Misbehaving Husbands (1940)

65 mins | Comedy | 20 December 1940

Director:

William Beaudine

Producer:

Jed Buell

Cinematographer:

Art Reed

Editor:

Robert Crandall

Production Designer:

George Van Marter

Production Company:

Producers Releasing Corp.
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HISTORY

The working titles of this picture were At Your Age and Dummy Husbands. The Var review erroneously credots Vernon Dent with the role of Sergeant Murphy (actually played by Fred Kelsey) and credits Claire Parrish and Charles A. Rogers with screenplay. Sound recorder Carson Jowett's surname is incorrectly spelled "Jewett" in the opening credits. According to information contained in the MPAA/PCA files at the AMPAS Library, Joseph I. Breen initially rejected the story for this film because of its negative connotations about the sanctity of marriage and because it treated adultery as comic. Byron Barr, who later changed his name to Gig Young, made his screen debut in the film. ...

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The working titles of this picture were At Your Age and Dummy Husbands. The Var review erroneously credots Vernon Dent with the role of Sergeant Murphy (actually played by Fred Kelsey) and credits Claire Parrish and Charles A. Rogers with screenplay. Sound recorder Carson Jowett's surname is incorrectly spelled "Jewett" in the opening credits. According to information contained in the MPAA/PCA files at the AMPAS Library, Joseph I. Breen initially rejected the story for this film because of its negative connotations about the sanctity of marriage and because it treated adultery as comic. Byron Barr, who later changed his name to Gig Young, made his screen debut in the film.

Less

SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Daily Variety
9 Dec 1940
p. 3
Film Daily
12 Dec 1940
p. 3
Hollywood Reporter
15 Nov 1940
pp. 10-11
Hollywood Reporter
9 Dec 1940
p. 3
Motion Picture Daily
17 Dec 1940
p. 6
Motion Picture Herald
21 Dec 1940
p. 45
Variety
15 Jan 1941
p. 14
DETAILS
Alternate Titles:
At Your Age
Dummy Husbands
Release Date:
20 December 1940
Production Date:
began Nov 1940
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Producers Releasing Corp.
15 December 1940
LP10164
Physical Properties:
Sound
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
65
Length(in feet):
5,897
Length(in reels):
7
Country:
United States
PCA No:
6878
SYNOPSIS

On the night of his wife's surprise party in honor of their twentieth wedding anniversary, eccentric department store owner Henry Butler becomes so immersed in the arrangement of a mannequin for a window display that he completely loses track of time. As Henry wrestles with the blonde dummy, one of the party guests, Clara Drake, drives past the store and sees Henry embracing a blond figure. Midway through his arrangement, Henry drops and breaks the mannequin, thus making him even later for dinner. As the guests at the party await his arrival, Clara begins spreading the story of Henry's love affair with a blond model. Meanwhile, Henry, on his way to get the dummy repaired, is stopped by the police for suspicion of murder and, by the time he is released, the party has ended. When Henry finally arrives home with the model's slipper in his pocket, his wife Effie, encouraged by her troublemaking friend, Grace Norman, files for a divorce. Grace introduces Effie to her smooth-talking divorce lawyer, Gilbert Wayne, who sends Gooch the bodyguard to watch his new client. Because neither Henry nor Effie will leave the house, Effie's niece Jane comes to chaperone her aunt, and Bob Grant arrives as Henry's keeper. Bob and Jane try to effect a reconciliation between the two and almost succeed when, smelling a fat fee, Wayne brings in his girlfriend, Nan Blake, to impersonate the blond who lost the slipper. Bob and Jane trick Nan into exposing Wayne's divorce racket, however, and all ends happily when the police arrest Wayne and Henry introduces Effie to his ...

More Less

On the night of his wife's surprise party in honor of their twentieth wedding anniversary, eccentric department store owner Henry Butler becomes so immersed in the arrangement of a mannequin for a window display that he completely loses track of time. As Henry wrestles with the blonde dummy, one of the party guests, Clara Drake, drives past the store and sees Henry embracing a blond figure. Midway through his arrangement, Henry drops and breaks the mannequin, thus making him even later for dinner. As the guests at the party await his arrival, Clara begins spreading the story of Henry's love affair with a blond model. Meanwhile, Henry, on his way to get the dummy repaired, is stopped by the police for suspicion of murder and, by the time he is released, the party has ended. When Henry finally arrives home with the model's slipper in his pocket, his wife Effie, encouraged by her troublemaking friend, Grace Norman, files for a divorce. Grace introduces Effie to her smooth-talking divorce lawyer, Gilbert Wayne, who sends Gooch the bodyguard to watch his new client. Because neither Henry nor Effie will leave the house, Effie's niece Jane comes to chaperone her aunt, and Bob Grant arrives as Henry's keeper. Bob and Jane try to effect a reconciliation between the two and almost succeed when, smelling a fat fee, Wayne brings in his girlfriend, Nan Blake, to impersonate the blond who lost the slipper. Bob and Jane trick Nan into exposing Wayne's divorce racket, however, and all ends happily when the police arrest Wayne and Henry introduces Effie to his dummy.

Less

Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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