You Can't Fool Your Wife

1h 5m 1940
You Can't Fool Your Wife

Brief Synopsis

A neglected housewife turns herself into a glamour girl to win her husband back.

Cast & Crew

Read More

Ray Mccarey

Director

Lucille Ball

Clara Hinklin/Mercedes Vasquez

James Ellison

Andrew Hinklin

Robert Coote

Battincourt

William Halligan

J. R. Gillespie

Emma Dunn

Mom [Mrs. Fields]

Film Details

Also Known As
The Romantic Mr. Hinklin
Genre
Comedy
Musical
Release Date
May 21, 1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 5m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels

Synopsis

Married as soon as they leave college, Andrew Hinklin and his bride Clara set up housekeeping under the watchful eye of Clara's mother, Mrs. Fields. After five years of dull wedded bliss, they are suddenly confronted with the problems of married life when Andrew returns home at three a.m. after a wild night of entertaining Battincourt, the playboy head of his firm's London office. Andrew's errant behavior delights Mom, who exudes cynicism about men and marriage, while Clara, believing that her husband's late night dalliances are a symptom of marital boredom, throws him out. Andrew moves in with Battincourt,and feeling responsible for the breakup of their marriage, Battincourt councils Clara on the art of glamour and tranforms her into the mysterious Dolores Alvaredez, the double of South American seductress Mercedes Vasquez. Things become confused when Clara as Dolores and Mercedes turn up at the same party, and Andrew mistakes Mercedes for Clara and then Clara for Mercedes. All ends happily, however, when Clara's masquerade rekindles Andrew's ardour, and the couple are reconciled.

Director

Ray Mccarey

Director

Cast

Lucille Ball

Clara Hinklin/Mercedes Vasquez

James Ellison

Andrew Hinklin

Robert Coote

Battincourt

William Halligan

J. R. Gillespie

Emma Dunn

Mom [Mrs. Fields]

Virginia Vale

Sally

Rosina Galli

Mama Brentoni

Charles Lane

Salesman

Oscar O'shea

Chaplain

Norman Mayes

Porter

Patsy O'byrne

Hotel maid

Charlie Hall

Bell hop

Dell Henderson

Hotel manager

Minerva Urecal

Mrs. Doolittle

Leo Cleary

Doolittle

Harrison Green

Sullivan

Max Wagner

Burglar

Hobart Cavanaugh

Potts

Walter Sande

Young Gillespie

Walter Fenner

Walker

Irving Bacon

Lippincott

Elaine Shepard

Peggy

Crew

Jerry Cady

Screenwriter

Richard Carroll

Original Story

Carroll Clark

Art Director Associate

Doran Cox

Assistant Director

J. Roy Hunt

Director of Photography

Lee Marcus

Executive Producer

Ray Mccarey

Original Story

Hugh Mcdowell Jr.

Recording

Van Nest Polglase

Art Director

Cliff Reid

Producer

Edward Stevenson

Gowns

Theron Warth

Editing

Roy Webb

Music Score

Film Details

Also Known As
The Romantic Mr. Hinklin
Genre
Comedy
Musical
Release Date
May 21, 1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 5m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels

Articles

You Can't Fool Your Wife

April 21, 2008
A neglected housewife turns herself into a glamour girl to win her husband back.

Producer: Cliff Reid
Director: Ray McCarey
Screenplay: Jerry Cady; Richard Carroll and Ray McCarey (story "The Romantic Mr. Hinklin")
Cinematography: J. Roy Hunt
Art Direction: Van Nest Polglase
Music: Roy Webb
Film Editing: Theron Warth
Cast: Lucille Ball (Clara Fields Hinklin/Mercedes Vasquez), James Ellison (Andrew 'Hinkie' Hinklin), Robert Coote ('Batty' Battincourt), William Halligan (J.R. Gillespie, Sr.), Emma Dunn (Mother Fields), Virginia Vale (Sally), Oscar O'Shea (Dr. Emery).
BW-68m. Closed captioning.
You Can't Fool Your Wife

You Can't Fool Your Wife

A neglected housewife turns herself into a glamour girl to win her husband back. Producer: Cliff Reid Director: Ray McCarey Screenplay: Jerry Cady; Richard Carroll and Ray McCarey (story "The Romantic Mr. Hinklin") Cinematography: J. Roy Hunt Art Direction: Van Nest Polglase Music: Roy Webb Film Editing: Theron Warth Cast: Lucille Ball (Clara Fields Hinklin/Mercedes Vasquez), James Ellison (Andrew 'Hinkie' Hinklin), Robert Coote ('Batty' Battincourt), William Halligan (J.R. Gillespie, Sr.), Emma Dunn (Mother Fields), Virginia Vale (Sally), Oscar O'Shea (Dr. Emery). BW-68m. Closed captioning.

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this film was The Romantic Mr. Hinklin. It was based on an original story of the same name by Richard Carroll and Ray McCarey. According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, Rosina Galli replaced Ferike Boros in the role of Mama Brentoni when a scheduling conflict prevented Boros from appearing in the film.

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