Too Many Wives
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Ben Holmes
Anne Shirley
John Morley
Gene Lockhart
Dudley Clements
Barbara Pepper
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Frustrated by his inability to land a job as a newspaper reporter, Barry Trent barges into the office of Horace Mansfield, the editor and publisher of The Evening Star , and begs for employment. Although Mansfield refuses Barry work as a reporter, he agrees to hire him as his professional "scapegoat" after witnessing the young man's skill at placating an angry advertising customer. With a five dollar advance in his pocket, Barry then races to meet Betty Jackson, a pretty debutante whom he had met while working as a dog walker, in the park. To keep Betty from finding out about his stint as a paid dog walker, Barry pays a newsboy fifty cents to borrow his mongrel dog for the evening and tells Betty that the canine belongs to his uncle. After a fun dinner date with Betty, Barry is called into Mansfield's office when Betty's father Winfield reads in The Evening Star an unflattering report about his coveted stamp collection. Egged on by Mansfield, who is himself a stamp collector, Barry takes responsibility for the deed, but is mortified when the editor announces to Betty and her father that he is going to fire him even though he has "a wife and child." Determined to correct his boss's misstatement, Barry seeks Betty out at the University Club and explains to her that, because of his work, he was forced to lie about his marital status. Later, Betty tells her father that Barry is involved in secret work at the newspaper. Winfield, who is an avid reader of mystery stories, assumes that Barry is a detective and, excited by his "discovery," invites him to a dinner party. To Barry's dismay, Mansfield and Betty's jealous society boyfriend, Clabby Holden, have also been invited to the dinner. Determined to expose Barry as an imposter, Clabby and Mansfield steal a valuable stamp that Winfield has just purchased and hide it in an outdoor flower pot. After Winfield discovers the stamp missing, Clabby insists that Barry find it as proof of his sleuthing abilities. While Barry confesses to Betty the truth about his job, the stamp becomes attached to a snail in the flower pot and eventually lands in the mouth of Betty's dog McDuff. At the same time, Angela Brown, Mansfield's secretary, arrives with a message for her boss and is offered $1,000 by Clabby to say that she is Barry's wife. In a jealous outrage, Betty agrees to elope with Clabby just as the police arrive to investigate the "theft" of the stamp. After a furious car chase involving the police, Barry and Angela arrive at the justice of the peace's office in time stop Betty's marriage and reveal Clabby's deception. When the police, Winfield and Mansfield finally show up, Barry solves the "crime" by spotting the stamp in McDuff's mouth. His reputation cleared, Barry marries Betty.
Director
Ben Holmes
Cast
Anne Shirley
John Morley
Gene Lockhart
Dudley Clements
Barbara Pepper
Frank Melton
Charles Coleman
Dot Farley
Jack Carson
George Irving
Margaret Armstrong
Crew
Samuel J. Briskin
Howard Campbell
Denzil A. Cutler
Lois Eby
Richard English
John Grey
Kenny Holmes
Charles Kaufman
Desmond Marquette
Nick Musuraca
Van Nest Polglase
William Sistrom
Edward Stevenson
Dorothy Yost
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Satisfaction Guaranteed, which was also the name of Richard English's original screen story. Motion Picture Herald's "The Cutting Room" adds Alec Craig to the cast list. Hollywood Reporter production charts and news items add Grady Sutton, Bruce Mitchell, Bud Jamison, Abe Reynolds, Eddie Gribbon and Billy Lechner to the cast. The participation of these actors in the final film has not been confirmed.
