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Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas ... see more see more... , Barbara Lawrence , Jeffrey Lynn , Connie Gilchrist , Florence Bates , Hobart Cavanaugh , Patti Brady , Ruth Vivian , Thelma Ritter , Stuart Holmes , George Offerman , Ralph Brooks , James Adamson , Joe Bautista , John Davidson , Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer , Celeste Holm , Ted Offenbecker , Sam Finn

Three wives, played by Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell, are about to embark on a boat trip when each receives a letter, written by a mutual friend named Addie, informing her that Addie is ... read more read more...about to run off with one of their husbands. In flashback, each wife wonders if it is her marriage that is in jeopardy. Deborah (Crain) recounts her fish-out-of-water relationship with her up-and-coming hubby (Jeffrey Lynn); businesswoman Rita (Sothern) asks herself if she's been too rough on her professorial spouse (Kirk Douglas); and Lora May (Darnell), a girl from (literally) the wrong side of the tracks, questions the security of her marriage to a brash business executive (Paul Douglas). The voice of Addie, who is never seen, is provided by Celeste Holm. Thelma Ritter shows up in a hilarious unbilled bit as a slatternly domestic, while an equally uncredited Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer makes a quick entrance and exit as a bellhop. Written with perception and not a little witty condescension by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, A Letter to Three Wives won two Oscars ,both for Mankiewicz. Based on a novel by John Klempner, the property was remade for television in 1985, with Ann Sothern back again in a supporting part. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Unrated, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Release Date: January 20, 1949

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DVD Release Date: February 22, 2005

Stats: 181 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (181)

  • ajv2688
    October 24, 2010
    ajv2688
    This movie is both dramatic and suspenseful, while telling four different stories, and I liked the ending too. This is a good movie.
  • flixsterman
    January 17, 2009
    flixsterman
    My favorite Linda Darnell film. It's hard to stand out in a cast that includes such greats as Kirk Douglas, Ann Sothern and Jeanne Crain but she still manages to shine.
  • harrycaul
    January 15, 2009
    harrycaul
    I'd forgotten what a great movie this is! Celeste Holm narrates as Addie Ross, the unseen but effortlessly superior friend of three women (Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell), one of whose husbands Addie claims, in a mischievous letter, to have run off with. But whose hu... read moresband does she mean?!?! Each adores Addie, and each seems to be acting strangely... Moving to flashback, one for each wife in turn, we see the women quietly upstaged in their domestic bliss by their infuriatingly perfect girlfriend. Linda Darnell stands out from the excellent cast, probably because she gets most of the best lines, but Ann Sothern is just as good. It's nice to see Kirk Douglas taking his place in the ensemble for a change, instead of selfishly chewing the scenery; even when he does explode, in a rant against radio advertising, he does so with relative restraint and his performance is the better for it. Thelma Ritter plays that same part she always plays. As you would expect with Mankiewicz, there's some wonderfully sophisticated dialogue. Celeste Holm's sweetly malicious voiceover, though brief, must qualify as one of cinema's greatest.
  • groaningbitch
    April 8, 2008
    groaningbitch
    "a letter to three wives" is a dialogue-driven psychological drama by joseph l. mankiewicz who contributes to the legendary bette davis classic "all about eve"....an estrogenic piece which is highly empathetic with female audience.

    the story whirls around a striking socialite ... read morenamed addie ross who writes a note to her three best friends in the town that she's gonna elope with one of their husbands....and that leads to the flashbacks of these three women's private jealous animosity and weakening apprehensions that their spouses all seem to have a deep crush on addie....so exactly whose husband becomes the prey of addie's feminine magnetism?

    to anchor the mystic charm of addie ross who is also the narrator, she remains abscent through the whole flick, and audience picture her poises of grace thru the three women's bitter reactions just as hitchcock's rebecca never reveals herself...now we witness the typical gender interactions of three housholds. jeanne crain's being self-abased by her rural upbringing, and her fear of being lacklustered by addie ross....ann sothern's mercenery irreconcilbility with her idealistic husband kirk douglas since she's much less thoughtful and refined by taste than the witty addie ross...then the sultry linda darnell with an awareness of her slum-bred background, aspiring to marry her wealthy boss by playing titilating "hard-to-get", still assured as darnell, she's being emulated by the addie ross with class her husband values.

    most women share a sort of envious intimidation from their so called "the beautiful friend" whom they criticize behind or gossip about with sour sarcasm when it comes to any female's living experiences, especially your significant the other keeps praising upon that fair confidante of yours, then a sense of vulnerability strikes since you're too infatuated with the man but too stubborn to admit.

    linda darnell's tale is most riveting with her lofty glamour as the ragged woman with pride, and thelma ritter plays the wise-cracking maid with an acid tongue. ritter, along with younger fresher kirk douglas, is the scene-stealer who has the "it" to grapple a smirk from the audience.

