Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern and Jeanne Crain read A Letter to Three Wives.

A Letter to Three Wives was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1949. He won Oscars in both categories for this charmingly witty comedy. He followed up this neat trick by repeating it the following year with the classic backstage drama All About Eve. Not a bad couple of years for the guy.

As the title suggests A Letter to Three Wives tells the story of three different housewives living in the same small town. On the morning of a local boating excursion and picnic the three women all receive the same letter delivered by a bike messenger. It was written by a close friend of the three and it states that she has just run off with one of their husbands. This being the pre-cell phone era these women have no way of knowing which husband is missing until that evening. So they naturally spend the day looking back on key moments in their relationships in order to perhaps discover which of them has just lost their spouse.

Celeste Holm provides the voice of Addie Ross. She narrates the story but is never actually shown. Television’s Desperate Housewives clearly owes a debt to this movie, especially its use of voice-over narration.

Linda Darnell is a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks (in the movies funniest scene whenever a train goes by her mother’s house it literally shakes it to its foundation, alarming guests while the residents remain calm). She married her wealthy boss (Paul Douglas). Has he left with Addie because he thinks his wife is a gold digger?

Jeanne Crain plays a young woman from “away”. She married a successful local man (Jeffrey Lynn) and arrived in town feeling inadequate to socializing with the country club set. Has her Brad left her for the more sophisticated Addie?

Ann Sothern is married to Kirk Douglas. She’s a successful radio writer while her husband is a public school English teacher. She makes more money than he does and he loathes his wife’s job. “The purpose of radio writing, as far as I can see, is to prove to the masses that a deodorant can bring happiness... a mouth wash guarantee success and a laxative attract romance.” Has he left town with Addie Ross?

Of course I’m not going to say which husband it is. All is revealed and neatly resolved by the end credits. The supporting cast includes the always hilarious Thelma Ritter and those with sharp eyes may spot former silent star Mae Marsh as well as Carl ‘Alfafa’ Switzer in brief cameos.

Although not as well remembered as the iconic All About Eve, A Letter to Three Wives features the same witty dialogue but with a more light-hearted tone. It comically tackles the subject of married life in all its glories and pitfalls and features a talented ensemble cast.
 

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