with Joe Mankiewicz which probably helped him work on the character, but there’s no denying she is superb in the part.