    "a letter to three wives" is mankiewicz's another success examplification that dialogues and sheer performances make the feature work.
  • jjnxn
    June 20, 2007
    jjnxn
    incisive and fun, Linda Darnell is fantastic, Thelma Ritter and Connie Gilchrist make a great team.
  • gator681
    March 16, 2006
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]In "A Letter to Three Wives", notorious divorcee Addie Ross has moved out of a suburb but not before she sends a note to her three friends(Ann Sothern, Linda Darnell & Jeanne Crain) that she took a memento along with her - one of their husbands(Kirk Douglas, ... read morePaul Douglas & Jeffrey Lynn). But all of the women are out of town at a charity picnic and thus incommunicado(ah, the good old days before cellphones) for most of the day and are simply left to ponder which one of their husbands has left them.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]"A Letter to Three Wives" has a classic setup, great cast(especially Thelma Ritter), and well-written dialogue but the flashbacks unfold slowly, making the payoff not as strong as it should have been. Overall, the movie is a good look at social mobility and domesticity after World War II.[/font]
  • moviegirl50
    June 12, 2010
    moviegirl50
    Personally it was just ok for me. I really like older movies and sometimes really get in the mood to watch them. This one didn't really do it for me but I enjoyed Jeanne Crain, Kirk Douglas, Ann Sothern, and Linda Darnell's performances. It was a little intriguing trying to gu... read moreess which of the three wive's husbands had left her for another woman (who was the author of the so called "letter" and narator of the movie) which you had to guess at pretty much the whole movie. I was a little bored with parts of the story.
  • jam233
    February 2, 2010
    jam233
    This is such a great movie with a wonderfully original premise: three women read a letter that a close friend of theirs wrote to them. She states she has run away with one of their husbands. Based on that, you never lose interest in the film because you want to know the outcome. ... read moreThe ending is excellent. The cast is superb, with Linda Darell doing the best, but Jeanne Crain and Ann Sothern are also terrific. A fascinating classic.
  • addienoir
    February 23, 2008
    addienoir
    A strong ensemble cast, Thema Ritter is. of course a stand-out, good Kirk Douglas, early Film work.
    One friend runs away with another's husband, but none of them will know which of their husbands until the end of the day .
    It's a witty Comedy/Drama as the women try to figure ou... read moret which of thier husbands it is who has left.
  • trekkiedrew
    December 24, 2007
    trekkiedrew
    Awesome oldies movie, tale is well told and keeps you on your seat wondering who the letter is actually to right to the very end!!

View All A Letter to Three Wives Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Mankiewicz's writing is bright and hard -- he's sharpening his teeth for All About Eve, made the next year -- but his acid wit is almost too much for his fragile characters to bear. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
January 24, 2007
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Mankiewicz's plot device is brilliant and intriguing: On the way to an annual picnic, three housewives learn through a letter that the town's most desirable woman had run off with one of their husband... Full Review

Steve Crum
October 30, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Star-loaded film with innovative plot.

Matt Bailey
October 10, 2004
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Much of what makes All About Eve such a brilliant film was used previously (and to good effect) in A Letter to Three Wives. Full Review

Ken Hanke
March 29, 2004
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Sharp and bright multi-character film from Mankiewicaz at his best.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Robin Clifford
May 14, 2004
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

No review available.

Carol Cling
September 5, 2003
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

David Poland
July 26, 2002
David Poland, Hot Button

No review available.

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A Letter to Three Wives Trivia

  • Writer/Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay two years in a row. These were for:  Answer »
  • In A Letter to Three Wives, who did NOT run away with Addie Ross?  Answer »
  • In A Letter to Three Wives, who ran away with Addie Ross?  Answer »
  • Movie quotes All right, so I'm gonna disgrace the fair name of Finney. Wait till it snows and throw me out in the street."   Answer »
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