A Letter to Three Wives
A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 American romantic drama that tells the story of a woman who sends a letter to three women, saying she has left town with one of their husbands without revealing which one. It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Paul Douglas (in his film debut), Kirk Douglas, and Jeffrey Lynn. Thelma Ritter as "Sadie" and Celeste Holm (the voice of "Addie Ross", the unseen woman who wrote the letter) have key supporting roles.
| A Letter to Three Wives | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Screenplay by | Joseph L. Mankiewicz Adaptation: Vera Caspary |
| Based on | A Letter to Five Wives 1945 novel in Hearst's International Cosmopolitan by John Klempner |
| Produced by | Sol C. Siegel |
| Starring | Jeanne Crain Linda Darnell Ann Sothern Kirk Douglas Paul Douglas Jeffrey Lynn |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Edited by | J. Watson Webb Jr. |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,750,000 |
The film was adapted by Vera Caspary and written for the screen by Joseph L. Mankiewicz from A Letter to Five Wives, a story by John Klempner that appeared in Cosmopolitan, based on a 1945 novel by Klempner. It was directed by Mankiewicz, who directed All About Eve the following year.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture.