Watch Unfaithfully Yours

Unfaithfully Yours is a 1948 American screwball comedy film directed by Preston Sturges and starring Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, and Rudy Vallee. The film tells the story of Sir Alfred de Carter (Harrison), a famous conductor who suspects his young wife, Daphne (Darnell), of having an affair with his secretary, Tony (Vallee). Convinced of her infidelity, Sir Alfred plans and fantasizes about taking violent revenge on his wife, but when he finally confronts her, he realizes that he was mistaken and must make amends.

The movie opens with Sir Alfred, a celebrated conductor, returning home after a successful concert. However, he is preoccupied with suspicions that his wife, Daphne, is having an affair with his secretary, Tony. Despite the fact that she denies any wrongdoing, Sir Alfred is convinced and decides to take action. He comes up with three ingenious scenarios for murdering her that he rehearses mentally while the orchestra is warming up.

The first scenario involves an elaborate contraption that is supposed to shoot Daphne with a gun hidden inside a tightly sealed package. The second scenario involves a poisoned cocktail that would kill Daphne after she drinks it. The third scenario involves a hasty phone call by Tony to Daphne, followed by Sir Alfred using the opportunity to shoot her in a fit of rage.

However, Sir Alfred's intricate schemes fail miserably, leading to a series of hilarious mishaps as he tries to implement each of them. By the time he realizes that he was wrong about his wife's infidelity, he has unintentionally implicated Tony as the guilty party in his own mind. Complications arise when Tony attempts to kill himself after being accused of the affair, leading Sir Alfred to become genuinely remorseful and determined to set things right.

The film showcases the talents of Rex Harrison as the eccentric conductor Sir Alfred, who is both comic and tragic in his predicament. His dry wit and his impeccable sense of timing make for some delightful comedic moments, while his paranoia and obsession with revenge bring a dark edge to the story. Linda Darnell is charming as the innocent, doe-eyed Daphne, who is caught in the middle of her husband's delusions.

Rudy Vallee, who plays the hapless secretary Tony, is also excellent in the movie. He portrays the character with just the right amount of nervousness and desperation, making him a sympathetic character even when Sir Alfred is falsely accusing him. The chemistry between the three leads is electric, with Rex Harrison stealing the show as the conductor.

Unfaithfully Yours is one of Preston Sturges' most underrated films, blending a sophisticated sense of humor with a darker, more twisted edge. The film is a satire of the wealthy and their relationships, and it is both a romantic comedy and a revenge fantasy all rolled into one. The movie has moments of high drama, punctuated by Sturges' trademark wit and dialogue.

The film's musical score also deserves a mention, with Rossini's "Barber of Seville" overture providing a delightful accompaniment to Sir Alfred's fantasies. The scenes in which he imagines himself conducting his own demise are particularly memorable, with the music building to a crescendo as he plans and plots his revenge.

Overall, Unfaithfully Yours is a stylish, witty, and entertaining movie that deserves to be ranked among Preston Sturges' finest works. The movie's blend of comedy and tragedy, combined with its clever script and standout performances, make it a must-see for fans of classic cinema.

Unfaithfully Yours is a 1948 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5.