The wife in the story is played by Loretta Young, who was nearing the end of her long-term contract with 20th Century Fox and refusing to extend her hitch. So in some ways the real-life actress was not unlike the diva she portrays in this film. For the husband we have Warner Baxter, who had settled comfortably into a series of modestly budgeted crowd pleasers at the studio. Baxter's most frequent and perhaps favorite leading lady, Myrna Loy, was to be borrowed from MGM. But I suppose expense got in the way of that trade, and as a result, Young was assigned.
For the role of the friend in this comedic affair we have Binnie Barnes, who had been a leading lady in her native Britain in the early part of the decade. But at this point in the game, she was usually hired to play second leads in Hollywood. She married a producer who ensured she stayed in front of cameras until the 1970s, meaning she had a longer motion picture career than her costars.
Based on a story by James Cain, known more for melodramatic offerings, the script was written by Nunnally Johnson. Fox reused Johnson's script for a remake a decade later, 1949's EVERYBODY DOES IT. I guess the idea is that everybody does sing (you thought It meant something else, didn't you?); though some are better at it than others. The general premise concerns a vainglorious wife who thinks she has it in her to be a great singer. Truth be told, she can't carry a tune in a paper bag. Try telling her that!
The laughs come from the poor husband's long-suffering routine putting up with such a woman. But even bigger laughs are generated in the next sequence, when the husband who is a working class construction contractor, is heard singing...and surprise of all surprises, he actually has talent. Of course, this sets the stage, literally, for him to explore a career outside his comfort zone. A vocal coach (Barnes) will help him attain great heights on a tour with her, to be followed by a role in an opera no less.
Of course, we have the wife (Young) struggling to adjust to this unexpected turn of events. The marriage is in jeopardy, since she has to acknowledge that she failed as a singer, then her ego must take another beating recognizing her husband will have the career she dreamed of...not an easy treble clef to swallow. While this is going on, she becomes jealous of the time that her husband spends with the other gal.
The only way things can go back to the old status quo is if the husband forsakes his new career and returns to his work in the construction business. Undoubtedly, the wife will find something else to try, a new artistic pursuit in which she's again out of her depth. But they will always have each other.
The remake features Paul Douglas as the husband, and to be honest I feel that Paul Douglas is more convincing in blue collar roles than Warner Baxter is. The role of the wife is taken by Celeste Holm, another actress who was a diva off-camera. And the music teacher is played by Linda Darnell, slightly miscast, though she had successfully teamed up with Douglas in A LETTER TO THREE WIVES. Both versions feature the very best character actors in the supporting parts, and you really can't go wrong watching either picture.
For the role of the friend in this comedic affair we have Binnie Barnes, who had been a leading lady in her native Britain in the early part of the decade. But at this point in the game, she was usually hired to play second leads in Hollywood. She married a producer who ensured she stayed in front of cameras until the 1970s, meaning she had a longer motion picture career than her costars.
Based on a story by James Cain, known more for melodramatic offerings, the script was written by Nunnally Johnson. Fox reused Johnson's script for a remake a decade later, 1949's EVERYBODY DOES IT. I guess the idea is that everybody does sing (you thought It meant something else, didn't you?); though some are better at it than others. The general premise concerns a vainglorious wife who thinks she has it in her to be a great singer. Truth be told, she can't carry a tune in a paper bag. Try telling her that!
The laughs come from the poor husband's long-suffering routine putting up with such a woman. But even bigger laughs are generated in the next sequence, when the husband who is a working class construction contractor, is heard singing...and surprise of all surprises, he actually has talent. Of course, this sets the stage, literally, for him to explore a career outside his comfort zone. A vocal coach (Barnes) will help him attain great heights on a tour with her, to be followed by a role in an opera no less.
Of course, we have the wife (Young) struggling to adjust to this unexpected turn of events. The marriage is in jeopardy, since she has to acknowledge that she failed as a singer, then her ego must take another beating recognizing her husband will have the career she dreamed of...not an easy treble clef to swallow. While this is going on, she becomes jealous of the time that her husband spends with the other gal.
The only way things can go back to the old status quo is if the husband forsakes his new career and returns to his work in the construction business. Undoubtedly, the wife will find something else to try, a new artistic pursuit in which she's again out of her depth. But they will always have each other.
The remake features Paul Douglas as the husband, and to be honest I feel that Paul Douglas is more convincing in blue collar roles than Warner Baxter is. The role of the wife is taken by Celeste Holm, another actress who was a diva off-camera. And the music teacher is played by Linda Darnell, slightly miscast, though she had successfully teamed up with Douglas in A LETTER TO THREE WIVES. Both versions feature the very best character actors in the supporting parts, and you really can't go wrong watching either picture.