Four Wives *** (1939, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Gale Page, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, May Robson) – Classic Movie Review 11,902

Director Michael Curtiz’s 1939 drama film Four Wives stars Claude Rains, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Gale Page, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, and May Robson. The screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard E Koch is suggested by the 1937 story Sister Act in Hearst’s International Cosmopolitan by Fannie Hurst.

Four Wives is a cosy, predictable but amiable enough sequel to Four Daughters, in which musical composer Felix Dietz (Jeffrey Lynn) turns up as a husband for recently widowed Ann Lemp (Priscilla Lane) and all of the sister wives (Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, Gale Page) get babies.

The sharp performers give it an edge, particularly Rains (as the father), Eddie Albert as young doctor Clint Forrest Jr and May Robson as Aunt Etta.

John Garfield has an archive footage cameo as the flashback ghost of his character Mickey Borden, who was dead at the end of Four Daughters, killed in a car accident.

It is preceded by the successful 1938 Four Daughters and Daughters Courageous (1938). The series of four concludes with 1941’s Four Mothers.

Poor Claude Rains is relegated to billing under the title.

The Epstein twins are best remembered for their screenplay, written with Howard E Koch, for Casablanca (1942).

The cast are Priscilla Lane as Ann Lemp Dietz, Rosemary Lane as Kay Lemp, Lola Lane as Thea Lemp Crowley, Gale Page as Emma Lemp Talbot, Claude Rains as Adam Lemp, Jeffrey Lynn as Felix Dietz, Eddie Albert as Clint Forrest Jr, May Robson as Aunt Etta, Frank McHugh as Ben Crowley, Dick Foran as Ernest Talbot, Henry O’Neill as Clinton Forrest Sr, John Garfield as Mickey Borden (archive footage), Vera Lewis as Mrs. Ridgefield, and John Qualen as Frank.

Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995), is remembered for The Roaring Twenties (1939), Saboteur (1942) and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Rosemary Lane (April 4, 1913 – November 25, 1974).

Lola Lane (born Dorothy Mullican, May 21, 1906 – June 22, 1981).

Gale Page co-stars with the Lane Sisters and is the only film daughter not played by one of the Lanes. She appears with them in all four films in the series.

There was a fourth Lane sister, Leota Lane (October 25, 1903 – July 25, 1963), but she left Hollywood for New York City before the sisters’ breakthrough.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,902

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