Le Célibataire marié

"Married Bachelor" from 1941 is a light comedy, nothing special, and typical of the era. It sports an attractive, charming cast: Robert Young, Ruth Hussey, Felix Bressart, and Lee Bowman.

Young is Randolph Haven, who won't take a decent job and as a result drives his wife Norma (Hussey) nuts. They're crazy about one another, but Norma is tired of his schemes and wants him to get a 9 to 5 job.

Randolph, always looking for easy money, starts working with a bookie. But a dark horse comes in and they owe $17,000 to someone who, if he doesn't get the money, will have them measured for cement suits.

While going to people who owe the bookie money, Randolph meets a professor (Bressart) who has written, but never published, dozens of books. Randolph takes one, "The Psychology of Marriage," supposedly written by the bachelor professor. It's published, a big hit, and Randolph has to pretend he's not married.

Well, the whole thing gets mixed up. Norma feels as if she's fallen through the cracks, and when the publisher (Lee Bowman) acts interested, for spite, she flirts with him. All very platonic, of course. He doesn't know she's married to Randolph.

Ruth Hussey and Robert Young worked together several times, the last time on an episode of Marcus Welby in 1971. They made a wonderful couple. They were not first tier MGM stars, but they did good work there. The rest of the cast- Bowman, Sheldon Leonard, and especially Felix Bressart, provide solid support.

I'll take issue with one thing posted here. One of the comments was that the poster didn't know how anyone could choose Robert Young over Lee Bowman. Uh, this wasn't a reality show called Wives Who Cheat. When a woman is in love with and committed to her husband, there is no choosing; she doesn't drop her husband because someone else might be better looking. I grew up in the '50s and have a soft spot for Robert Young anyway.

This doesn't have very many big-name stars. Not too many people have heard of this movie. In fact, when I'm writing this comment, it doesn't even have the 5 votes yet.

But this is a pretty good movie. Don't expect anything spectacular, but it has some good laughs. The two stars have good chemistry. The plot is well-written but somewhat predictable. Not the best movie, but not a complete waste of time.

A man dedicated to the "easy" life of grifting promises his wife that he will go straight. He wants to be good, but the allure of illegal activity is too much for him, and he goes to great lengths to fool his wife into thinking he has rehabbed. A bad business decision threatens to blow up his life, so he concocts a plan to raise money that requires him to pretend he is single. Complications ensue from that deception.

The relationship between the husband, Randolph (Robert Young), and the wife, Norma (Ruth Hussey), is what makes this film work so well. Indeed, Young and Hussey have a rapport that at times reminds me of Powell and Loy (without the nonstop cocktails). It is easy to understand why they were paired in so many films.

This romantic comedy is quite enjoyable. Watch for Sheldon Leonard as Johnny Branigan, tough guy (of course).

Randolph Haven (Robert Young) and his wife Norma (Ruth Hussey) are happily married but with money troubles. He starts working with a bookie. They lose a big bet and need quick money. They collect from a professor but all he has is his manuscript, "The Psychology of Marriage". Randolph sells the book and gets paid. The only problem is that he has to play the part of the bachelor author and hide his marriage.

A better concept may be the married couple are also petty scammer couple together. Norma should always be working with Randolph. She would only get jealous after women come after his bachelor self. They need more time together. As it stands, it's functional as a comedic satire but the relationship drama needs a bit of work.

Randy Haven, a married con artist, gets in trouble when he goes into hock for $17,000 to a local hood. He runs into a somewhat eccentric professor who has written a book on marriage but can't get it published. Haven gets it published by posing as the professor, a "bachelor taking a look at marriage". The book becomes an unexpected hit and Haven becomes a celebrity, much to the annoyance of his wife. This is a breezy comedy--no uproarious laughs, but carried off well by a charming cast. Robert Young and Ruth Hussey have undeniable chemistry and work fine together, Lee Bowman is cast somewhat against type as a wealthy publisher who is shy and awkward around women, but pulls it off well, and Felix Bressart is letter-perfect as the professor. The film has the expected MGM gloss, even though it's a "B" picture, and director Edward Buzzell keeps things rolling along smoothly. A pleasant little film, worth a watch.