Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
Greatest Films (www.filmsite.org and www.greatestfilms.org)
With descriptive review commentaries and background history on many classic, landmark films in cinematic history, especially American/Hollywood films. Including posters, Academy Awards history, film genres, film terms, film history by decade, trivia, and lots of lists of 'best' films, stars, scenes, quotes, resources, etc.
Unfaithfully Yours (1948) is a wonderful, brilliant and stylish comedy by Preston Sturges - it was the last of his Hollywood films. (It was remade, unsuccessfully, with Dudley Moore in the lead role in 1984.)
The splendid, fine farce is the tale of British, middle-aged symphony orchestra conductor Sir Alfred de Carter (Rex Harrison) who suspects his lovely wife Daphne (Linda Darnell) of infidelity. While leading his orchestra in three different pieces, he elaborately daydreams various forms of revenge, each one accompanied by a classical music piece.
During the conducting of Rossini's Overture to Semiramide, Sir Alfred imagines himself, in a complex and ingenious fantasy, murdering Daphne and plotting to frame and convict Tony (Kurt Krueger), his own suspected young private secretary, for the crime. While performing the second number, Wagner's reconciliation theme from Tannhauser, Sir Alfred fantasizes about writing Daphne a large check, forgiving the young couple, and allowing his wife to run off with her young lover. And while conducting the third piece - the finale, Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini overture, he sees himself challenging Daphne and Tony to a fatal game of Russian roulette. While the plans work perfectly in his mind, he stumbles and bumbles his way through the preparations in real life.
At last, realizing how deliriously silly he's been, he embraces and kisses his loving wife, who's never been unfaithful, and has no idea that he has been plotting against her.
A thousand poets dreamed a thousand years. Then you were born, my love.
