A Letter to Three Wives (1949), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
In the framing story the alpha-female of a little circle of friends writes a letter to three women claiming to have run off with one of their husbands. Away all day on a charity picnic, we have time for three flashback segments while each wonders, "is it me?"
Jeanne Crain married fresh from the Navy. She is a farm girl who doesn't fit in with the country club set. Under stress she tends to drink. Her husband is upper crust and we don't know him very well. A good suspect.
Ann Sothern is a successful writer of radio soaps who supports her school-teacher husband, the intellectually proud and disdainful Kirk Douglas. He just might leave her for someone with better taste.
Linda Darnell grew up near the railroad tracks and is -- frankly -- a gold digger. She has sets her sights on local department store magnate Paul Douglas. He is a rough working class guy and knows the score. They are both smart in that way. Once she gets what she wants will she need him any more?
Not really a soap opera drama, more of a social satire and combat of wits, something like the director's All About Eve (1950).
Notes:
The third segment with Linda Darnell and Paul Douglas is the best one. Her seduction technique is something to behold: long drawn out suffering for him. I haven't seen anything like it since Gene Tierney working on Tyrone Power The Razor's Edge (1946). And yet: it's not just the money. She needs love too, meaning she has to risk herself and also suffers from the marriage attack plan.
Remarkably, this was Douglas's first film role at age 42. He had a 10 year career. Billy Wilder wanted him for The Apartment (1960) in the role played by Fred MacMurray after Douglas's sudden death.
Whenever our rather wealthy characters are getting a bit stuffy, the great Thelma Ritter appears to take them down a peg. She was uncredited!
The unseen letter writer is voiced by Celeste Holm.
Photographed by Arthur C. Miller.
Available on Blu-ray.