''Three Spare Wives'' is a 1962 British second feature ('B')

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Ernest Morris Ernest Morris (17 October 1913 – 17 September 1987) was an English film and television director. He began his film career in 1932 as an assistant director. As a director the majority of his output comprised second features. Filmography ...

and starring

Susan Stephen Susan Rennie Stephen (16 July 1931 – 21 April 2000) was an English film actress born in London. In her teens she pursued TV roles, subsequently moving to feature films, mainly in B-films in the 1950s. She appeared in more than 20 films i ...

John Hewer John Hewer (13 January 1922 – 16 March 2008) was an English actor and business manager who became familiar with audiences for playing Captain Birdseye in ads for Birds Eye. Biography Hewer was born in Leyton, Essex, the son of an engine dr ...

Robin Hunter Robin Ian Hunter (4 September 1929 – 8 March 2004) was an English actor who was also a performer and writer in musicals, music halls, and comedy.Newley, Patrick (16 April 2004)Robin Hunter.''The Stage'' Life and career The son of actor I ...

. It was written by Eldon Howard based on a play by

Talbot Rothwell Talbot Nelson Conn "Tolly" Rothwell, Order of the British Empire, OBE (12 November 1916 – 28 February 1981) was an English screenwriter. Life and career Rothwell was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He had a variety of jobs during his earl ...

Plot

On the death of his Arabian uncle, George inherits three wives. Problems ensue with his existing wife Susan as well as with the British Foreign Office.

Cast

as Susan *

as Rupert *

as George * Barbara Leake as Mrs Hoensby *

Ferdy Mayne Ferdy Mayne or Ferdie Mayne (born Ferdinand Philip Mayer-Horckel; 11 March 1916 – 30 January 1998) was a German-British stage and screen actor. Born in Mainz, he emigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1930s to escape the Nazi regime. ...

as Fazim Bey * Gale Sheridan as O'Hara * Dani Seper as Blini * Golda Casimir as Fatima * Tony Doonan as Beckwythe * Doris Gilmore as Veronica * Edward Palmer as Mr Probyn * Norman Wynne as Jocko * Raymond Rollett as British consul * Noel Purcell as Sir Hubert * Neil Wilson as Customs chief *

Garard Green Garard Green (31 July 1924 – 26 December 2004) was a British actor and commentator. Green was born in Madras, India in 1924 where his father was superintendent of the government press. When his father died in 1933 the family returned to t ...

as Customs officer

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "Story and presentation are in the worst old-time tradition of theatrical films, for all the world like a left-over from the early Thirties. The acting is weak, and none of the cast seem at ease (understandably, in view of the material), with the exception of Ferdy Mayne who enjoys himself doing a pseudo- Sellers act as an Eshramese diplomat." Chibnall and McFarlane wrote: "His comedy, to use the term loosely, ''Three Spare Wives'' (1962), is excruciating."

References

External links

* 1962 films 1962 comedy films British comedy films Films directed by Ernest Morris Films shot at New Elstree Studios 1960s English-language films 1960s British films {{1960s-UK-comedy-film-stub