Quatre jeunes femmes

An air of melancholy runs through FOUR WIVES because Priscilla Lane is still haunted by the memory of her dead husband (John Garfield, seen briefly in a cameo role), while engaged to Jeffrey Lynn who doesn't know she's carrying Garfield's child.

But through all the dramatic twists and turns, the family unit remains strong, supportive and determined to move in the direction of a happy ending for all. Frank McHugh is on hand for some levity, Rosemary Lane makes a very beautiful Kay, Claude Rains is the musician father, and Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn carry the romantic leads in a pleasant enough manner. Lynn even gets to conduct Max Steiner's stirring "Symphonie Moderne" which wraps up the story with musical finesse.

I actually found Rosemary Lane to be the most natural beauty of the Lane sisters and her acting here is more than competent. But the Warners evidently groomed Priscilla Lane for stardom instead. She gets all the best close-ups, including her hospital scene listening to the radio concert with tearful pride.

It's enjoyable enough without being really special. Julius J. Epstein has written a graceful script and the Steiner score is a gem. Director Michael Curtiz keeps the camera flowing smoothly through many a detailed scene.

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.

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.

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.

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.