| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Unfaithfully Yours (Criterion Collection) |  | |
Unfaithfully Yours (Criterion Collection)
In this pitch-black comedy from legendary writer-director Preston Sturges, Rex Harrison stars as Sir Alfred De Carter, a world-famous symphony conductor consumed with the suspicion that his wife is having an affair. During a concert, the jealous De Carter entertains elaborate visions of vengeance, set to three separate orchestral works. But when he attempts to put his murderous fantasies into action, nothing works out quite as planned. A brilliantly performed mixture of razor-sharp dialogue and uproarious slapstick, Unfaithfully Yours is a true classic from a grand master of screen comedy.
Manufacturer: Criterion
Price Range: $17.99 - $29.95
 Unfaithfully Yours (Criterion Collection)
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| User Reviews |  | Unfaithfully Yours Delivers Laughs Faithfully
rating: 5
A cinema technique in advance of its time. Head and shoulders above its more recent remake. Harrison never got his just due for his outstanding comedic efforts. Rue de Valle and other period character actors make this absolutely worthwhile to own for any Preston Sturges fan.
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Something For Everyone: A Comedy Tonight???
rating: 5
When I saw this movie as a kid, it was billed as a murder mystery, and I recall being so horrified as Rex Harrison planned and executed his fiendish and ghastly perfect crime that I wanted to leave the movie theatre; and then when the entire scenario was turned on its head as Harrison actually put what turned out to be a figment of his musical imagination into action--or made a bungling effort to do so--I was very glad I had not left. My sides ached from tear-splashed laughter then, and they still do every time I watch this gem of a film.
Now that I am older, I also appreciate what a brilliantly sophisticated comedy Preston Sturges' "Unfaithfully Yours" is. Harrison's wit is (pardon the pun) razor sharp. Linda Darnell is stunningly beautiful both as the faithful wife of reality and the guilty wife of Harrison's imagination. The supporting cast, which includes Rudy Vallee as the pompous twit who stirs up the entire tempest in a teapot, and Barbara Lawrence as his acerbic wife, is excellent. Every character, in fact--from the handsome would-be lover down to the detectives, the tailor and the cymbal percussionist--is finely delineated. Even though Rex Harrison is never at home with the conductor's baton and the music-track is a bit dicey after all these years, the film, the DVD of which includes a commentary and a couple of interesting interviews, nevertheless remains priceless.
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Just SO much fun!
rating: 5
Preston Sturges knows how to write interesting characters in bizarre situations. This is a jealousy-plagued love story with plot lines acted out in Rex Harrison's character's mind, then carried out with varying results. The basic premise is brilliant for what it offers, and Rex Harrison is perfectly hilarious. Lovely Linda Darnell's performance(s) -- wonderful! Added treats, as always with Sturges, are the various supporting players who add wonderful coloration to the storyline. Rudy Vallee is particularly delightful! Add in a wonderfully crafted Alfred Newman score that incorporates works of Rossini, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, and you end up with a marvelously entertaining film. Although a little too strong for little ones, this can be a good family film night selection that will surprise teens and up.
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Faithfully good
rating: 5
Definitely a movie that is worth having in any collection. The subject matter is as relevant today as it was in 1948, but the presentation can probably be better appreciated now than it was when it was first released. It is a very intelligent movie, and the performances are superb--defying expectations. I would have never expected to see Rex Harrison in this type of a role, and he proves to be excellent in it, portraying the paranoid, jealous, and fragile male who seems so powerful on the outside, and yet can be almost childlike in the way he relates to the world around him when his feelings are involved. The movie also reveals how easily love can turn to hatred when we become so immersed in our own needs and fears. This movie is not just cerebral, though. It is also very funny, especially when one notices the subtleties of the dialogue associated with some great slapstick. This one is to be watched over and over again.
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Brilliant film with worthless commentary from alleged "experts"
rating: 3
If there were a way to strip this disc of its atrociously pompous and utterly worthless commentary track, I would do so without hesitation. Three supposed "scholars" mumble on at excessive length, similar to people in a movie house who carry on aimless conversations to the annoyance of other patrons. An even bigger disappointment are the seemingly stream-of-conscious ramblings by Monty Pyton's Terry Jones, which make very little sense and add nothing to the enhancement of the film. The only worthwhile extras are the reminiscences of Preston Sturges' widow, the very charming Sandy Sturges, and an absolutely brilliant booklet essay by Jonathan Lethem (why on earth didn't Criterion permit him to do the audio commentary?). The film itself of course is marvellous, and among a sterling cast Edgar Kennedy (Sweeney the Private Eye) deserved a posthumous Best Supporting Actor nomination, but 1948 was not the era to acknowledge a masterful screen performance from a veteran comic of the old-time slapstick school. For Edgar Kennedy alone, UNFAITHFULLY YOURS is worth revisiting many times over, but avoid the "bonus material" at all costs.
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Unfaithfully Yours (Criterion Collection)
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