I Love My Wife But!

For all those who worry that this short is too sexist, be aware that there was a similar short called I LOVE MY HUSBAND BUT to give equality to the man/woman thing.

This is Pete Smith's Dave O'Brien at his funniest. We see him in various situations getting hot under the collar as he waits for his wife while she fusses with her hat and hair in front of a mirror; awakes in the morning with a bunch of chatter; continues gabbing over the phone while he's at the office; fights over placement of a lamp the husband wants to move in order to read comfortably; keeps him waiting while she buys a hat while he glances around and keeps having eye contact with a woman buying a corset; is chased away from his stamp collection to mow the lawn; is covered with soot when he tries to clean the fireplace at her request; and finally, sees her destroy the family car when she can't back out of the garage despite his guidance.

It's concise, funny and very on target--and certainly something every male in the audience can appreciate even if women find it a bit overdone.

A Smith called Pete narrates this Dave O'Brien short about how Dave -- who also directs as David Barclay -- in which he's a man who loves his wife, but..... she can't get out of the house for primping or she gabs while he's trying to sleep, or she won't let him relax at home, or.....

Dave's wife is played by his real-life wife, Dorothy Short. Dave was a talent for physical performance and starred in many a short or western. He does a beautiful fall backwards from a chair in this one. Later, after Pete Smith stopped making shorts, he went to work as a gag writer for Red Skelton.

I Love My Wife But! (1946)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Pete Smith short has Dave O'Brien playing a husband in love with his wife but she has several habits that drive him nuts. This comedy features all sorts of small jokes involving the wife including her taking too long to get ready, not letting the husband do anything, making him work instead of play and not being able to drive the car. I can just imagine seeing this in a theatre back in 1946 because I can see all the husbands on the floor having a laughing fit while the women sit there getting mad. The film is certainly sexist but it's all done in good charm. There are several funny sequences, although I wouldn't put this among the best Smith shorts out there. The driving sequence is probably the highlight of the movie.