calvinnme An Ernst Lubitsch comedy, co-scripted by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, which has always been generally dismissed by critics and fans alike. Perhaps with the film's reputation as a lesser effort those who sit down to view it will be pleasantly surprised to find it an agreeable affair, anyway.Gary Cooper plays a seven times married American businessman millionaire who finds that with wife no. 8 (Claudette Colbert) he may have met his match. She has made him agree to a pre nuptial agreement of paying her $100,000 should there be a divorce and then makes him spend much of the marriage unhappy and wishing he hadn't signed that agreement.While the film is never as funny or clever as the best of Lubitsch, it still has its moments. The film is remembered primarily for the scene in which Colbert and Cooper "meet cute" as they agree to split a pair of pajamas in a department store.But there are other moments, too, such as the scene in which Cooper, inspired by having just read Taming of the Shrew, bursts out of his room, walks with great macho determination and accompanying soundtrack drum roll down a hallway, enters a room where Colbert stands and slaps her across the face. She responds by slapping him back and Cooper, perplexed by this unexpected turn of events, leaves the room, walks back through that same hallway to his room again and picks up the book to try to figure out what he did wrong.Like all Lubitsch productions this film has a graceful air of sophistication, with a physical elegance in its sets and photography. Colbert is an old hand at frothy material like this while Cooper, cast against type, plays his role with obvious enthusiasm. He's a far cry from the Cooper we're used to seeing on screen in the scene in which he plays a piano while singing "Looky, looky, looky, Here comes Cookie" to Claudette. The supporting cast is first rate, all of them deft performers: a young David Niven, and old pro character actors Edward Everett Horton and Herman Bing.English mangling, beer barrel shaped Herman Bing is the unlikeliest of detectives, hired by Cooper to follow his wife to see if she has any lovers. "Don't forget," he tells the millionaire, "we are a first class firm. You will find that out when you get our bill." Recommended as middling production code era Paramount fare.

SimonJack Who wouldn't like a movie with Gary Cooper? Or one with Claudette Colbert? Or one directed by Ernst Lubitsch? Who wouldn't like a comedy film written by Billy Wilder? The answers to all of these questions would be very few people (among movie fans who have seen a body of work dating from the early years of Hollywood). So, when one film has all of these great talents involved in it, well … most of us would probably expect the spectacular. Unfortunately, "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" is far from the mark. It's not bad, but it's not much better than mediocre. I am a little surprised that a few reviewers scored it a 10. But, with leveler heads, others noted some of the things I did about this film. Oh sure, it has some witty lines and scenes. In the opening we see Michael Brandon (played by Cooper) looking in a store window in what looked to me to be Nice, France. A sign welcomes people in different languages. A sign in Spanish, German, French and English reads that that language is spoken here. A fifth line, after English, reads, "American understood." Then, as Brandon walks through the store, a salesman tries to interest him in one product after another. Walking beside him with a men's cologne bottle, the salesman says, "It's the contention of our management that the man who smells is a thing of the future." To which Brandon replies, "You ought to go a long way." But after that, the clever and funny lines are few and far between. The next scene in the store is where Brandon and Nicole De Loiselle (played by Claudette Colbert) meet. It is amusing but not hilarious. And, from then on, the attempts at humor are mostly one-liners with no response. Cooper is very stiff and wooden in this film, and there is absolutely no chemistry between these two stars. Colbert is Colbert – a very good actress at whatever she puts her heart into. But when the script is poor, as this one is, one actor is not going to save a film. The characters are not matched well, and the direction is lacking. One other reviewer commented on the weak premise for this film, and I agree. That could have been part of why the film flopped at the box office. But, moviegoers in that day knew good actors and directors and writers, and so they probably expected something very good. I give this five stars for Colbert's performance and that of the supporting cast, especially Edward Everett Horton as her movie father. David Niven's part was OK, but in a couple of scenes, he seemed to be an afterthought of the screenwriter. I can see how some viewers felt bored about half way into the film. It did stretch out far too much, probably losing much of the audience interest at the point. For some top Hollywood people of the time, Bluebeard would have to rank toward the bottom of their portfolios.

bkoganbing Years before pre-nuptial agreements became a regular thing, Ernest Lubitsch made a screen comedy on which they are the basis. Bluebeard's Eighth Wife involves Gary Cooper as a multi-millionaire living on the French Riviera who's been married seven times and now marries Claudette Colbert for number eight. But Cooper's a good sport about it, he always settles with his ex-wives for a $50,000.00 a year as per an agreement they sign before marrying him. Sounds like what we now call a pre-nuptial agreement.Of course Claudette wants a lot more than that and she feels Cooper takes an entirely too business like approach to marriage. She'd like the real deal and is willing to go some considerable lengths to get it.Bluebeard's Eighth Wife has some really funny moments, the original meeting of Cooper and Colbert in a men's store where Cooper is insisting he wants only pajama tops and Colbert looking for only bottoms. And of course my favorite is Colbert trailing and blackmailing the detective Cooper sends to spy on her. Herman Bing has the best supporting role in the film as that selfsame, flustered detective.I've often wondered how back in the day Hollywood could get away with casting so many people who are non-French in a film like this. Of course Cooper is an American and Colbert of the cast is the only one actually of French background. Though David Niven is charming as always, having him be a Frenchman is ludicrous, he is sooooooo British.Nevertheless Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is an enjoyable film and a great example of what was called 'the Lubitsch touch' back in the day.

rweisbuch The Lubitsch's Touch is more than ever in this film. Humour at anytime and very subtle. The plot is simple but turned in a delicious way by the director. The film cut is very clever and add to the comic effect. A real piece of comedy that isn't getting so old for a XXIst century spectator. The character are finely acted by Gary Cooper and especially Claudette Colbert so smart and mean with this poor Micheal in the movie. She avoid every traps from her husband and turn the situation to her advantage, very funny. And no problem, with Lubitsch, there is always an Happy end. A film for men too confident with women. Don't let your girlfriend watch this movie...