Grade: C+
Synopsis: In Germany, a French captain (Cary Grant) and American Lieutenant (Ann Sheridan) bicker and eventually fall in love and marry, only to face complications when she has to return to America.
I Was a Male War Bride is one of the better screwball comedies from director Howard Hawks, thanks to low-key performances from stars Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan.
The script is somewhat uneven. It’s based on the true story of Henri Rochard, but the screenwriters inexplicably kept Grant’s character French instead of making him British or something more plausible. Further, too much of the material has little replay value as it’s typical screwball fare where the humor is derived from simple misunderstandings that arise when one character refuses to shut up long enough to let the other talk.
Fortunately, there are a number of other bits that do work, including Cary Grant’s exquisite attempt to exit Ann Sheridan’s room in a creaky old inn, and the great finale with Grant in would-be drag.
Ultimately, I Was a Male War Bride is an entertaining, if uneven, outing that manages to work thanks to Hawks’ typical break-neck pacing, and Grant’s impeccable comic timing. That said, it’s nowhere near as good as Hawks and Grant’s previous collaboration, His Girl Friday (1940).
