The plot for this film has been used a couple of times in literature, and a few times with variations in movies. A man is lost at sea and presumed dead, so in time his wife marries another man, only to have the first husband return. "Enoch Arden" was an 1864 poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson that was made into movies in 1911, 1914 and 1915. This remake stars Jean Arthur, Fred MacMurray and Melvyn Douglas.
It came out in 1940 just two months before "My Favorite Wife." RKO Radio Pictures was filming a story that reversed the plot of "Enoch Arden." It was based on a 1919 W. Somerset Maugham play. In it, the wife is lost at sea and returns just as her husband is getting married again. While both 1940 films were hits, the latter was a bigger one. The comedy output and film outcome were easier to achieve with the reverse scenario.
Still, this movie is loaded with comedy. The plot as such is very simple – the wife must choose between her two husbands. Much of the humor is in a battle of dialog between the two men. Jean Arthur is Vicky, Fred MacMurray is Bill (first husband), Melvyn Douglas is Henry (second husband), and Harry Davenport is George (Vicky's dad). All of the supporting cast are very good. Bill and Henry were best of friends and partners in a publishing firm. Henry had been best man at Bill's wedding. Bill had been lost at sea and reported by the Coast Guard as drowned. That was one year ago. Now, Vicky and Henry have been married six months.
Two scenarios are very hilarious. One is Bill and Henry trying to show one another up by physical prowess in high jumping the furniture. The other is in the guest bedroom where Vicky has sent the two men for the night. Here are some of my favorite lines from this film. For more hilarious dialog snippets, see the Quotes section in this IMDb Web page for "Too Many Husbands."
(In the guest bedroom.) Vicky, "I just thought I'd see if you were all right." Bill, "I don't feel very good." Vicky, "No? What's the matter?" Bill, "Fever, I guess. Deadly tropical fever." Vicky, "Your forehead isn't hot." Bill, "Don't take you hand away." Vicky, "Get some aspirin from the cabinet, will you, Henry?" Henry, "Let him get his own aspirin. I don't feel any too well myself." Vicky, "Really, dear?" Henry, "No." Vicky, "Stick out your tongue." Henry, "What's my tongue got to do with it? You held his head." Vicky, "Let me see your tongue. You know your stomach always goes bad first." Bill, "I'd be sick if I had that in my mouth." Vicky, "You're all right. Did you brush your teeth?" Henry, "Ask him if he brushed his." Bill, "Can I help it if somebody gave my toothbrush to a tramp?" Henry, "The tramp wouldn't take it." Vicky, "Now, please don't quarrel."
Vicky, "If you loved me at all, you never would have left here, even if I did tell you to get out."
Henry, "Vicky, as your legal husband, I'm asking you to order this cad out of the house." Bill, "As her legal husband, I'm asking you to shut your mouth before I slit your throat."
Henry, "What are you whispering?" Vicky, "I wasn't whispering." Bill, "I was showing her where a barracuda bit me."
Henry, "A fine thing. And may I comment in passing that it seems awfully strange to order a man out of his own bedroom just because a squealing corpse has washed ashore." Bill, "This. This is the night I dreamed about while I starved on berries and fish."
Bill, "Say, where are my suits?" Henry, "I gave them to a tramp." Bill, "You didn't even save one to bury me in?"
Bill, "This is my table, and I want a steak." Henry, "A glorious night for romance, and you want to tear a cow apart with your teeth."
It came out in 1940 just two months before "My Favorite Wife." RKO Radio Pictures was filming a story that reversed the plot of "Enoch Arden." It was based on a 1919 W. Somerset Maugham play. In it, the wife is lost at sea and returns just as her husband is getting married again. While both 1940 films were hits, the latter was a bigger one. The comedy output and film outcome were easier to achieve with the reverse scenario.
Still, this movie is loaded with comedy. The plot as such is very simple – the wife must choose between her two husbands. Much of the humor is in a battle of dialog between the two men. Jean Arthur is Vicky, Fred MacMurray is Bill (first husband), Melvyn Douglas is Henry (second husband), and Harry Davenport is George (Vicky's dad). All of the supporting cast are very good. Bill and Henry were best of friends and partners in a publishing firm. Henry had been best man at Bill's wedding. Bill had been lost at sea and reported by the Coast Guard as drowned. That was one year ago. Now, Vicky and Henry have been married six months.
Two scenarios are very hilarious. One is Bill and Henry trying to show one another up by physical prowess in high jumping the furniture. The other is in the guest bedroom where Vicky has sent the two men for the night. Here are some of my favorite lines from this film. For more hilarious dialog snippets, see the Quotes section in this IMDb Web page for "Too Many Husbands."
(In the guest bedroom.) Vicky, "I just thought I'd see if you were all right." Bill, "I don't feel very good." Vicky, "No? What's the matter?" Bill, "Fever, I guess. Deadly tropical fever." Vicky, "Your forehead isn't hot." Bill, "Don't take you hand away." Vicky, "Get some aspirin from the cabinet, will you, Henry?" Henry, "Let him get his own aspirin. I don't feel any too well myself." Vicky, "Really, dear?" Henry, "No." Vicky, "Stick out your tongue." Henry, "What's my tongue got to do with it? You held his head." Vicky, "Let me see your tongue. You know your stomach always goes bad first." Bill, "I'd be sick if I had that in my mouth." Vicky, "You're all right. Did you brush your teeth?" Henry, "Ask him if he brushed his." Bill, "Can I help it if somebody gave my toothbrush to a tramp?" Henry, "The tramp wouldn't take it." Vicky, "Now, please don't quarrel."
Vicky, "If you loved me at all, you never would have left here, even if I did tell you to get out."
Henry, "Vicky, as your legal husband, I'm asking you to order this cad out of the house." Bill, "As her legal husband, I'm asking you to shut your mouth before I slit your throat."
Henry, "What are you whispering?" Vicky, "I wasn't whispering." Bill, "I was showing her where a barracuda bit me."
Henry, "A fine thing. And may I comment in passing that it seems awfully strange to order a man out of his own bedroom just because a squealing corpse has washed ashore." Bill, "This. This is the night I dreamed about while I starved on berries and fish."
Bill, "Say, where are my suits?" Henry, "I gave them to a tramp." Bill, "You didn't even save one to bury me in?"
Bill, "This is my table, and I want a steak." Henry, "A glorious night for romance, and you want to tear a cow apart with your teeth."