A wealthy playboy’s consuming jealousy threatens to derail his marriage to a successful doctor.
While on a ski trip, idle millionaire Peter Kirk (Henry Fonda) is injured in an accident and finds himself treated by a local physician, Dr. Helen Hunt (Barbara Stanwyck). A whirlwind romance leads to marriage, but Peter’s lack of occupation soon gives way to intense jealousy over the male patients his wife sees. To quell his insecurities, Helen encourages him to take a low-level job, a move which draws public criticism. Peter eventually realizes he can put his fortune to better use, finding a purpose that benefits both his community and his marriage.
Capitalizing on the chemistry established by its leads in the previous year’s The Lady Eve, the film reunites Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck for another sharp romantic comedy. While their first pairing explored deception, this script from Dalton Trumbo and Claude Binyon constructs its conflict around the insecurities of a man with too much time on his hands. The premise allows for a series of comedic scenarios built on Peter’s increasingly wild assumptions about his wife’s professional life. The supporting cast features a notable early appearance by Lloyd Bridges as a member of the ski patrol.
Production Co: Columbia / 94 mins / 1941
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Screenplay: Dalton Trumbo, Claude Binyon
Main Cast: Henry Fonda (Peter Kirk), Barbara Stanwyck (Helen Hunt), Roger Clark (Frederick Vandemer), Melville Cooper (Moody), Edgar Buchanan (Billings), Ruth Donnelly (Emma), Mary Treen (Doris), Maude Eburne (Ella)
