After writing and directing a string of hits for Paramount (THE LADY EVE, CHRISTMAS IN JULY, SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS, THE PALM BEACH STORY to name a few) and becoming the top comedy director of the 1940s, Preston Sturges’ career faded very quickly after he left that studio. Anxious to be an independent filmmaker, he signed with Howard Hughes who provided the funding but then interfered with Sturges’ next two movies, VENDETTA and THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK with Harold Lloyd. Hughes re-edited and re-titled the latter to MAD WEDNESDAY. They both flopped.
Sturges then approached 20th Century Fox with a screenplay he’d written in 1932 and was given the green light. The screenplay was originally titled SYMPHONY STORY and this became UNFAITHFULLY YOURS. Sturges was given carte blanche to make the movie exactly the way he wanted. He hired Fox stars Rex Harrison & Linda Darnell for box office appeal and then had Rudy Vallee, Edgar Kennedy, Julius Tannen, and other members of his stock company fill in the character roles. The screenplay is witty and fast paced and the finale is a slapstick delight. It should have been a big hit, but, it wasn’t.
The plot concerns a self-centered orchestra conductor (Harrison) who thinks his young bride (Darnell) is having an affair. As he conducts his latest concert, he imagines how to deal with the situation based on the works he’s performing. These pieces are Rossini’s SEMIRAMIDE Overture, Wagner’s Overture to TANNHAUSER, and Tchaikovsky’s tone poem, FRANCESCA DI RIMINI. Their themes, in order, are murder, forgiveness, and fate. Harrison works out each scenario in his mind as the music plays and decides the first one, murder, is the best. After the concert, he attempts to carry out his plan and fails. Harrison and his wife, who was completely innocent and flummoxed by his baffling behavior, reconcile.
The reason usually given for the film’s failure is negative publicity surrounding Harrison and the suicide of actress Carole Landis with whom he’d been involved. There are a couple of other reasons which seem more likely. Although witty with an extended comic finale, the idea of murdering your wife with a straight razor and a sequence ending in the death of the conductor following a round of Russian roulette was just too dark for 1940s audiences. The other reason is twofold. Classical music lovers did not appreciate the music being used in fun while the average viewer found it too “highbrow”.
The poor performance of this movie and of his next, THE BEAUTIFUL BLONDE FROM BEND with Betty Grable, effectively ended Sturges’ career. 75 years later the critical and general consensus is much different. UNFAITHFULLY YOURS is now considered a comedic masterpiece that was ahead of its time. And, no question, several sequences are hysterically funny. Rapidfire dialogue in the best screwball comedy tradition with several lines, mostly Harrison’s, droll as befits his character. But thank heavens for subtitles because many of the best lines would be lost if you weren’t listening closely.
What goes before is a set-up for the elevated slapstick of the finale. When Harrison tries to carry out his plan of revenge, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. My wife, who is not at all a fan of slapstick comedy, couldn’t stop laughing and wanted to see parts of it over again. No doubt this sequence alone took many takes which drove up the budget which is another reason the movie failed. I’m convinced Blake Edwards created the PINK PANTHER’s Inspector Closeau character based upon this sequence, and, in fact, Peter Sellers was to have starred in the 1980s remake but died so the role went to Dudley Moore.
The final jewel in this comedic crown are the performances. Rex Harrison is superb and Linda Darnell was given one of the few roles where she had an opportunity to act. But it’s the supporting players who add depth and color to the proceedings. Rudy Valee as the stuffed-shirt brother-in-law and Barbara Lawrence (hard to believe she was only 18 when this was made) make the most of their dialogue while old pros Lionel Stander and Edgar Kennedy both have standout bits. Kurt Krueger has the thankless role of “love interest” but acquits himself nicely. As usual, Criterion provides lots of extras making this release a must for all lovers of comedy.
The Capsule Critic 