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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Day-Time Wife (3 stars)

Day-Time Wife, from 1939, is a sweet little romantic comedy starring Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell.  This film made its TCM premiere last month...I think it was on Linda Darnell's day on Summer Under the Stars.  Since I had been wanting to see it, I set the DVR.

Power and Darnell play Ken and Jane Norton, a couple just celebrating their second wedding anniversary.  As the film begins, Jane has planned an anniversary party, inviting all their friends.  Ken, however, doesn't make it to the party; his secretary calls Jane to inform her that Ken had something come up and will be working late at the office.  Jane and the party guests decide that if Ken can't get to the party, the party will go to him instead.  Alas, though, when they arrive at his office, Ken is not there. 

Although Jane's friend hints that she believes Ken is having an affair, Jane doesn't believe it...until Ken arrives home that evening and maintains that he had been at the office all night.  Since she had been to the office and knows Ken is lying, Jane begins to believe that he is, in fact, having an affair.

Wanting to find out "what a secretary has that a wife doesn't," Jane takes a job as a secretary to an architect.  Turns out that her new boss, who tells her that wives are rather routine, is a business associate of Ken's, and he wants himself, Jane, Ken, and Ken's secretary to have dinner together.  Of course, the results of that dinner are quite comical.




Day-Time Wife is definitely a predictable movie, but I think it's loads of fun.  (Predictable doesn't bother me at all...I rather like it.)  Ty Power and Linda Darnell, paired for the first time here, are great together.  I think their chemistry was fantastic.  Add to that, they both are totally gorgeous at this point in their careers.  Combining all that together, Day-Time Wife is really an entertaining film.

This film is available on DVD, as part of the Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection.  Additionally, it is available on You Tube, so you have a couple options if you'd like to watch it.  Happy viewing!!