Too Many Husbands (1940)

Too Many Husbands (1940), produced and directed by Wesley Ruggles.

Through no fault of her own a woman finds herself married to two men. She thought the first one was dead. After the initial shock wears off she is not at all displeased, instead finding the arrangement rather exciting.

The plot is similar to My Favorite Wife (1940) (a better film) from the same year. That movie has Irene Dunne while this one stars Jean Arthur, two actresses who occupied the same character space and who I often confuse when trying to remember who was in what in films of this period:

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Both films are examples of the comedy of remarriage, where the couple have to get back together after splitting. It was a Code-compliant way of letting people flirt with infidelity and multiple partners.

Other examples:

From a play by W. Somerset Maugham. Photographed by Joseph Walker.

Available on DVD.

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