Bedtime Story

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Bedtime Story

1941

1h 25m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Mark this one down as good, crisp fun.

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

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.

May 9, 2005

Full Review

Joan Didion

Vogue

A kind of prolonged sick joke.

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

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.

Aug 13, 2019

Full Review

TV Guide Staff

TV Guide

A disappointing attempt at comedy, considering the names of the creators and the adroitness of the stars.

Rated: 1.5/5

Mar 26, 2009

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 22, 2005

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joel h

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Rather silly 1960's sex farce was the basis for the (much better) DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

***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.***

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"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

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Alexander Hall

Director

Fredric March

Luke Drake

Loretta Young

Jane Drake

Robert Benchley

Eddie Turner

Allyn Joslyn

William Dudley

Eve Arden

Virginia Cole

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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