Misbehaving Husbands

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Misbehaving Husbands

Henry (Harry Langdon) and "Carole" (1940), in Misbehaving Husbands
Directed by William Beaudine
Produced by Jed Buell
Written by Cea Sabin (story)
Vernon Smith (screenplay) and
Claire Parrish (screenplay)
Starring Harry Langdon
Betty Blythe
Ralph Byrd
Esther Muir
Cinematography Arthur Reed
Editing by Robert O. Crandall
Distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation
Release dates December 20, 1940 (1940-12-20)
Running time 65 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Misbehaving Husbands is a 1940 American comedy of errors film directed by William Beaudine for Producers Releasing Corporation. The film had the working titles of At Your Age and Dummy Husbands.[1] Harry Langdon, Betty Blythe, Esther Muir and others in the cast were stars in silent films; it was the film debut of Gig Young credited under the name of Byron Barr.

Plot summary

Absent-minded department store owner Henry Butler (Harry Langdon), forgetting his wedding anniversary ends up working late and missing the surprise anniversary party thrown by his wife, Effie, Betty Blythe.

Trying to get away from work, he ends up being seen with a mannequin, which he is trying to get repaired. A friend of his wife who sees it, think it’s a blonde girl Henry is having an affair with. Others call the police, reporting a murdered woman.

Henry gets picked up by the police and kept for interrogation until the wee hours of the morning; but his troubles are just starting. Effie has overheard the gossip spread amongst her party guests; and seeing Henry come home with one of the mannequin's shoes and blonde hair on his clothes fears the worst. She is urged on by her friend, Grace Norman, Esther Muir, and her unscrupulous lawyer, Gilbert Wayne, Gayne Whitman to file for a divorce. Henry and Effie both have their own lawyers who advise that since neither one will leave the family home they need witnesses that the couple are living apart to facilitate the divorce proceedings, and due to Henry's alleged violent temper Effie's lawyer also demands Effie have a bodyguard, a rude thug named Gooch who also stays at the home.

When Effie decides to stop the divorce, a little scene staged by the lawyer, with his girlfriend, Nan, Florence Wright, posing as the blonde Henry was supposedly seeing, convinces her otherwise. It is only then that the live in witnesses, her niece Jane Luana Walters and Henry's friend Bob Grant, Bob Byrd notice that the shoe Henry brought back that night is about a size four; too small for Nan. Jane also picks up that Gooch and Nan seem to recognise each other and trick Gooch into calling Nan where they overhear her location on an extension phone and get the truth out of her.

A drunken Henry drags the mannequin, Carole (for Carole Lombard), all over town; only to meet the police, Effie and her lawyer waiting for him at home.[2]

Luana Walters and Ralph Byrd (1940), in Misbehaving Husbands

Cast

Trivia

Some of the material might be considered slapstick; and, dated; but, it’s still fun; and, these old pros know how to handle it.[3]

Quotes

Effie to Jane: "I'm going to get tight!" [4]

Bob to Jane: "You've been reading too many detective stories." (Ralph Byrd played Detective Dick Tracy, in four movie serials and two feature films, from 1937 to 1947, and on television.)[5]

Henry: "All this, fuss, over one, little shoe!"

References

  1. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/83590/Misbehaving-Husbands/notes.html
  2. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/83590/Misbehaving-Husbands/
  3. ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/mobile/m/misbehaving_husbands/
  4. ↑ http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tight
  5. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032799/

External links

Films directed by William Beaudine
1920s-30s
British films
1930s-40s
1950s-60s
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