Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Unfaithfully Yours is among the darkest comedies of director Preston Sturges, telling the story of a symphony conductor (Rex Harrison) who fantasizes about the unfaithfulness of his wife (Linda Darnell). The film distinctively mixes classical music with slapstick comedy and a non-linear story line, a combination that had little appeal to 1948 audiences. When the film was a box office failure, it effectively ended the Hollywood portion of Sturges' career, though he would continue to work in film for another ten years. Many critics consider Harrison's performance the best of his career, in one of the few roles in which he played a character with deep, personal flaws. As with all Sturges classics, the dialogue is snappy, though the film also relies to a surprising extent on physical comedy. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide