Wife Wanted
Wife Wanted

Wife Wanted

1946Movie73 minEnglish

Career-slipping movie star Carole Raymond buys in as a real estate partner of Jeff Caldwell. Actually, through his secretary, Nola Reed, Caldwell runs a matrimonial bureau and, with the aid of his associate, Lee Kirby, they defraud and blackmail a large group of lonely people. Carole, unknowingly, is used as bait for one of their victims, Walter Desmond, who "commits suicide." Reporter William Tyler thinks otherwise.

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Insights

IMDb5.8/10
Director: Arthur DreifussGenres: Drama, Film-Noir

Plot Summary

A recently widowed businesswoman, struggling to keep her late husband's factory afloat, falls prey to a charming con man who claims to be an old friend of her deceased spouse. He manipulates her into marrying him, intending to seize control of her company. As his true intentions unravel, she must find the strength to fight for her inheritance and expose his deceitful nature before it's too late.

Critical Reception

'Wife Wanted' is a B-movie melodrama that offered a modest, if somewhat formulaic, attempt at noirish intrigue. While it succeeded as a potboiler with a few suspenseful moments, it was generally overlooked by major critics and is primarily remembered today for its presence in the early filmography of its lead actors and its B-movie production values.

What Reviewers Say

  • The plot is predictable, relying on familiar tropes of deception and manipulation.
  • Performances are adequate for the material, though not particularly memorable.
  • The film serves as a typical example of post-war B-movie production.

Google audience: Audience reception information for 'Wife Wanted' is not widely available. However, its status as a lesser-known B-movie suggests it was likely appreciated by fans of the genre for its straightforward dramatic elements.

Fun Fact

The film is notable for being one of the earliest starring roles for actors Roland Varno and Esther Ralston, who were already established performers, and for its B-movie production, typical of many films released during that era.

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