Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 23-December-07
Spoiler Rating: Medium

We're Not Married! (1952)

I have been ingesting a lot of short stories lately, so I instantly responded to the texture of "We're Not Married!" This comedy starts with the concept that a bumbling Justice of the Peace married five couples before his license went into effect and that the mistake is not discovered until two years later. The hasty magistrate belongs to a political clan by the name of Bush, and it falls to his cousin the governor to notify the couples that their unions are null and void. This leads to distinct chapters showing how each twosome has fared and how they react to the news.

The "Oops! It's not legal" idea is a good setup for a film, even today when extramarital cohabitation is rife. It offers the chance to explore varied personalities, situations, and emotions which might express something about society and marriage. It also provides a showcase for so-called "character actors" or up-and-comers. This particular film, while not stellar, proves the promise of the idea.

The premier couple is a team of radio performers whose nuptials were a job requirement. The "Glad Gladwyns" (Ginger Rogers + Fred Allen) make a lot of money by feigning marital bliss for their audience and numerous sponsors. When they receive the letter saying they are not really hitched, both their personal and professional lives are at stake. It is chiefly a professional issue for the Norrises (Marilyn Monroe + David Wayne). Their tale finds the missus pursuing her dream of becoming a beauty queen while the mister stays home tending the baby and chafing because of it. On the opposite end of the husband spectrum is Mr. Woodruff (Paul Douglas), a Lothario who fantasizes about a harem of lovers when he reads the momentous letter but who also appreciates a comfortable if unexciting partnership with his tolerant wife (Eve Arden).

The two most satisfying chapters of "We're Not Married!" strike very different chords. One features Louis Calhern as a good-natured tycoon who is framed by his gold-digging spouse (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and sued for all she can get. The missive about his matrimonial state arrives just in the nick of time. The final segment involves two nice kids (Mitzi Gaynor + Eddie Bracken) who find out she is going to have a baby right as he is called off to war. They also find out their child is going to be a bastard unless they tie the knot in the few hours before he ships out. Desperate, the young man goes AWOL, and matters get grim (in a comedic way) until luck or providence intervenes.

Not surprisingly, the conclusion is that marriage smoothes bumps, softens hearts, and creates lasting bonds when entered into deliberately if not lawfully. "We're Not Married!" does not delve deep into the heart of the matter, but it is certainly pleasant and quite possibly accurate.

Copyright © 2007 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.