{"id":29096,"date":"2013-03-22T10:35:16","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T17:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=29096"},"modified":"2021-01-20T01:08:40","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T08:08:40","slug":"i-was-a-male-war-bride-1949","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=29096","title":{"rendered":"I Was a Male War Bride (1949)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Who cares about regulations at a time like this?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/I-Was-Male-War-Bride-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/I-Was-Male-War-Bride-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-29099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/I-Was-Male-War-Bride-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/I-Was-Male-War-Bride-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/I-Was-Male-War-Bride-Poster.jpg 644w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nShortly after WWII, a French soldier (Cary Grant) marries an American WAC (Ann Sheridan), but finds he must label himself a &#8220;war bride&#8221; in order to get into the U.S. with her.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ann Sheridan Films<\/li>\n<li>Cary Grant Films<\/li>\n<li>Gender Bending<\/li>\n<li>Howard Hawks Films<\/li>\n<li>Military<\/li>\n<li>Romantic Comedy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs noted by DVD Savant in his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1066war.html\">perceptive review<\/a>, this &#8220;lightly amusing comedy&#8221; by Howard Hawks &#8212; based on Henri Rochard&#8217;s autobiography <em>I Was an Alien Spouse of Female Military Personnel Enroute to the United States Under Public Law 271 of the Congress<\/em> &#8212; has &#8220;probably&#8230; dated more than a lot of other 1950 comedies&#8221;, and requires an understanding of its geopolitical &#8220;context to become fully functional&#8221;. Its primary calling card is the image of Cary Grant in drag &#8212; but this only occurs for about 10 minutes late in the film:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-1024x748.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-1024x748.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag-369x270.png 369w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Drag.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The bulk of the storyline (once quibbling Grant and Sheridan realize they&#8217;re a perfect romantic fit for one another) revolves around Sheridan&#8217;s attempts to get her new husband back to the United States with her, coupled with an ongoing &#8220;gag&#8221; about their inability to consummate their marriage. Fortunately, the script (by Charles Lederer, Hagar Wilde, and Leonard Spigelgass) keeps one engaged even when the premise itself starts to feel somewhat tiresome &#8212; and Sheridan&#8217;s feisty performance reminds one that she was an underutilized presence in Hollywood. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-1024x755.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"472\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-1024x755.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-768x566.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2-366x270.png 366w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan2.png 1391w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But this one will primarily be of interest to Hawksian completists. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Interestingly, Peary nominates Grant as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em> &#8212; though Grant never even bothers to attempt the requisite French accent for his Belgian character (!), and his performance is really nothing special. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ann Sheridan as Lt. Catherine Gates<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-1024x748.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-1024x748.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-Sheridan.png 1393w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An amusing script by Charles Lederer, Hagar Wilde, and Leonard Spigelgass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s recommended for one-time viewing. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0041498\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1949\/08\/27\/archives\/i-was-a-male-war-bride-with-cary-grant-ann-sheridan-new-film-at-the.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/78896\/i-was-a-male-war-bride#articles-reviews?articleId=12760\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=5508\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/iwasamwb.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1066war.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=5633&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/i-was-a-male-war-bride\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Who cares about regulations at a time like this?&#8221; Synopsis: Shortly after WWII, a French soldier (Cary Grant) marries an American WAC (Ann Sheridan), but finds he must label himself a &#8220;war bride&#8221; in order to get into the U.S. with her. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Ann Sheridan Films Cary Grant Films Gender Bending Howard Hawks Films Military Romantic Comedy Review: As noted by DVD Savant in his perceptive review, this &#8220;lightly amusing comedy&#8221; by Howard Hawks &#8212; based&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=29096\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29096"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64628,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29096\/revisions\/64628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}