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I Was a Male War Bride

Play trailer Poster for I Was a Male War Bride Released Aug 11, 1949 1h 45m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Henry Rochard (Cary Grant) is a captain in the French army who is forced to work with the combative but beautiful U.S. Army Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan). While on assignment in postwar Germany, Rochard and Gates, who can't stand each other at first, have a series of arguments and zany calamities, but then fall in love and marry. When Gates is ordered to go back to the States, Rochard must find a way to accompany her under the terms of the War Bride Act.
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I Was a Male War Bride

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press It is never very close-knit, but provides a number of comic situations that are good for guffaws. Jul 24, 2019 Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times The flimsiness of the film's foundations and the disorder of its episodes provoke the inevitable impression that it all fell together en route. Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Don Druker Chicago Reader Howard Hawks's darkest comedy (1949) -- a loosely constructed, episodic film that traces the progressive humiliations suffered by Free French army captain Cary Grant. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins There's a slowness to the pacing and the jokes that fail to fit the screwball nature of the couple's chaotic circumstances. Rated: 4/10 Aug 13, 2020 Full Review Dudley Early Austin American-Statesman This picture lives up to its advance notice: It is a very funny motion picture. Jun 23, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews High-spirited subversive loosely structured comedy. Rated: B Jun 1, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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S R They just didn't pull this one off, the jokes just fell flat despite there being some potential here. Saw on TCM. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review StephenPaul C LOL, the funniest 1.75 hours ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/23 Full Review deke p 1949! CAREY GRANT always great, tho mistaking his regular accent as 'FRENCH' is impossible. And ANN SHERIDAN was good. Interesting, and a bit goofy comedy. Was on the tv 6.26.22., late nite Note to sef: next time concentrate on the last half. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Ed M Weak. Hard to believe Howard Hawks and Cary Grant would do something this weak. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/31/20 Full Review steve d ridiculous but a lot of fun. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The title may say it all but it takes over an hour for the punchline to materialise. Before that, Ann Sheridan and Cary Grant are, respectively, a US WAC and a French Captain on a mission in post-war Germany to help a scientist to escape to France. They have one of those antagonistic wise-cracking relationships that you know will lead to love as soon as they stop fighting. Director Howard Hawks allows the stars to find their own rhythm, which seems to keep Grant on the wrong foot while Sheridan gets the breaks. After the plot sees the couple tie the knot, there is the little matter of getting Grant a visa to the United States (absurdly, you must remember he's French). Fortunately, there is a Congressional order allowing "war brides" of US service personnel to enter the US and thus begins Grant's comic predicament and, wait for it, the final punchline. Hawks somehow manages to sustain an epic gradual build and the film doesn't disappoint. Not laugh aloud funny but better than expected; I suspect audiences in the 1940s found it amusingly transgressive. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
I Was a Male War Bride

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Cast & Crew

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Howard Hawks

Director

Cary Grant

Capt. Henri Rochard

Ann Sheridan

Lt. Catherine Gates

Marion Marshall

Lt. Kitty Lawrence

Randy Stuart

Lt. Eloise Billings

Bill Neff

Capt. Jack Ramsey

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I Was a Male War Bride

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Movie Info

Synopsis Henry Rochard (Cary Grant) is a captain in the French army who is forced to work with the combative but beautiful U.S. Army Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan). While on assignment in postwar Germany, Rochard and Gates, who can't stand each other at first, have a series of arguments and zany calamities, but then fall in love and marry. When Gates is ordered to go back to the States, Rochard must find a way to accompany her under the terms of the War Bride Act.
Director
Howard Hawks
Producer
Sol C. Siegel
Screenwriter
Henri Rochard, Charles Lederer, Leonard Spigelgass, Hagar Wilde
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 11, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Mono
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