Lonely Wives (1931) Online

The strange connection between a passionate lawyer and a vaudeville impersonator leads to romantic complications for their LONELY WIVES.

Edward Everett Horton, that nervous fuss-budget who enlivened so many films as a top character actor during Hollywood's Golden Age, here gets a rare starring role and a chance to really flex his comedic muscles. Although it's a little difficult to think of Horton as a romantic idol--even a funny one--he certainly has the lovely ladies adoring him in this lively Pre-Code farce.

Providing double trouble, Horton plays the dual roles of a stern lawyer who ‘blooms' into a Don Juan every evening at 8 PM and the talented mimic who wishes to impersonate the lawyer on the stage. Add the lonely wives--Esther Ralston & Laura La Plante--and you're likely to get a merry marital mix-up.

Patsy Ruth Miller plays the lawyer's too flirtatious new secretary. Spencer Charters staggers through the role of the household's increasingly inebriated butler. Best of all is elderly Maude Eburne, an underappreciated actress with considerable comic skills, who tackles the role of Ms. Ralston's boisterous mother. Chubby Ms. Eburne easily holds her own with either Hortons and gets to utter the film's final, funniest line.

Very amusing pre-code farce starring Edward Everett Horton, who is excellent playing a dual role - as a married lawyer, Richard "Dickie" Smith, with an eye for a pretty girl (after he "blooms" at eight o'clock each evening, that is) and his lookalike "The Great Zero", a vaudeville impersonator who would like to add to his stage show an impersonation of Smith, recently the "man of the moment" after his work on a murder trial that made the papers. Smith gives Zero a try-out - they exchange places so Smith can take two girls out to the "Whoopee Club", his swivel-hipped secretary and her gal pal Diane (played by Laura La Plante), an actress who wants to use her wiles to get Smith to basically give his services for free in helping her get a divorce from her husband who leaves her "alone and lonely". Meanwhile, Zero is to stay and impersonate Smith, who can't get out of the house 'cause of his big busybody of a mother-in-law, on the watch while her daughter is on a trip to the mountains. Mix-ups abound after the wife arrives home unexpectedly the night Zero is pretending he's Smith, and she's all ready to give her "hubby" an alcohol rubdown in her new lace nightie - as she says about the nightie "it's positively indecent". Soon more mix-ups as the extremely intoxicated butler thinks both lookalikes are one man.

I thought the film was well-done and quite humorous. I really enjoyed Edward Everett Horton in this, and while he is not one of my favorites, I found him to be very funny here. Well done trick photography really made it seem like he was two different men. Laura La Plante does a pretty good job as Diane, blotto on last night's booze as she slides down a stair bannister and drain pipe in a slinky gown. A fun romp that had me laughing out loud.

I chuckled more than once at the convoluted goings on in this farce filled with sexual innuendos. Edward Everett Horton is good in his double role as both a famous womanizing lawyer called Richard and a vaudeville impersonator called Felix. Felix wants to add Richard to his list of people he impersonates and would get permission only if he can fool Richard's mother-in-law, Maude Eburne, for a night. Meanwhile, Richard goes to meet Laura La Plante about getting a divorce from her husband, who happens to be Felix, although Richard doesn't know it. And Richard's wife, Esther Ralston, comes home from a vacation early and spends the night with Felix, disguised as Richard.

I was impressed with the smooth special effects when both Richard and Felix appear onscreen at the same time. It was done, of course, by a double exposure, but the timing of their conversations was perfect. As the befuddled butler, Spencer Charters overplays his role when he gets conflicting commands by both Felix and Richard and it was a bit tedious and predictable. The rest of the cast was fine. This is a good example of a pre-code sex farce.

The origins of the story was a 1912 German vaudeville act called "Tanzanwaltz" by Pordes Milo, Walter Schütt and Dr. Eric Urban. Although A.H. Woods is credited onscreen as the writer of the 1922 play on which this movie is based, contemporary reviews list him only as producer, with Walter De Leon and Mark Swan as the English language adaptors.

