The Perfect Marriage

The Perfect Marriage (1946)

Genres - Comedy  |   Sub-Genres - Romantic Comedy  |   Release Date - Jan 24, 1947 (USA), Feb 24, 1947 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 87 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Craig Butler

The Perfect Marriage is far from perfect, so it's a good thing that it boasts the presence of stars Loretta Young and David Niven -- because, basically, there's not much else in Marriage to applaud. Oh, there are some yummy Edith Head creations for Young, which the star's personal glow makes look even more appealing. And there's a supporting cast that is big on talent. But these supporting players are given so little to work with that not even such stalwarts as Eddie Albert, Charlie Ruggles and ZaSu Pitts can generate much interest -- let alone laughs, which is too much to ask for given the witless dialogue they are asked to deliver. Young and Niven don't get any more help from the material than the supporting players, but their charisma (and director Lewis Allen's smart decision to concentrate on his leads as much as possible) helps to give the film the occasional lift. Leonard Spigelgass's screenplay is the culprit here, a leaden affair that takes a potentially arresting subject and fumbles the ball at almost every turn. The comedy isn't funny, the drama just sits there and the psychological and social insights are shallow. Dedicated fans of the leads may want to watch it, but others will find little in it to recommend.