Overrated

A Disappointing Continuation

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A post-WWII Howard Hawks screwball comedy transpires in the Allied-occupied Germany, Cary Grant plays a French Army Captain Henri Rochard, who is teamed up with American Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Sheridan) in his last mission before bowing out of military service once and for all. It starts as a typical ill-matched pair reluctantly bundled together (even sharing the same bed one evening), who are constantly at each other's throats through comedy of errors, more often than not, at Henry's expense, but, improbable to audience, a budding romantic is bound to emerge from both sides and by the end of their task, they are going to tie the knot. Honestly, the first half is very pleasurable with Grant adopts his tried-and-tested winning formula to juggle goofy, loosey-goosey innocuousness with snit-driven prolixity, meanwhile a proactive Ann Sheridan pulls no punch to prove that as a woman, her Catherine is no lesser to any masculine peer of hers, she can operate a spanking vehicle as competent as fast-tracking their mission. In truth, it is this conformity-defying, role-swapping gender politics that gingers up the film right out of the box, however, in the second half, when the narrative is mired in overwrought red tapes, only to put the newly weds in the quagmire of a repeatedly deferred marriage consummation, and laboriously plays up the same source of amusement that Henri must apply as a war bride in order to be emigrated to USA as Catherine's spouse, the film's allure starts to pall, and its objectionable ethnocentric overtone doesn't help either. When the plot reaches that mane-clipping, nurse-impersonating climax, it only leaves a first-time viewer gobsmacked, not by the plan's wits but the whole idiocy which Hawks condones, maxing out Cary Grant's belabored discomfiture but largely relegating Ann Sheridan on the sideline, an utter betrayal to its promising premise. Another Golden Age Hollywood crowd-pleaser doesn't come through the test of time, as at one point Henri jests that woman is, au contraire, not the weaker gender to man since they are blessed with more sleep, the joke is in fact on the film and Hawks himself, a blatant tokenism in addressing gender equality, but cranked out inside a masculine hothouse, it is the same old blarney that now borders on offense.

In post-World War II Germany, French officer Cary Grant (as Henri Rochard) returns underwear belonging to attractive American soldier Ann Sheridan (as Catherine Gates). The implication Mr. Grant and Ms. Sheridan are having a sexual affair is false, although they flirt as Allied wartime partners. On their last mission, the couple continues to bicker and flirt, then decide to try kissing. This works out all right and they are married. Grant and Sheridan want to go to the US, but he isn't allowed. They discover a law – The War Bride Act – providing transport for US military spouses. Although Grant is not female, he decides to enter the country as predicted in the titular, "I Was a Male War Bride". The main attraction is seeing Grant decked out as a woman. This occurs only near the story's end and isn't even the funniest part of the film. The co-stars and director Howard Hawks keep you interested, but the story does eventually drag.****** I Was a Male War Bride (8/19/49) Howard Hawks ~ Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan, Marion Marshall, William Neff

A postwar Germany is the setting for this delightful comedy. Capt. Henri Rochard, a French officer, had been involved in the Allies effort to stop counterfeit products that were a big problem to control. He was a good collaborator who worked closely with the American forces trying to put an end to the practice. Henri had teamed up with Catherine Gates, an American officer a no nonsense woman who got things done, as expected.It was no wonder Henri and Catherine fell in love. They saw in one another a perfect match. At the time a lot of European women had met and fell in love with G.I.s who fought in WWII. As a result, there was a massive movement to bring those newlywed brides, many with children, to America. Henri, having married Catherine, finds himself in a quandary. Being married to an American soldier, he did not stand a chance to ever come to live in America with Catherine. But laws are meant to be broken because a loophole allows a male spouse to have the same privileges as women.This was a hilarious comedy in its day. Seeing today it might not have the same effect as when it originally released. Howard Hawks, perhaps one of the most original film directors of his generation, was one of the first Americans to take his film to a devastated Germany. The screenplay was written by Leonard Spigelgass, Charles Lederer and Hagar Wilde, a distinguished triad veterans from Hollywood. Osmond Borradale and Norbert Brodine are credited as the cinematographers. Their black and white photography shows what Germany looked like after the conflict.A lively and sassy Ann Sheridan made a perfect Catherine Gates. Evidently she was having a good time in the film, and it comes across in one of her best screen appearances. Paired with a Howard Hawks favorite, Cary Grant, the combination was powerful indeed. And yet, this was not one of Mr. Grant's best screen appearances. His Henri Rochard comes across as a bit uncomfortable, perhaps due to the fact he had to dress as a woman to get on board the ship bringing the newly wed wives to America.It is a tribute to Howard Hawks enormous talent this film has survived the passing of time.

One of the reviewers above who mentioned Kafka had it right: the movie is an exercise in humiliation, and humiliation of Cary Grant, yet. Earlier Hawks movies like Bringing Up Baby are humiliating also, but are funny enough to soften an edge that here is just painful. The result has a real dramatic problem in that it's pretty hard to believe Grant and Sheridan would ever fall in love and marry--whereas his expressed desire never to see her again, on the other hand, is totally convincing. I watched pretty much without laughing, but the performances are great and the movie is grimly fascinating, like a fun-house-mirror reflection of a screwball comedy.