Blast from the Past: Tracy and Hedy Lamarr
Though not his fault, I Take This Wife was one of Spencer Tracy’s weakest films, due to a poor scrip and the fact that the project moved from one director to another–until it was ultimately reshot by and credited to W. S. Van Dyke.
Grade: C
Based on the unpublished short story “A New York Cinderella” by Charles MacArthur, the tale concerns a young woman who attempted suicide after a failed love affair. A successful doctor marries her and abandons his clinic services to the poor in order to become a physician to the rich so that he can cover her expensive lifestyle.
On the way to New York in a ship, a famous psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Decker, sees a young girl named Georgi attempting suicide by jumping from the top, and rescues her.
After reaching New York, she visits the doctor and hey fall in love and get married. The doctor leaves his clinic and joins a famous hospital so that he can support his wife in style.
Old lover Phil pesters her to renew their love affair, but she resists, realizing that she loves Karl. However, believing that she still loves Phil, Karl breaks off his relationship with Georgi.
An important call comes from the hospital regarding a suicidal case of a young girl. Karl rushes to the hospital, but the girl dies in spite of his efforts. Karl finally quits working for the hospital and travels to China to do research. Before his departure, he visits his old clinic. His former patients are pleased, having heard that he was planning to open the clinic again.
Production had a long and troubled history, earning the infamous nickname “I Re-Take This Woman.” Josef von Sternberg began shooting in October 1938, but was fired due to artistic differences; Frank Borzage then took over, and the production was shelved in January 1939. W.S. Van Dyke then assumed direction, re-shooting the entire picture, with different cast members; further re-takes were done in December, 1939.
It did not help that there was no chemistry between Tracy and Lamarr, and the viewers had hard time rooting for them to stay together.
The film earned $907,000 in the U.S. and $528,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $325,000.
Cast
Spencer Tracy as Dr. Karl Decker
Hedy Lamarr as Georgi Gragore Decker
Verree Teasdale as Madame “Cesca” Marcesca
Kent Taylor as Phil Mayberry
Laraine Day as Linda Rodgers
Mona Barrie as Sandra Mayberry
Jack Carson as Joe, the man yelling in the subway
Paul Cavanagh as Bill Rodgers
Louis Calhern as Dr. Martin Sumner Duveen
Frances Drake as Lola Estermont
Marjorie Main as Gertie
