Le Célibataire marié

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).

The movie, once it gets going, is chic and amusing. Robert Young is good and Ruth Hussey, as always, is appealing. Lee Bowman is a good foil for Young, though it's difficulty to believe that anyone would choose Young over him.

The central premise is funny: A married man (Young) has to pretend he is a bachelor to pay off debts by playing a Hip Mr. Lonelyhearts. Wife Hussey gets lost in the shuffle and Bowman innocently tries to move in.

Sam Levene is amusing as Young's sidekick, who speaks with Yiddish inflections. But another broadly written part almost sinks this: the supposedly humorous gangster who wants his money or else. By this time criminals had been amply portrayed to the public so that this was not a laughing matter.

On absolutely the other hand is Felix Bressart. Young uses his book on marriage to become a celebrity, claiming himself as author. Bressart, third-billed here, gives a nuanced and utterly charming performance. It seems as if his character belongs in another, much better, movie.

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.

Remember in Alex & Emma when Luke Wilson gets indebted to scary gangsters and then tries to write and sell a novel to get quick cash? Remember thinking, in the audience, that his plan was a really stupid idea? If you rent Married Bachelor, you'll be thinking the same thing. Robert Young gets indebted to scary gangsters, and his master plan is to sell a book and use the advance money to pay them off. He borrows a manuscript from Felix Bressart, smooth-talks his way into a publishing house, and actually signs a deal. It's very bizarre for a host of reasons, one of which is why Felix never gets upset that his work gets published under someone else's name.

The book itself is advice about marriage, and the publishing house discovers that the book tours and sales are more successful if the women buying the book think the author is on the market. So, a very happily married Robert Young has to pretend he's not married to his wife, Ruth Hussey. Hence the title. There's lots of humor in this movie, but it's not exactly a classic. Just like the first few times you watch Alex & Emma you laugh at all the jokes, you'll like this movie but you probably won't want to own a copy.

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.