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Virtuous Husband was adapted from Apron Strings, a play by Dorrance Davis. Though his mother has been dead several years, wealthy young Daniel Curtis (Elliot Nugent) has never been able to cut himself loose from her smothering influence. Even when he marries the lovely Barbara Otwell (Jean Arthur), Daniel bases all his decisions upon letters left behind by his late mother. One of the missives even offers advice as to how to successfully orchestrate the couple's honeymoon night! Only when Barbara rears up and destroys the letters does Daniel learn to stand on his own two feet. Reportedly, Elliot Nugent had been violently opposed to playing the part of namby-pamby Daniel, but upon being forced to do so, admitted "it didn't kill me."