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My Favorite Wife

Play trailer Poster for My Favorite Wife Released May 2, 1940 1h 28m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After his wife, Ellen (Irene Dunne), disappears at sea, Nick Arden (Cary Grant) waits seven long years before finally marrying the lovely Bianca (Gail Patrick). As luck would have it, Ellen suddenly reappears in Nick's life during his honeymoon with Bianca and informs him that she's been shipwrecked on a desert island. Nick is overjoyed to see her, but becomes insane with jealousy when he learns of her only island companion -- the handsome Stephen Burkett (Randolph Scott).
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My Favorite Wife

Critics Reviews

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TIME Magazine Ninety minutes of delightfully irrational comedy. Dec 8, 2008 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out A relatively formulaic (though beautifully produced) bedroom comedy... Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times The direction of Garson Kanin is spotty, and there is evidence of faults in editing -- but who cares? Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies How can any movie fan not love the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s? Rated: 4/5 Aug 17, 2022 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Garson Kanin is not Leo McCarey, who was originally assigned to direct this screwball comedy, reuniting Cary Grant and Irene Dunne (Awful Truth), but he has made a well acted, decent, and enjoyable film. Rated: B Jan 8, 2012 Full Review Christopher Lloyd Sarasota Herald-Tribune Nowadays, we would call this the purview of a low-rent TV sitcom. Watching it play out 70 years earlier with top-flight stars doesn't make it any more palatable. Rated: 2/5 Jan 10, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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CodyZamboni Z Marital wacky hijinks ensue as Cary Grant gets married the day his pronounced dead wife shows up very much alive, after being stranded on desert island for 7 years, Movie starts off amusing but highly unbelievable, as Grant wont tell his new wife the truth, I really felt bad for his new wife, She wasn't mean or nasty, I liked her, and she was really treated badly by him. Movie's comic meter picks up when Randolf Scott shows up as Irene Dunne's fellow desert island castaway, This sends Grant into fits of jealousy, and more lies pile up. Movie is entertaining due to its' charismatic stars, and a strong 2nd half, Although the film's resolution is a little too easy. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/14/25 Full Review ed m Cary Grant is awesome, but this movie is weak. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/04/24 Full Review Sarah D Fantastic comedy! I watch it a couple times a year. Screwball comedy. Akin to Bringing Up Baby and The Awful Truth. You can’t miss with a Grant/Dunne movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review Jess One of my favorite movies of all time. Does it make a lot of sense…no. Is it realistic…absolutely not. But I could watch anything with Cary grant and Irene Dunne. Together they're perfection Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/24 Full Review Mike F This was a fun movie I really enjoyed the tension experienced by Cary Grant when he realized the wife he thought was gone for 7 years in fact survived and showed up at his home with his new wife. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/31/23 Full Review fred j Good premise, great cast, but after a while it goes nowhere and really starts to drag near the end. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
My Favorite Wife

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Cast & Crew

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Garson Kanin

Director

Irene Dunne

Ellen

Cary Grant

Nick

Randolph Scott

Burkett

Gail Patrick

Bianca

Ann Shoemaker

Ma

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My Favorite Wife

My Favorite Wife (1940) My Favorite Wife (1940) My Favorite Wife (1940) My Favorite Wife (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After his wife, Ellen (Irene Dunne), disappears at sea, Nick Arden (Cary Grant) waits seven long years before finally marrying the lovely Bianca (Gail Patrick). As luck would have it, Ellen suddenly reappears in Nick's life during his honeymoon with Bianca and informs him that she's been shipwrecked on a desert island. Nick is overjoyed to see her, but becomes insane with jealousy when he learns of her only island companion -- the handsome Stephen Burkett (Randolph Scott).
Director
Garson Kanin
Producer
Leo McCarey
Screenwriter
Bella Spewack
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
RKO Pictures
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 2, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 28m
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