Ach Liebling... nicht hier!

A family fun classical movie for the whole family. I am that I have this movie to add to my own personal video library. It's a real winner! The cast is outstanding and fun to watch. Shows how families were during the 1950's

During Van Johnson's career, he played a lot of really nice guys. I have no idea what the real Johnson was like...but the image for years was of a nice, unassuming guy. However, in a major change of pace, in "Wives and Lovers" he plays a complete jerk...a guy more interested in his own success than his wife (Janet Leigh) or young daughter. I think the film is supposed to be a comedy...but I found Johnson's character so unlikable that it was hard to summon up a laugh.

When the story starts, Bill (Johnson) is a husband who stays home to earn money as a writer. His wife, Bertie (Leigh), works outside the home in order to let Bill follow this dream. As a result, they are rather poor...but happy.

One day, Bill's agent (Martha Hyer) arrives at their small apartment to make an announcement....she sold Bill's book. Not only that, she got a fortune for it...as well as the movie rights...and stage rights. Now, Bill is the toast of New York...and in the process he completely neglects his family. For him, it's all-important that he follow his dream and he makes various promises to his family to spend time with them...though over time you realize his promises mean nothing. What's next? See the film...but rest assured, after a while, Bertie tires of waiting at home for him to return.

In so many ways, this film is a product of the 1960s...with newer mores than you would expect in earlier Leigh and Johnson films. So, there's more innuendo as well as cursing. It also shows marital problems...which you didn't see very often in previous decades.

In many ways, the film reminds me of the recent film "Marriage Story". Neither are funny and it's sad (at least to me) seeing these people tearing each other apart. Not a fun movie to watch...but brave in its material.

By the way, if you prefer to remember Van Johnson positively, you might want to skip this one. He is such a jerk in the film.

This one is a forgotten gem. I watched it again after some 35 years and it struck me that all the ingredients for a good film are on display. Firstly, a stellar cast that are all uniformly excellent. A directer who, tho predominately from a TV background, innately understands the material .. and lastly, a wonderfully taught script by Jay Presson Allen who would go on to pen such films as Hitchcock's "Marnie" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".

If you're a fan of the genre, in this case the early 60's 'sex comedy', you could do worse than to seek this out. It's a cut above the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films of the period.

I don't know who manages the back-catalogue for Paramount, but this could certainly do with a DVD release given the popularity of the afore-mentioned Day/Hudson films and the buying power of the baby boomers. Certainly, it has more 'bite' in the screenplay with some dialogue that obviously went under the censor's radar at the time.

This is a typical story of suburban married life, the roses and thorns, the bliss and clashes.

As an aspiring writer, Bill Austin (Van Johnson) stays home to churn out some writings while his wife, Bertie (Janet Leigh) goes out to work. He isn't happy about it, wants change. However, soon Fortune smiles on him and good changes occur; then he's on his way up as a writer, but there's a price.

Problems begin when he spends too much time away from his wife and being assisted by his attractive literary agent, Lucinda (Martha Hyer). One thing leads to another while they work on scripts together. Bertie, left alone, also goes astray, all of this leading up to a divorce as the only solution.

It is middle-of-the-road entertainment about family feuds and makeups. If you are a fan of Van, Janet, or Martha, you'll enjoy this bright and witty film.

I'm sure that Van Johnson had hoped this film Wives And Lovers would reignite his career after MGM let him go in the late Fifties as they did to all their contract players. Though he and Janet Leigh who worked together at MGM back in their salad days and they were good in this film together it never had the desired result for Van.

When we meet them Van and Janet and their little girl Claire Wilcox were living in a small apartment where Van can't even find enough garbage cans in the place. He's a writer working on his masterpiece and Leigh is supporting the family as a dental hygienist.

One day their ship comes in and it arrives in the form of Martha Hyer, Van's literary agent. His book is a smash and with all the money they now have they move to Connecticut and more expensive digs. Hyer has all kinds of ambitions for Van both professional and personal. They include a Broadway play with a Hollywood film star Jeremy Slate.

As for Slate he's cut quite a swath in Hollywood bedrooms of the rich and famous and he sets his sights on Leigh when Leigh starts feeling neglected. To make it all even more incestuous Slate and Hyer were once involved.

The code was crumbling with this comedy about proposed infidelity. In a few years Johnson and Leigh would have done the deed with other partners.

Some of the best lines come from new suburban neighbors Shelley Winters and Ray Walston. Ray is Shelley's house guest and Shelley has some sage advice being a member in good standing of the Hollywood first wives club.

Wives And Lovers got an Academy Award nomination for costume design and the literate wit of the script holds up well today. Do love all the trouble Johnson has with his new stereo set. How quaint that looks today.