How to Murder Your Wife

The 1965 film How to Murder Your Wife is a sardonic and electrifying blend of comedy, romance, and faint traces of thriller. A light-hearted take on marital relations and sexuality in 1960’s America, it showcases the performance of Jack Lemmon in the lead role with the magnificent supporting cast of Virna Lisi and Terry-Thomas. Directed by Richard Quine, the film falls gracefully into classic cinema, brilliantly encapsulating the bracingly sophisticated and provocative humor of the era.

Lemmon plays Stanley Ford, a successful cartoonist well-known and celebrated for his action-packed comic strip "Bash Brannigan". Lemmon's Stanley is a charming, progressive bachelor living in a high society Manhattan townhouse, with his loyal and equally entertaining manservant Charles Firbank played by Terry-Thomas. Stanley's life is one of luxury and liberation, with his commitment-free lifestyle punctuated by elaborate gadgetry, and a stream of beautiful women. Stanley's freedom and flamboyance are mirrored in his comic strip, with his character, Brannigan, leading an adventurous life of mystery and seduction.

However, Stanley's bachelorhood is jeopardized when one morning he wakes up to find himself married to a beautiful Italian woman, played by the enchanting Virna Lisi. An impromptu, booze-ridden stag party, a mysterious woman baked in a cake, and a hasty wedding conducted in Italian, leave Stanley in a bewildering yet legally bound relationship. The mysterious bride doesn't speak a word of English, adding to the comic element. The language barrier further strengthens the film’s inherently playful aspect while deepening the mystery around the bride's identity.

Following this surprising development in his life, Stanley's comic strip starts reflecting his personal experiences. The bachelor Brannigan morphs into a married man navigating the uncanny trials and tribulations of married life. This humorous transition and its resulting exaggerations add a new layer of excitement to his cartoon series. Stanley finesses a brilliant way to manifest his real-world frustrations into his art, which ironically, amplifies the popularity of his comic strip.

Lemmon's portrayal of Stanley Ford as a comically frustrated, dramatically cornered, and an occasionally misogynistic protagonist paints an impressive portrait of a man transitioning from a carefree bachelorhood to the strangling tugs of unexpected matrimony. Virna Lisi shines in the role of Mrs. Ford, enchantingly presenting the bubbling mystery, festal beauty, and the Roman strength of her character. The dynamic between Stanley and his wife, their contrasting lifestyles and the resulting humor is central to the plot, making the film a delightfully absurd matrimonial farce.

The plot thickens when Stanley decides to playfully plot the murder of his wife within his comic strip, touching upon the darker, more sinister realm of humor hinted at in the movie’s title. When life begins to imitate art, Stanley finds himself in a whirl of circumstances, escalating this comedy into an exhilarating investigation.

The film garners ample laughter from its unique premise and wins the audience with a clever script composed of witty one-liners, comical twists, and theatrical elements. Jack Lemmon's brilliant comic timing, Virna Lisi's beguiling charm, and Terry-Thomas’s fantastic portrayal of a comical confidant, further its amusing appeal. However, it’s not only the humor that sets this movie apart, but also in the way it addresses the gender norms and societal expectations of its era, albeit with tongue-in-cheek humor.

Thought-provoking without critiquing, unsettling yet amusing, How to Murder Your Wife is packed with a plethora of ironies that nudges viewers to find humor in the most unexpected places. The film is known for epitomizing the light-hearted elements of thrill and suspense while cleverly blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Its unique premise, dramatic portrayals, and a tasteful layer of mystery, combined with high-society New York charm, makes it a time capsule of the 1960s.

In conclusion, How to Murder Your Wife is more than just a comedy. Coupled with stellar performances, it’s a captivating showcase of societal niceties, expectations, and the lighter side of human predicaments. Perfect for a leisurely watch, it transports viewers back to an era when bachelors were envied, marriages were mysteriously surprising, and comic strips were silent manifestations of the artist's life. This classic is sure to allure all those who appreciate vintage humor, symbolic comics, and the echoing charm of black-and-white cinema, enlivened by Lemmon’s unquestionable talent.