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Admirable film.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife has one of the most classic "meet cutes" of any old movie: Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert are shopping for pajamas; he takes the top and she takes the bottoms. Sparks fly, and before they know it, they've gotten hitched! But what penniless Claudette doesn't know is that millionaire Cooper has been married seven times before. Once she finds out his dirty secret, she makes it her mission to make him pay. This is a delightful screwball comedy, with elements of romance, ridiculous timing, sexual innuendos, a battle of the wits, and a battle of the sexes! Armed with help from her father Edward Everett Horton and her friend David Niven, both with hilarious comedic talents, Claudette is ready to battle for the constancy of her husband's affections. There won't be a ninth wife-not on her watch! Check out this adorable romantic comedy during your next classic film fest, or watch it with your hubby after he's done wrong. He'll get the idea.

Very interesting failure. Everything is top-notch - writers, director, cast - and nothing works. What should have been a witty and sparkling adult comedy comes off like a mouthful of cardboard. Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert are like oil and water. The dialog feels arch and stage-bound, and the situations totally false and contrived, possibly because the adults seem to be behaving like 10-year-olds. Its a late 30's film, but feels oddly very early 30's and somehow dated, like a dusted-off version of "Trouble in Paradise". Compares unfavorably with Colbert's next film, the scintillating "Midnight", one of her more amazing roles.

I saw this movie again today and decided to re-review it. While I still was not thrilled by the film, I realize that my earlier review was too harsh. I think this occurred since I knew it was an Ernst Lubitsch film and I expected so much more.While the film was directed by the fantastic director, Ernst Lubitsch, it sure lacked the great writing of his more famous films. His films (apart from this one) were well-known for their charm, romance and the "Lubitsch touch"--a way of saying that the movies had a certain something that lifted them to greatness that was beyond words. Some examples of seemingly ordinary plots that were lifted to greatness by his genius would be IF I HAD A MILLION, THE GOOD FAIRY, TROUBLE IN PARADISE, NINOTCHKA, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and THE MERRY WIDOW. Second, the film was co-written by another man destined for greatness, Billy Wilder--director of a long list of his own great films. With this esteemed pedigree, I figured it was practically impossible for the film to be anything but marvelous. Boy, was I wrong--this story was one that just shouldn't have been made despite the efforts of the actors to carry it off. All the elements SEEMED right but the overall effort wasn't.The film starred Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert. This was an odd pairing (even odder than Colbert and John Wayne in WITHOUT RESERVATIONS) and the actors just seemed to have little, if any, chemistry between them. Their styles were just too different and Cooper's character was just too unlikable. He played a mega-rich American who had absolute contempt for marriage and fidelity--having gone through seven "quickie" marriages before he even met Colbert. This is a fundamental problem, because a man who is so shallow that he could do this is tough to like as a leading man. Plus, what's romantic about a guy who's already been married seven times? So, when Cooper professes his undying love for Colbert, she and the audience are left to think "who cares?!". How can you detect the Lubitsch touch in such a contrived and unromantic plot? This makes connecting with and caring about Cooper very difficult, though there STILL could have been a decent film beneath this bizarre plot element. However, given that there is little chemistry between them and that the dialog is often quite forced, there just isn't much left to care about or keep your interest. The bottom line is that unless you are a complete old movie zombie (like me), this film is a bitter disappointment--watchable and cute in places, but still nothing like I'd hoped for in a Lubitsch film.

I have to agree with other reviews I've seen of this movie - despite some funny scenes and good lines, as a whole it just doesn't get off the ground, and Gary Cooper is wrong in the role of the much-married millionaire. Having said that, I love the scene where Claudette Colbert's character, talking about her financial difficulties, says: "Have you ever had a waiter look at you with untipped eyes? And when I ask the elevator boy for the fourth floor, he says 'Yes, Madame' and takes a detour through the basement." A small detail: in one scene Colbert is looking at a book called "Live Alone and Like It" which was an actual best-seller at the time.