L'eterna Eva

My sister and I saw this in 1952 and were impressed enough to remember some of the lines until this day. Ann Baxter "Oh, I'd just go mad if I didn't have my little escape hatches!" We put it into some of our little family entertainment dramas. I was 16 and she was 13 when we saw it.

It was fun -- and I thought I recognized Wild Red Barry as one of the toughs at the Men Only health retreat. According to the cast list it was Henry Kulky as the 'pug'. Mike Mazursky, also a pro rassler, is not credited at all, although he has a line about not fearing to push a ladies face in.

I agree -- why isn't it shown more often? While the Empress walks the naked backs of male slaves she digs her high heel around a bit on MacDoanld Carey, and he looks up at the camera in dismay or something.

This is not likely a movie you will subsequently set up all night discussing, but it is cute and more typical of Miss Baxter's pre "Eve" fare than post Eve.

As Virginia and George Mason are flying off on their vacation, their is serious aircraft trouble and they believe they are going to perish on the plane. In the heat of the moment, George suddenly confesses to Virginia that he had an affair with her best friend Jane. Much to his later chagrin, the plane is safely turned around and taken back to the airport, and now he must live with the consequences of his confession.

This, by the way, is played as light, charming 1950's marital comedy, and in that vein it works pretty well. Virginia occupies herself with ways in which to punish her husband and bring further recognition to her status as victim. Cecil Kellaway is very entertaining, as always.

The only real drawback to the film is that the Jane character is played in a manner that will strike modern audiences as an obvious lesbian. It is impossible to believe either George would stray from the very cute and sexy Virginia for the mannish and pushy Jane, or that Jane would be interested in ANY man. I don't think this may have read this way to 1950's audiences.

This film is rarely ever shown, I don't know why, much worse films get a great deal more air time. If you have a chance to see it, do. It's a nice little show.

"My Wife's Best Friend" from 1952 is a cute comedy that could have been riotous.

A couple is on an airplane that they are afraid is going to crash. The husband confesses to his wife that while she was away once, he had an affair with her best friend.

Unfortunately, the plane doesn't crash and they survive. He can kiss his life goodbye anyway.

She finally forgives him, but that's worse.

The film stars Macdonald Carey and Anne Baxter as the couple, with a supporting cast of Cecil Kellaway, Max Showalter, and Francis Bavier.

There were some fun bits in this, particularly when Virginia, the wife, imagines herself being noble like Joan of Arc, or some other heroines not quite so noble.

So despite a good story and good dialogue, why didn't this work for me? Well, here it is. Anne Baxter and Macdonald Carey were both good actors, but they were not experts in comedy. That wouldn't have been a problem except that in Baxter's case, she tried to DO comedy. If she had played it straight and let the humor come from the character instead of striking an attitude, it would have been funny.

Still worth seeing as it's a pleasant film.