A Mulher de Meu Irmão

Workers are dying from a fever in the tropics. The company recruits Dr. Claybourne to go down there to find a cure. His son Chris Claybourne (Robert Taylor) is also a scientist but he's a hard-partying playboy. He encounters Rita Wilson (Barbara Stanwyck) at a casino and they have a heated romance. He owes the crooked casino $5k. In order to pay off his debt, he has to leave her for the jungle. Rita marries his brother as revenge.

First, I'm not sure that disease-hunting is such a lucrative pursuit. Second, forcing Chris to go seems like bad motivation for good work. Third, Rita's action seems out of proportion. The movie really exists to bend these characters to the will of a convoluted story. There is a broken love triangle here. It does have a couple of good stars. I don't really buy this story.

His Brother's Wife is the film that brought Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor together, but since all Hollywood trivia buffs know the sadness that ended their marriage, it might not be very enjoyable to watch this film. To be honest, there aren't very many sparks flying between the two in this movie, so if you want to see lots of smooches and starry-eyes, rent This Is My Affair instead.

Robert Taylor is a biologist and a playboy-imagine the combination-and when he falls in love with Barbara Stanwyck, he vows to give up his science lab and settle down. The only trouble is he's already signed up for an important two year trip to the jungle to study spotted fever. The only other trouble is he's in debt to Joseph Calleia at his gambling house, so if he stays, he's in big trouble. Barbara comes to the rescue and tells Joseph she'll work off Bob's debt while Bob's away.

The story does get a little interesting and the movie continues, but the start is pretty slow. Die-hard Stanwyck or Taylor fans might want to check it out, but this isn't going to make the classics list anytime soon.

Robert Taylor (as Chris Claybourne) is a playboy doctor who falls in love with model Barbara Stanwyck (as Rita Wilson). This is a film for Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor (he takes off his shirt as a bonus) fans only.

Otherwise, "His Brother's Wife" is an absurd movie. The opening switches around from an infested Jungle Fever… to Mr. Taylor as a seemingly alcoholic doctor… to Ms. Stanwyck playing Roulette… Then, Stanwyck and Taylor go on a prolonged date where she discovers he has a fetish for collecting and/or trading hats, which seems to disappear with his alcoholic tendencies - actually, he's an excellent doctor. Later, listen for Stanwyck to tell Taylor he smokes too much.

*** His Brother's Wife (1936) W.S. Van Dyke II ~ Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Joseph Calleia, Jean Hersholt

Just occasionally, back in the golden age of Hollywood, studios got so desperate that they tried to squeeze a couple of totally different storylines into one movie. My favourite example is ‘They Met In Bombay' with Clark Gable and Peter Lorre. ‘His Brother's Wife' never attains those heights of lunacy but it tries pretty hard !!

Movie no.1: Stanwyck is the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls for a wealthy playboy (Robert Taylor) with large gambling debts. The romance is broken up by his snobby brother but Stanwyck assumes the debts, going to work as ‘hostess' for a slimy club owner. Oh, yes and she also marries the brother (but that's not really important !)

Movie no.2: Stanwyck and the wealthy playboy (also a top research scientist !!) go deep into the South American jungle to cure a plague which is decimating the local villagers. The situation is hopeless, the playboy (sorry, top scientist) is losing his nerve and there's only one thing left for the self-sacrificing Stanwyck to do!

If this all sounds ridiculous, that's because it is.

Stanwyck tries a little too hard in this one, battling bravely against the lifeless script, dialogue and supporting cast. Director W S Van Dyke was happier with the light comedy of the ‘Thin Man' movies than this kind of absurd melodrama.

Luckily for Stanwyck fame and fortune beckoned only a year later with ‘Stella Dallas.'

This picture does have a certain curiosity value but really it's for fans only.

They call this a movie, but really it is just a collaboration between Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck who would end up getting married to each other. They are a nice couple, but that doesn't make an interesting story. This poorly written does nothing to exploit the talents of Taylor and Stanwyck even though the performances are good. The dialogue lacks sparkle, and fails to provide anything to engage the audience. No wonder it hasn't stood the test of time. Good actors and performances don't necessarily make a good film. You need a good script first and foremost for a good film, even if it is poorly made. This absurd film is not the fault of the actors, but the script writer.