MovieChat Forums > How to Murder Your Wife (1965) Discussion > Sexist/Not Sexist/Sexist..But Charming

Sexist/Not Sexist/Sexist..But Charming

posted 18 years ago by ecarle
11 replies | jump to latest

It's hard to figure out "How to Murder Your Wife" 40 years later. It came out just a few years ahead of the feminist revolution that was part of everything else exploding and reforming in the late sixties. Today, it seems to move through four phases:

Sexist: The movie rather directly puffs up "manly men" as sole breadwinners fighting a losing battle against the housewives who spend their money, fatten them up, and break them down. Terry-Thomas spends the film making as harsh a case as possible against the Horrors of Marriage while the film builds to Jack Lemmon's eloquent courtroom summation in favor of Men versus Women ("Push the button," on marriage he exhorts his throughly whipped lawyer-buddy Eddie Mayehoff -- get rid of your wife forever.)

Not Sexist: Everything is so sophisticated that it seems pretty clear that "How to Murder Your Wife" supports the women no matter what Thomas and Lemmon say against them. Lemmon ends up back with his gorgeous, mothering wife Virna Lisi and even the women-hating Thomas is provided with the prospect of a sexy Italian babe of "age-appropriate demeanor" (Virna Lisi's MOTHER, for God's sake, adding a whole new Oedipal dimension to the proceedings.) One sly visual tells the real tale early on: the guy whose fiancee broke their engagement acts happy about it at first, but is briefly shown in tears while supposedly "celebrating his new found freedom."

Sexist: Still, if "How to Murder Your Wife" isn't really against women or marriage, it salutes them both in 1965 terms: as sexy non-working housewives that men need to fully enjoy life. Can't blame the movie, it was made in 1965! Nobody knew what was coming.

...but Charming: Jack Lemmon has great fun being played as a sexy ladies man for once (but with a joke attached: he tells super-gorgeous Lisi that it makes sense they'd fall in love because "we're both exceptionally good-looking people.") Terry-Thomas is at the peak of his caddish priggery (what a BIG man he was, held the screen well.) Eddie Mayehoff's bizarre comic puffing and mugging -- an acquired taste -- works perfectly here (but imagine if Walter Matthau had this role). Claire Trevor shows what a fine actress she is/was. And Virna Lisi is just...plain..gorgeous. Sophisticated direction by Richard Quine, nostalgically smooth music by Neal Hefti, and a witty script by George Axelrod (who adapted "The Manchurian Candidate", another movie about a controlling woman wreaking havoc among men.)

Politically incorrect? This movie knew that it was that even before that term was known. It didn't care. I don't care. It's great sophisticated fun.

P.S. Remember the catch-phrase on the posters for this movie?:

"When was the last time (this could be it!) you took the little woman to a movie?"

[–] triumph-tsx 16 years ago

I agree- well put ! Just seen it on TV and was fascinated by it and indeed charmed ...true love conquers all, it seems !(?)

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Xcalat3 (3701) 7 years ago

^

this.

[–] michaelexarkun 16 years ago

The movie actually supports the idea of marriage, the audience sees that eventhough men may claim that marriage is mainly for the benefit of women, the reality is that men need women as much as women need men.

The movie has to be viewed with the context of the times in mind- which was a sexist period with women's liberation just over the horizon.

[–] mam13143 16 years ago

Typical 60s marriage and sex movie ala "guide for the married man" and any rock hudson or doris day movie - man wants to be free to pursue women and have fun but always ends up happily married in the end. They are all alike and the ONLY redeeming factors of the movie are Jack Lemmon and Terry-Thomas - who are always great fun. Today, as we all know, the women wear the pants in the movies.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Excellent analysis about a movie that both celebrates and lampoons sexism. I must admit the title made me cringe at first, but once I saw the film, I couldn't stop laughing. This is a throwback to the screwball comedies of the '30s, and everyone in this cast is used to their fullest.

[–] noribori 10 years ago

Yes, it both celebrates and lampoons sexism. But the lampooning isn't very convincing. I guess the idea was that a man could actually watch this movie together with his wife, they both could laugh about the farcical depiction of men (think: the court scene), and after the movie the man could smile to his wife and say: "We men aren't THAT bad, are we?".
If sexists would be forced to make an anti-sexist movie, this is how they would do it.
The title "How to Murder Your Wife" promises a black comedy (like "Kind hearts and coronets (1949)"), but it just doesn't deliver. All the sentimentality towards the end makes it sour.

I would never compare this dusty movie with the classic and timeless screwball comedies of the Thirties like "The Awful Truth". Those really are witty and charming.
This movie was made 1965. Think of other movies from that time, like Dr. Strangelove (1963), Cat Ballou (1965), The Graduate (1967). It's almost unbelievable those are movies from the same period.

However, the cast is very likeable.

[–] Dylzbie 9 years ago

There is a bit of dialog when he is on the phone with the secretary trying to arrange the meeting with the boys at the club.

Could I remind you
that you're just an inefficient secretary?
Not only that, you're a woman! Your opinions
mean nothing to me. Now, put Mr Lampson on!

Not a bit sexist, eh?

[–] franzkabuki 7 years ago

What's "sophisticated" about it? It's a pretty dumb movie, a silly romp to boot.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] marktayloruk (2375) 2 years ago

What's wrong with sexism anyway?

[–] marktayloruk (2375) 6 months ago

Only defects - should have been directed by Billy Wilder with Walter Matthau in Mayehoff's role.