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Bedtime Story

Play trailer Poster for Bedtime Story 1941 1h 25m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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33% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Acclaimed playwright Lucius Drake (Fredric March) has plans for a new opus, but his wife, actress Jane Drake (Loretta Young), would rather retire to the idyllic countryside than star in another play. Alas, their union dissolves in divorce, and Jane marries banker William Dudley (Allyn Joslyn), who is more amenable to her plans. On their honeymoon, however, Jane discovers that her divorce from Lucius was invalid, and Lucius does all he can to prevent her from consummating her marriage to Dudley.

Critics Reviews

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Bosley Crowther New York Times 03/16/2020
Mark this one down as good, crisp fun. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 05/09/2005
Bedtime Story will divert the less discriminating, although there are times when even such major league performers as Marlon Brando and David Niven have to strain to sustain the overall meager romantic comedy material. Go to Full Review
Joan Didion Vogue 03/16/2020
A kind of prolonged sick joke. Go to Full Review
Dwight MacDonald Esquire Magazine 08/13/2019
Had Bedtime Story been done in the slambang artificial style of the old screwball comedies, in which a heel is never resouled in the last act but maintains his heelishness proudly to the end, the nastiness might have been disinfected. Go to Full Review
TV Guide Staff TV Guide 03/26/2009
1.5/5
A disappointing attempt at comedy, considering the names of the creators and the adroitness of the stars. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/22/2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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joel h 05/10/2019 I think the reason I found Bedtime Story so entertaining was because it was surreal to hear the lines from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delivered by different people in a different movie. I never would have imagined Marlon Brando as Ruprecht and David Niven fits the role of Lawrence Jameson perfectly. This movie features enough similarities to keep me entertained, and enough differences to keep me interested. See more 10/02/2016 Rather silly 1960's sex farce was the basis for the (much better) DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. See more 11/25/2014 ***Due to the recent RT changes that have basically ruined my past reviews, I am mostly only giving a rating rather than a full review.*** See more 07/25/2014 Saw this once as a very young kid, love the opening title sequence with the pop- up book. And love David Niven always. I think Dirty Rotten Scoundrels might be a better film tho. My fave David Niven film is THE BRAIN (Le Cerveau, 1969) try to find it for a good laugh. See more 06/10/2013 Marlon Brando used to say that making Bedtime Story was one of the best times he ever had on a movie set. It shows. He delivers a joyful, energetic and fantastically entertaining performance. Watching him play off of David Niven (who is also very good) is so much fun to watch. See more 06/14/2011 "The comedy is obviously dated but still holds up well most of the time, although after a while the same shtick gets a little old." Full review at: http://www.commonsensemoviereviews.com/2011/06/bedtime-story-1964.html See more Read all reviews
Bedtime Story

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Movie Info

Synopsis Acclaimed playwright Lucius Drake (Fredric March) has plans for a new opus, but his wife, actress Jane Drake (Loretta Young), would rather retire to the idyllic countryside than star in another play. Alas, their union dissolves in divorce, and Jane marries banker William Dudley (Allyn Joslyn), who is more amenable to her plans. On their honeymoon, however, Jane discovers that her divorce from Lucius was invalid, and Lucius does all he can to prevent her from consummating her marriage to Dudley.
Director
Alexander Hall
Producer
B.P. Schulberg
Screenwriter
Richard Flournoy
Production Co
B.P. Schulberg Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 25m