Oh "How Could I Possibly Hurt My Wives Any Further"??? Well, if that was really your motivation to prevent any more pain to either party, I call BS! You just did not want to deal with any type of "scene" or angry response. If you realllly cared you would never have hooked up so excitedly with a complete stranger. What the heck were you thinking at that moment you wimp of a DB??? I could not fathom this numnutz refused to even hint at what was going on. Only through the court system was he in anyway truthful. Of course, one can only imagine as we received no information on the proceedings except for the two wives staring at each other lovingly. The victim pose.Who would take him back?? What a mystery, the woman with the baby and he saves $85 per week or thereabouts. Simple. And who could resist those local trips to San Berdu! I found the direction to be rather flawless, save for the syrupy music score that prepped the viewer for every scene...boring! The acting was decent but expected a few outbursts of emotion when nothing was making sense to the poor gals vs vacant stares. I wonder what wrath Ida incurred making this film. It would be of great interest to hear the true tale of trying to gain respect in this still male dominated career path.High recommend for women who want clues on how to determine if your husband is married to another with a new baby. Also, kudos to Ida for her dual efforts in direction and acting.

It was breakthrough for its time to discuss and then act out this type of subject matter. It existed and people gave it thought but never in detail. It was forbidden but necessary. Remember, back in that day, it was a disgrace as Edmond Gwen's dialog in the movie clearly describes. Also, to bring another subject into it that is equally as powerful namely children puts this movie ahead of the times including times to come. Today, we have more random Hollywood whoredom going on without a second thought with men preying on women like it is natural to do and women going along too. But yesterday, it was unheard of and the subject got more respect. Enthralling, tense and entertaining on the emotional, mental and psychological levels, there is no let up as the story unfolds leaving one looking for comfort, rest or respite. Popcorn would help give the fingers and the mouth something better to do than chew a few nails here. Have a tasty drink and snack standing by and no breaks, cell phone or discussion until movie is over. Treat yourself to an oldie but truly goodie movie here. Fond thoughts to all actors and director too. Well done

Certainly melodramatic in spots, but overall a great, absorbing drama from actress-turned- director Ida Lupino (who takes on both duties in this picture). In some ways, the story seems like a clever re-working of Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter.' Only this time the adulterer is male (and nicely played by Edmond O'Brien) and the indiscretions are not made public but kept private. As the plot unfolds, we watch the ramifications of his actions play out. We quickly learn that he has married two women in two different towns, with each one unaware that the other wife exists. They gradually come to the realization that their husband is a bigamist, and evolve from naive to more knowledgeable-- perhaps emerging stronger because of it. Lupino and costar Joan Fontaine give impressive performances as the wives, and it is not easy to decide which one deserves to keep O'Brien before the final fade out. It's that kind of triangle. Enlivening the proceedings are some of the era's best character actors: Jane Darwell as a cleaning lady; and Edmund Gwenn as a social worker who catches on to O'Brien's duplicitous ways.

Traveling Salesman Edmund O'Brien is in a spot. He has been caught as a bigamist and tells how he got into this predicament. In San Francisco, he's already married to a sweet lady (Joan Fontaine) who is like every perfect TV wife. Then, while on business in Los Angeles, he goes on a tour of the stars homes and meets Ida Lupino who happens to be on the tour just because she likes to rest on buses. After seeing the homes of James Stewart, Jack Benny, Barbara Stanwyck, Jane Wyman and Edmund Gwenn (who plays the character O'Brien happens to be telling his story to), they go to the Chinese restaurant where Lupino works. One thing after another happens, and O'Brien finds himself proposing to the ailing Lupino. Once everything is exposed, O'Brien ends up in court where the two wives see each other for the very first time.This is more of a character study than the plot of a movie. It feels like it could be more appropriate for a TV anthology series at under an hour. Lupino is an expert director and actress, and like Fontaine's role, her character is extremely likable. It's understandable why O'Brien would be drawn to both of them. Yet, why the man doesn't find a profession to keep him near his first wife (Fontaine) to prevent his loneliness is never addressed. I longed for an actual speaking scene between Lupino and Fontaine who at different times in their lives (Lupino-prior, Fontaine-current) were married to the same man (Collier Young, who happened to write the screenplay). The film takes a long time to grab any interest, and by that time, it's more because you feel sorry for these characters rather than the pace of the movie.I was rather disappointed in the ending which I felt was a letdown. It gives the impression that the writer wanted to let the audience choose whom O'Brien ended back up with. Still, there's a glorious silent smile between Fontaine and Lupino that says more than a hundred words could.