Father takes a wife (1941), Starring Gloria Swanson - A wonderful family comedy

Movie Reviewed: Father takes a wife (1941), starring Gloria Swanson

I am a sucker for family movies, especially comedies, and this one stands out pretty good in my book. Anyone who likes Gloria Swanson would love this movie, except that she was already a star in Hollywood, but surprisingly she accepted to play the role of a wife to a secondary actor like Adolphe Menjou. After seven years of inactive life in movie business, this is rather surprise comeback for a super-star like Gloria Swanson, and she waits another nine years to make Sunset Blvd., a true masterpiece.

In this movie, she gives up her career as a stage actress to marry a middle-aged shipping magnate played by Menjou. He hands over his business to his son John Howard and marries his sweetheart and goes on honeymoon. During their trip they meet a young singer played by Desi Arnaz, The story moves quickly when Swanson who had given up her stage career takes keen interest in the singing career of the young man. This does not sit well with her husband who acts like a jealous husband. To a certain extent, this movie reminds me of Sunset Blvd in which Norma Desmond lives in a dream world and becomes insanely obsessed with a much younger man played by actor William Holden. In “Father takes a wife,” she manages the career of young Desi Arnaz, but does not have any fascination for the young Latin hunk. The movie ends rather colorfully when Swanson announces that she is pregnant. It doesn’t jibe as great as it would be if Ms. Swanson was 20 years younger. But nevertheless this happy news brings the quarreling couples to reconcile their differences. This is an enjoyable movie and I strongly recommend this movie to all the fans of Gloria Swanson.