Fantasizing he is an after hours womanizer, stuff-shirted lawyer Edward Everett Horton (as Richard "Dickie" Smith) flirts with new secretary Patsy Ruth Miller (as Kitty "Minty" Minter). Tipped off by boozing butler Spencer Charters (as Andrews), Ms. Miller sets Horton up on a date with film actress friend Laura La Plante (as Diane O'Dare). The women hope to Horton will provide Ms. La Plante with a cheap divorce from vaudeville husband "Felix, the Great Zero" (also played by Horton), for non-performance of duties. Lawyer Horton agrees to let "Felix" impersonate him at home, so he can keep dates with the women.

But, wife Esther Ralston (as Madeline) comes home predictably… er, unexpectedly…

Leading man Horton acts his two roles successfully, in and out of "split screen" effect. Interestingly, he gets three leading ladies who were bigger stars during the "silent" years. Miller is charming and too briefly on-screen. Ms. Ralston appears modern and sexy. La Plante has the meatier part. And, matronly mother-in-law Maude Eburne (as Mrs. Mantel) steals scenes from everyone. The old film is sprinkled with amusing sexual innuendos. The twin Hortons are neatly directed by Russell Mack, but someone needed give the viewer some more differentiation between the two, especially during the masquerade at the house.

****** Lonely Wives (2/15/31) Russell Mack ~ Edward Everett Horton, Laura La Plante, Esther Ralston, Patsy Ruth Miller

This film is based on the 1922 play, renamed "Who's Who" - a better title than "Lonely Wives" - that starred Charles Ruggles. While Ruggles would have been perfection as Smith/Zero, this film version is hilarious, due primarily to the inventive comedic performance of Horton. Also superb are the butler - a tippler who thinks he's going crazy - and Horton's guard dog mother-in-law. It's a pleasure to watch the adorable Ralston, La Plante, and Miller - 3 femme stars from the silent era who have featured roles - contribute so deftly to the merriment. As the plot thickens, the tempo speeds up so that the second half is a whirl of exits, entrances and misunderstandings. Surprisingly, but believably, all wrongs are righted in the end.

Even though this film from the Mill Creek comedy collection was a poor visual and audio transfer from a TV showing, it's amazing just how good this comedy is and how much I enjoyed it.

While intending to be humorous, "Lonely Wives" is more laborious than anything else. It's bright spot is the beautiful, expressive Laura La Plante. Laura's scenes provide the most laughs, not surprising since of the cast, she is the actress who seems most comfortable with comedy.

Edward Everett Horton, while decent, is a bit unconvincing in the dual role, as the two characters he plays are completely alike. Often in a movie, one Horton character is irritating; here there are two, and at times it's downright excruciating!

I'd recommend seeing this movie only if you like the actors involved. It was released on DVD in 2000 from the Roan group in the worst transfer I ever saw from them. Risque elements in the film include seeing Patsy Ruth Miller, Horton's secretary, in the shower; Laura La Plante in a number of revealing outfits including her slip; and loads of sexual innuendo. All in all, I rate the film 6/10, predominantly because of Laura La Plante!

Mildly interesting comedy with Edward Everett Horton given an rare leading role. He even refers to a "bedroom farce" with one of the other women during the film.

This movie has been well reviewed by others. Only two other comments. Exactly how is it that Mr. Zero can not only can make himself up to be an exact physical double of Mr. Smith, but he can also imitate the same effete, nervous-Nellie personality of someone he has never before met? The film would have been more interesting, as in other films where someone is impersonating another, if he had a less exaggerated persona. Also, of note is the fact that the three main female leads, all more famous in the silent era than after-wards, all lived into their 90's.

For decades, a familiar and very stupid cliché has been used in movies and on TV--the identical stranger or identical cousin. While such things are 100% impossible and ridiculous, the idea has been used (and over-used) for years. I am usually annoyed by such productions, as these are not very similar folks but EXACTLY the same--which makes no sense at all. "Lonely Wives" is based on such a premise--and so it loses a few points for its dopiness.

Edward Everett Horton plays two people--Dickie Smith and a vaudeville performer, Mr. Zero. Zero is a professional impersonator and has managed to look, sound and behave exactly like Dickie. So, the two concoct a plan to have Zero pose as Smith but not surprisingly, lots of problems result--such as Dickie's wife apparently sleeping with Zero! While I admit that the film IS entertaining and a bit cheeky, the plot is silly fluff. But, in this case, it works a bit better than usual because I love Edward Everett Horton--he was a very funny character actor who had a chance to star in this farce. Not brilliant...but cute.

