Four Wives

... with more domestic drama and romance in this follow-up to Four Daughters (1938).

This film takes up where the first film left off, with two of the Lemp sisters married, and Kay in a romance with a research doctor (Eddie Albert) trying to figure out what is killing the loggers on the other side of town.

Ann Lemp (Priscilla Lane) is still the main character here, as her short consolation marriage to Mickey (John Garfield) ended in his suicide, figuring his wife would be better off without him. How could WB have known that Garfield would be one of their great charismatic finds of the late 30s and thus not have written the script to make dust be his destiny?

So, unbelievably as in the first film, Ann is back with Felix (Jeffrey Lynn), planning to marry. Even without Garfield in the competition I'm just not buying it. But then Ann finds out that her consolation marriage with Mickey has left behind a consolation prize - she is pregnant. The pregnancy, along with Mickey's ghost - it is not hard to believe that a woman preferring Jeffrey Lynn romantically would raise the dead - and Ann's melancholy over her dead husband's tragic life, make it difficult for her to move on.

The one big annoyance here is Aunt Etta (May Robson) is in overdrive here, constantly babbling on about Ann and Mickey's baby. Breathe, Aunt Etta, Breathe! I guess I should just be in wonder that Robson, 81 at the time, added such energy to the part. Mildly recommended, in particular if you want to see how the melodrama in the first film in the series plays out in the second.

All of the characters from FOUR DAUGHTERS return in this sequel. Even John Garfield, whose character has departed this mortal vale, and Garfield himself; he shot some ghostly scenes to haunt widowed Priscilla Lane. She's bearing his child, even as good-guy Jeffrey Lynn tries to help her move forward. Eddie Albert is also on hand to play a doctor making mild-mannered moves on Rosemary Lane.

1939 was a year in which the Hollywood majors couldn't seem to do anything wrong. The Depression was easing up, the lessons from conversion to sound were learned, and this Fanny Hurst tear jerker with symphonic music is well directed by Michael Curtiz. If some of the characters, like Dick Foran, seem to be there to fill up the space, well, there are new subplots to explore. It's not to my taste, but there's no denying its competence.

Follow-up to Four Daughters is okay but pushes the mawkish sentimentality pretty hard.

Most of the cast perform well. Frank McHugh is most appealing as Lola's flummoxed husband and Priscilla Lane is good in her bruised sadness unable to move on or get over her guilt after her sudden loss in the original. Claude Rains and May Robson add their special brand of enjoyment but really are wasted in small supporting parts.

The one actor who is terrible and throws the whole enterprise off is Jeffrey Lynn, supposedly an ideal man he is attractive but a dull, bland presence and the constant comparison to the magnetic John Garfield who is superimposed throughout only makes him worse. Plus he must be the most unconvincing orchestra conductor ever!

Curtiz gets the job done direction wise but he must have recognized the mediocre quality of the script and just moves the story from point A to point Z with none of the flourish he could infuse into a superior project like The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Four Wives is the first sequel in the saga of the musical Lemp family that Warner Brothers brought to us in Four Daughters. This family film about widower Claude Rains and his four musical and unmarried daughters struck a nice note with the movie going public in 1938 and John Garfield in his screen debut earned himself a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Garfield is back here, but only in flashback to the original film.

The main plot line involves Priscilla Lane who ran off with Garfield leaving Jeffrey Lynn at the altar and in a lurch. Garfield still comes between them and he's left a permanent reminder of his brief marraige to Lane.

The others also having their early marital adjustments, Lola Lane to banker Frank McHugh, Gale Page to Dick Foran and Rosemary Lane still unattached to Priscilla's pediatrician Eddie Albert. Albert seems to fit right in with the general harmony of the group.

One thing with the Lemps they seem to do everything together from playing classical music with their music teacher dad to having babies. The only question left unanswered is will Claude Rains ever have a grandson in this girl's town he's started.

Four Wives is a worthy film, a fine sequel to Four Daughters and Warner Brothers wasn't through with the Lemp family yet as soon enough out came Four Mothers.

a silly movie from the 30's that show how much we have changed. Today, no such movie would ever be produced, but then again one never watched a movie from that era for social understanding. the acting is .....well....bad, the plot, convoluted. Mothers having babies, adopting babies, getting bored with adopted babies and giving them again to someone else. But the gowns are gorgeous, so that is important. I have only seen the first two of the series, and am only familiar with one of the actors. this is classic Hollywood, happy stories with Oh so happy endings that bear little resemblance to reality. So if you are bored on a Sunday afternoon, and want to see something frothy and silly, this series is right up your ally. Just don't be surprised if you go into diabetic shock.I guess because they made three of these movies they must have been popular in the 30's. thank God we grew up.