Plot-- From cloudy heaven, a departed playboy gleefully watches three married couples grapple with problems he's created with incriminating letters to the husbands. Could it be that he has a hidden purpose.Pairing the sardonic Eve Arden with the gruff Howard DaSilva has all kinds of comedic potential. Too bad they don't get more barbed screen time. Then the sometimes comedy, sometimes drama, would get more needed spark. There's clever banter among the three couples, but much of the acting, particularly Strudwick and Karnes, fails to lift beyond the blandly conventional. Nor does Reis's direction heighten the effects. Nonetheless, actor Williams manages to make his potentially dislikable character, Max, oddly likable. Also, scenes in celluloid heaven could raise a touchy 'who-rules' religious problem. However, the script finesses this by making the gate-keeper sound like a corporate auditor without indicating who's ultimately in charge.Overall, it's an indie production that shows its limitations; at the same time, the occasional snappy dialogue amounts to the best part.

The production quality of "Three Husbands" is poor for Hollywood standards in 1950, but this independent film has an interesting plot. The script is a little weak, but the direction and acting more than make up for the negatives. The entire cast is very good, especially those in the seven leading roles. I especially like this film for the performance of Emlyn Williams as Maxwell Bard. Although six other leads are listed ahead of him, his is the pivotal role around which the plot revolves, with its smaller plots. Williams was a very talented man of stage and screen. He was a first-rate actor, as seen here. But he preferred writing. He wrote 20 original plays of his own, and wrote nearly three dozen more screenplays. Some of his plays have been made into excellent films. Among them are "The Corn is Green," "Night Must Fall," "Someone Waiting," "The Light of Heart," "The Wind of Heaven," and "Women of Dolwyn." He also acted in and directed "Dolwyn." Max is a friend to three particular men, and their wives. He is single and a ladies man, but he's an avowed bachelor. One suspects that he won't let himself get serious about a woman because of his bad heart. Indeed, he dies of a heart attack very young – about 40 in the film. So, he cherishes his friends and friendships with them, collectively and individually. This is a first rate comedy of morals with a lesson cleverly tucked into a story of multiple friendships. No one will miss the jealousy, but sometimes the deeper message isn't obvious at first. Max wraps it up nicely in the end though, calling to the attention of the three husbands the need to trust. As a true friend (which one could see in the flashbacks), he meant trust of one's friends as well as wives. One of the characters, Arthur Evans (played by Shepperd Strudwick) also dallies with infidelity. So, naturally, he is the most put out by the thought that his wife may have been unfaithful to him. The way the movie opens and closes is funny and clever. Many of us who believe in God think he must have a sense of humor, for the foibles, missteps and mistakes most of us make in our lives. The film has some witty dialog – see the quotes section of the IMDb listing here. But most of the comedy is in the situations and acting. The three actors playing the husbands are superb in their indignation.

Vera Caspary's follow-up to "A Letter to Three Wives" starts out with good intentions, but as deceased antagonist Emlyn Williams should realize, good intentions are the pathway to hell. But here, he's presumably in heaven, his friends memorializing him at the same time he is revealing his last earthly dirty deed. You see, he has left behind a letter for three men indicating that he was having an affair with one of their wives. Who can it be? The stalwart Ruth Warrick, the somewhat crude Eve Arden, or the sweet and innocent Vanessa Brown are the three wives who ate in the same social circle but really have nothing in common. There's an unnecessarily long sequence where characters attend a foreign movie and flashbacks to William's lecherous encounters with each of the women. Of course, Arden is amusing as she battles with her wealthy bit coarse husband (Howard da Silva) and Warrick provides nostalgia for those who only knew her from "All My Children" as the haughty Phoebe. She is married to Sheppherd Strudwick here, an actor ironically on "One Life to Live" at the same time as Victor Lord.Vanessa Brown suffers from being the least interesting of the three wives and less than spicy dialog. Wasted in smaller roles are Billie Burke as Strudwick's mother and Jane Darwell in basically a cameo as attorney Jonathan Hale's wife. So ultimately, this is more interesting from a curiosity standpoint than the quality of the film itself. With the original having a screenplay that is still brilliant, the follow-up is bound to suffer in comparison. But oh that cast!

I just watched this romantic comedy for the first time this afternoon on YouTube. It is delightful. This black and white film has "colorful" scenes with all the actors. Who do you trust? This question is definitely posed to the 3 husbands regarding their wives. Flashbacks for all the husbands give us insights into all these relationships. The film has a happy and humorous ending.And, if you enjoy this movie, take a look at, the Ginger Rogers film, "Tom, Dick and Harry!" It is very innovative in its use of humor and special effects.