A Letter to Three Wives

User avatar
sandykaypax
Posts: 490
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:15 pm
Location: Beautiful Ohio

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by sandykaypax »

Count me in as another big fan of A Letter to Three Wives! I think that my favorite scene is the one in Lora Mae's kitchen while they are waiting for Paul Douglas' character to pick Lora Mae up for their date. I haven't seen this film in ages...I have the dvd, I wish that I didn't have to go to work in an hour or I'd put it on!

Sandy K
User avatar
JackFavell
Posts: 11926
Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by JackFavell »

Hey, SandyK! Welcome.

I love that scene too. I love the way the jars literally jump on the shelves.... and how every one stops what they are doing, and holds on to their beer or whatever...
I love that Lora Mae makes him wait.... I also love that she is not embarrassed for him to see where she lives... there is no pretense with Lora Mae, like there is with Ann Sothern's character. She plays it pretty straight. She just has never come across anyone as down to earth as Paul Douglas before. She is pretty contemptuous of men in general, because they all try to play her. But Paul never does that.
User avatar
mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by mrsl »

.
Today I watched a few minutes of the remake of Letter to Three Wives, and I happened to catch the part where Lora Mae is getting ready for he first date with Porter, and her Mom and friend were playing cards. I was surprised to see that Ann Sothern (Rita from the original) was playing Lora Mae's (Loni Anderson), Mother. She, at that point was still quite beautiful especially when the camera caught her in a kind of lone scene where she was just staring out at nothing, but everything about her looked lovely.
.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
User avatar
sandykaypax
Posts: 490
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:15 pm
Location: Beautiful Ohio

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by sandykaypax »

I read your post, Ann, and immediately went to imdb to see who was in the remake. It was a made-for-tv version from 1985 with Loni Anderson as Lora Mae (can't picture that!), Michelle Lee as Rita (Ann Sothern), Stephanie Zimbalist as Debra (Jeanne Crain), Doris Roberts in the Thelma Ritter role, Ben Gazzara as Porter (Paul Douglas), Michael Gross--yes, Steven Keaton from Family Ties! in the Kirk Douglas role and Ann Sothern as Lora Mae's mother, as you mentioned.

Honestly, I could see Michelle Lee and Stephanie Zimbalist doing well in those roles. They are both fine actresses. But, Loni Anderson? Let's go for the most obvious 1980's choice for a sexy girl. Ugh.

Incidentally, years ago I saw Stephanie Zimbalist play Tracy Lord in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story at the Cleveland Playhouse. She was quite good and put her own stamp on the role. She was beautiful in person, too.

Oh, and I noticed that one of the 3 user reviews of this version on the imdb was written by 'stoneyburke." I wondered if that was the old poster stoneyburke from the TCM message boards.

Sandy K
jdb1

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by jdb1 »

I watched a bit of that remake - was it yesterday, or the day before?

Now tell me -- was it just my fading eyesight, or was the whole thing shot through gauze with vaseline-smeared camera lenses to keep the ladies looking dewy-skinned and wrinkle free? If so, it didn't work.
User avatar
mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by mrsl »

.
I'm going to bite the bullet here and admit that I have always liked Loni Anderson. I thought she was cute in WKRP in Cincinnati, and think she got a rotten deal from Burt Reynolds. Actually, I felt she did a pretty good job of Lora Mae, nowhere near like Linda Darnell, but none of the ones from the remake were anywhere near the originals. I mean the original cast was gold - Kirk D., Ann Sothern, Jeanne Crain, Linda D., Paul Douglas, and best of all, Thelma Ritter, there is no way to equal, let alone top that. They remade it just in time before the entire world started to grow cell phones out of their ears - I still don't, and never will have that deformity. I feel I state my mind enough, I don't need to become rude and inconsiderate because of an unnecessary piece of electronics. Even the most elegant and stately of people become rude when their cell phone rings. Not only does it not ring, it has to play some dopey music, or in the case of teens usually you get a good dose of rap crap. I should never have started, so I will stop. Can you tell I hate cell phones?

Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, la, la, la, la. (Getting in a better mood)
.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
User avatar
sandykaypax
Posts: 490
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:15 pm
Location: Beautiful Ohio

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by sandykaypax »

I do agree, Anne, that Loni got a raw deal from Burt Reynolds. I also enjoyed her work as Jennifer on WKRP. I guess I just love Linda Darnell so much as Lora Mae, that I can't see anyone else in the role!

Sandy K
User avatar
mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by mrsl »

.
I hear you, and I know where you're coming from. I was absolutely venomous when they remade Where the Boys Are and turned it into a drug movie instead of college kids on Spring Break at Lauderdale, and of course, nobody could ever do the job that Paulette Goddard did in The Women (not to mention all the gals), although some came close in the June Allyson version.
.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
User avatar
Vienna
Posts: 400
Joined: October 24th, 2012, 8:03 am
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by Vienna »

Thanks to all for all the terrific comments about this wonderful film. Great cast and script. My favorite couple are Linda Darnell and Paul Douglas. Wish Linda had got more roles like this.
As for Thelma Ritter and Connie Gilchrist, what can you say, they light up the screen.
User avatar
Nick
Posts: 59
Joined: May 16th, 2013, 8:48 pm
Location: Stockholm

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by Nick »

I saw this film yesterday. I dunno...I sorta got the impression that besides Jeanne Crain, none of the girls seemed devastated by the news that Addie had run away with one of their husbands. Since they didn't seem to care that much, neither did I. Maybe it's because there were too many flashbacks?
RedRiver
Posts: 4200
Joined: July 28th, 2011, 9:42 am

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by RedRiver »

I like this unabashed soaper. So deliciously wicked it makes my eyes water! Great cast.
User avatar
mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by mrsl »

.
There can't be too many flashbacks in this movie. They show how each woman would be devastated if her husband left with Addie. They all adore their husbands but unfortunately all three couples have fallen into that horrible day to day, same old, same old rut, but the flashbacks bring them out of their comfort zone and make them realize what they would miss is it's her hubby.

I, too, am a devotee of this film as I am with Westward the Women, the Women, and Steel Magnolias. All women's movies but I'm equally devoted to The Enemy Below and The Hunt for the Red October, all terrific men's mov
ies.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
RedRiver
Posts: 4200
Joined: July 28th, 2011, 9:42 am

Re: A Letter to Three Wives

Post by RedRiver »

This is an example of flashbacks working very well. On another thread, I cited a case where they're detrimental to the story. They come crashing in from nowhere; a mere distraction. As with all creative things, it depends on how it's handled. (And whether you need it in the first place!)
Post Reply