A Letter to Three Wives
| A Letter to Three Wives | |
|---|---|
 original film poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Produced by | Sol C. Siegel |
| Written by | John Klempner (novel) Vera Caspary Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Starring | Jeanne Crain Linda Darnell Ann Sothern Kirk Douglas Paul Douglas |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Editing by | J. Watson Webb Jr. |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation |
| Release date(s) | January 20, 1949 |
| Running time | 103 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas and Paul Douglas. An uncredited Celeste Holm provides the voice of Addie Ross, the unseen woman who authored the title letter.
The movie was adapted by Vera Caspary and Joseph L. Mankiewicz from the novel Letter to Five Wives by John Klempner. It was directed by Mankiewicz, who went on to direct All About Eve the following year.
It won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture.
The story involves three married couples in a small town. The three wives receive a message, just as the wives are about to take a group of kids on a riverboat ride and picnic, that a fourth woman has run off with one of their husbands. A series of flashbacks intimates the possible reasons why each wife might suffer the loss of her husband. One wife grew up on a farm. Her only worldliness comes from service in the Navy during World War II. She feels out of place at formal social occasions. Another wife is a career woman who writes sappy stories for radio soap operas. Her teacher husband feels somewhat emasculated since she earns a substantial portion of the household income. The third wife, who grew up poor, married the wealthy owner of a statewide chain of department stores. She "knows all the answers." The couple has never gotten along. Still, they do share a bond. Addie Ross, the woman with whom one of the husbands has run off, is a social butterfly and, from all accounts, very desirable. Her character never appears in the picture. The movie is sustained through tableaux that demonstrate the three very different situations. Thelma Ritter is cast as the down-to-earth cook and maid at the home of the radio writer and teacher.
Categories
1949 films | Drama films | Best Picture Academy Award nominees | Films directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Films based on fiction books