Bague au doigt, corde au cou

This is a very well written movie. I missed the very beginning. I wasn't prepared for the articulate war of the sexes theme. Some people might consider it too talky. At times it sounded like a George Bernard Shaw play. Sometimes it seemed that Dino was sleepwalking and this much wordplay was a little too much for him. Perhaps the interesting dimensions owe something to the participation of Wallach his wife. Movies from this period project a particular mise en scene of imperial America at its zenith of hubris and naivitee. The characters Martin and Wallach play are unselfconsciously "upper class" and enjoy the life of extreme privilege without any consideration if they deserve their good fortune. The US was up to its neck in Vietnam at the time and modern consumer society was being born. A nice old chestnut from a time we can remember fondly but not aspire to emulate.

Frothy comedy of multiple misunderstandings. An artifact of a different time but performed with zest by a capable cast. Stella Stevens is delightful radiating enough charm to fuel several movies, how she didn't become a bigger star is a mystery. It seems the kind of films in which she excelled were fading from popularity just as she was reaching the point in her career where she would have been the choice to lead them, a pity and a waste of an excellent talent. Even though the subject of the film is marital infidelity it is viewed with an innocent outlook which makes it similar to several of the other big hits of the sixties such as Move Over, Darling and That Touch of Mink. Aside from Stella the rest of the cast from Dino down give light enjoyable performances never taking the proceedings too seriously. If the viewer doesn't either they will find this a pleasant diversion.

A film that is, at times, brilliantly funny and, at other times, mean spirited, "How to Save a Marriage" has many things going for it, including:

Tight writing that interweaves complex, comedic misunderstandings.

Strong casting, including the stars Stella Stevens and Dean Martin, and others like Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, and Betty Field ("Picnic").

Some notable fashions that adorn the beautiful Ms. Stevens.

This is a prototypical film of the sixties, a battle of the sexes that helps codify the lines of conflict, though it goes too far. As Dean is dragged deeper and deeper into a quagmire of his own making, we might ask: is he getting what he deserves or is he a victim of his own good intentions? The film never clarifies that issue, seeming to equate his character's values with those of the other male characters, who range from benign to predatory. More subtlety might have been achieved with an actor like Jack Lemmon.

Ms. Stevens, in a role written for Marilyn Monroe, comes close to achieving the naivete cum sensuality that Ms. Monroe brings to her performances.

The ending of the film is awkward, if not a cop out. But I still recommend this film for its genuine depiction of the gender war-with all its confusion-of the sixties.

Carol works in a New York City department store and hopes for advancement, but a lecherous supervisor stands in her way.

That's okay. She is given the menial task of delivering dry cleaning, and she ends up finding out that her top manager Harry is cheating on his wife Mary.

Harry attempts to keep Carol quiet by offering her a big promotion. He also talks over the situation with his longtime friend David, a fun-loving bachelor who finds out only part of the story and thinks Harry is cheating with Carol.

To save Harry's marriage, David pretends to be interested in Carol (hoping she will drop Harry) and finds many opportunities to visit her workplace. Soon they are dating, and David sets her up with an apartment in the same posh building where Harry's mistress Muriel lives. As luck would have it, Carol and Muriel become friends. Another friend is landlady Thelma, who has few good things to say about men.

But David soon finds he is in over his head. And one thing he should never have done was claim to have an ex-wife and show Carol where she is buried.

The results are hilarious.

The writing is very clever. So many misunderstandings create considerable potential for laughs.

Dean Martin seems to be a better singer than an actor, but if this movie is evaluated as a mere screwball comedy rather than Oscar material, he does just fine here. Likewise, Eli Wallach is well suited for a role as a straying businessman, but it won't be his most memorable film appearance. Stella Stevens gives a strong performance. One standout actor is a man who finds out what David's plans are for his fictional wife. He is very funny.

It's a worthy effort.

Let me confess from the outset that I'm a huge Dean Martin fan, so I was predisposed to like this film. However, I still wasn't prepared for this film to be so delightfully amusing. I truly don't understand the low rating. My only guess is, the people who gave this movie such low marks just aren't the right viewers for this kind of a film. "How To Save A Marriage" is very much like the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films (Pillow Talk & Lover Come Back). Those films don't appeal to everyone - usually either you love them or you hate them. If you loved those films, you will love this one, as well. Dean Martin plays a man who mistakes Stella Stevens' character for his best friend's mistress. Of course, Dean plays the eternal ladies man and Stella Stevens is the nice, small town girl trying her luck in the big city. Hilarious complications ensue when Dean finds it necessary to romance her himself for the good of his friend's marriage (thus, the title). If you get the opportunity to see this (and it is quite hard to find, which perhaps also explains the low rating), you really should give it a chance. It's a wonderful romantic comedy and, aside from his Rat Pack films, one of my favorite of Dean Martin's solo ventures.