Maybe it is as not as good as I rated it, but I thoroughly enjoyed this little movie. It has lots of little saucy lines in the script and the main character, a defense attorney, delivers his with style and wit. His secretary is quite a little number as well.

I am sure this does not rank up there in any list of great early films, and I had never even heard of it, but I came across it on youtube today, posted in full, and completely enjoyed it.

When a client comes to call, the lawyer tells him he can only spare five minutes. The client flatters him and he responds "maybe 10 minutes." Not hysterical but the way he says it brought a laugh.

Overall, maybe a silly little film, but not a bad one, and fun to watch.

This bedroom / mistaken-identities farce could never have been made after stricter motion-picture censorship rules were enforced; let's just say that the institution of marriage is not treated with the utmost respect. Admittedly, the ending softens the impact somewhat, but there are still plenty of daring lines ("What can I do to you....FOR you?" / "Your husband is giving you trouble?" - "No, he's not giving me anything" / "I bought a new lace nightie that's positively indecent") and other "objectionable" material. The film needed much quicker pacing to really build up steam, but it's a tour-de-force for Edward Everett Horton, in a double role; the scenes where the two Hortons occupy the same space are very well done for the time. **1/2 out of 4.

A comedy with Horton, Esther Ralston, Laura La Plante, Patsy Ruth Miller, Maude Eburne, Charters, nowadays a joy to write these names, a small cast who fully mastered the trade. This movie is a masterpiece, as refined in style as _uncontrived and assured. There is a highly evolved understanding of the craft. Such were the comedies for intelligent audiences, released by RKO in the early '30s.

As a personal pick, Laura La Plante was the best of the three ladies, and the classiest, her character being also the most endearing. Charters gives his role quaintness, a visceral oddity, something gloomy, and the lead's performance, as the zany lawyer and the spiteful harlequin, is impressive.

A good occasion to remember DeLeon, the scriptwriter (who processed a Teutonic bedroom farce, written towards the twilight of the classic age, it works as a machinery for stage). During the morning though, even after the two _farceurs become, belatedly, aware of their simultaneous presence in the house, they understand dully the effects of this on the other members of the household.

An adult and stylish comedy, made 85 yrs ago (at a time when some great writers were still young). An exquisiteness, registered as such by its contemporary reviews, which later Hollywood cinema couldn't afford anymore. Some of the early '30s comedies were adult in style, in spirit; this has been sadly discarded later, and the style became crasser.

Very much a filmed stage okay, this farce will mostly appeal to fans of Edward Everett Horton (who plays two roles and is on-screen almost continually from go to whoa). True, admirers of Patsy Ruth Miller and Laura La Plante will also find the movie sufficiently diverting to buy the very watchable Alpha DVD. But for the rest of us, the movie tends to far outstay its welcome. The plot is too outrageously farcical to engage most viewers (including me), the direction has little to commend it and seems far more suitable for the stage than movies, and production values are no more than adequate. In fact, the movie could justly be described as a filmed stage play. As said, production values are slight. True, fans of Edward Everett Horton will really enjoy the movie, but for most of us the tepid script far outstays its welcome. As noted above, this pic is now available on an excellent Alpha DVD.

This obviously pre-code sex farce provides the occasional laugh, but for the most part I find much of the humour laboured. The plot of mistaken identities brings to mind the kind of mix-ups the Mexican Spitfire series would perpetuate for RKO a decade later (without the sexual innuendo), and I couldn't help but think that Leon Errol would have made a far more amusing job of the dual role of Richard and Felix than Edward Everett Horton does here. While some of the stuff involving the butler's confusion is funny, I can't help but think that maybe Spencer Charters does, or has been asked to, overplay it just a tad too much. Unfortunately I found Laura La Plante neither appealing nor amusing in her role of Diane O'Dare, and Patsy Ruth Miller is only OK in her role as Minty. This leaves the most memorable character as Maude Eburn's surreal mother-in-law. Definitely overplayed as far as you could, but Maude Eburn somehow gets away with it.