Main Cast: Gloria Swanson, Huntly Gordon, Charles Green, Paul Weigel
Release Year: 1923
Country: US
Run Time: 61 minutes
Plot
This romantic drama gave filmgoers everything they expected from a Gloria Swanson picture -- fancy settings, gorgeous clothes, and a story that wasn't too taxing on the brain. It was adapted from the stage play by Alfred Savior, which starred Ina Claire on Broadway. John Brandon, an American millionaire (Huntley Gordon), has been married seven times but never found love. Then, when he is in Paris, Mona de Briac (Swanson) comes into his life. Mona comes from an noble family who is facing ruin. Although the marriage is financially advantageous, Mona really loves Brandon -- until she finds out about his seven other wives. She goes out of her way to do everything she can to test Brandon's love for her, and her tactics bring them to the brink of divorce when he finally loses faith in her. But as he is about to send her away, he realizes that her love is sincere, not her foolish actions. Ernst Lubitsch would remake this film in 1938 as a talkie, with Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert as the stars. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
Review
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife should have been a match made in heaven, bringing together as it does the wonderful screenwriting team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett with the inimitable director Ernst Lubitsch, and featuring a high-wattage cast including Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Edward Everett Horton. Unfortunately, Bluebeard is a mess of a movie. Wilder and Brackett were not operating near the top of their form, and despite a number of funny lines and amusing situations, the story never takes off. Lubitsch directs in an uncharacteristically fuzzy manner, as if he is unsure of what exactly either he or the film wants to say. But the most fatal problem lies in the casting of Gary Cooper, a fine actor who is totally out of his element here. The role calls for a man with the easy sophistication of Cary Grant, which Cooper simply doesn't have in him; he substitutes his usual guilelessness and innocence instead, which are totally wrong for the character. Even worse, they make Colbert come across as rather unsympathetic. The entire picture is thrown off balance, and it never really rights itself. Bluebeard is not without some charm, and it's not painful to watch, but it is a major disappointment. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
