Bluebeard's Eighth Wife

Released Mar 23, 1938

1h 25m

Comedy

List

45%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

63%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Millionaire Michael Brandon (Gary Cooper) becomes smitten with French mademoiselle Nicole de Loiselle (Claudette Colbert) while vacationing on the Riviera. Michael asks her father, the titled but destitute Marquis de Loiselle (Edward Everett Horton), for his daughter's hand, but Nicole balks when she learns that the mercurial millionaire has already been married and divorced seven times. With the help of her platonic friend, Albert (David Niven), Nicole endeavors to change Michael's ways.

Read More

Read Less

Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

The whole idea is so (1) absurdly fake, or (2) inherently morbid, or (3) both, that laughter at antics becomes more uneasy, strained and flat as the thing runs on. In the end it is hard to remember laughing even when the comedy was most bright and clever.

May 8, 2024

Full Review

Time Out

A sporadically funny, somewhat contrived comedy.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Frank S. Nugent

New York Times

Although it's not a bad comedy by our current depressed standards, it has the dickens of a time trying to pass off Gary Cooper as a multi-marrying millionaire.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Serge Daney

Cahiers du Cinéma

Lubitsch has rarely come so close to zaniness... Made by a man who is confident about himself and his merchandise, the film is no longer about focusing on a flame that consumes itself, but of gathering up, here and there, left and right, the sparks.

Oct 3, 2023

Full Review

Ángel Fernández-Santos

El Pais (Spain)

An enduring jewel in the history of film comedies. [Full Review in Spanish]

Apr 1, 2020

Full Review

Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

Only Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert could have given it its peculiar sparkle, romance and deftly timed comedy.

Oct 9, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Steve D

Oddball but quite fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best comedy movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A strangely vicious film that's difficult to like, which is quite disappointing given the pedigree of the names surrounding it (Lubitsch, Wilder/Brackett, Colbert, Cooper). It's sporadically funny, but a bit uncomfortable and tonally confused.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

??????? ????????????? ?????????? ???? ????? ? ??????????? ??????? ???????, (??????? ????? ?? ???????), ? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????. ??????? ????????? ? ?????. ????? - ???????!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is an enjoyable film and a great example of what was called 'the Lubitsch touch' back in the day... Shaving A Bluebeard--It's all about getting what you want when you want it. And the message of Bluebeard's Eighth WIfe is to be careful what you wish for, until what you wish for wishes for you...'Bluebeard's Eighth Wife' is a GEM!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mostly delightful and always charming romantic comedy with a great cast and a generally good script that occasionally falls short.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ernst Lubitsch

Director

Claudette Colbert

Nicole de Loiselle

Gary Cooper

Michael Brandon

Edward Everett Horton

Marquis de Loiselle

David Niven

Albert De Regnier

Elizabeth Patterson

Aunt Hedwige

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

I'm No Angel

93%

72%

I'm No Angel

The Palm Beach Story

97%

81%

The Palm Beach Story

Ruggles of Red Gap

100%

89%

Ruggles of Red Gap

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

87%

82%

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

It's a Gift

94%

76%

It's a Gift

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Millionaire Michael Brandon (Gary Cooper) becomes smitten with French mademoiselle Nicole de Loiselle (Claudette Colbert) while vacationing on the Riviera. Michael asks her father, the titled but destitute Marquis de Loiselle (Edward Everett Horton), for his daughter's hand, but Nicole balks when she learns that the mercurial millionaire has already been married and divorced seven times. With the help of her platonic friend, Albert (David Niven), Nicole endeavors to change Michael's ways.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenwriter: Charlton Andrews, Charles Brackett, Alfred Savoir, Billy Wilder
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 23, 1938, Original
Release Date (DVD): Nov 3, 2009
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)