A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

In a quaint, close-knit town, the lives of three couples become the heart of a tantalizing narrative. Our first couple is composed of the gallant war veteran Brad Bishop, of the town's upper crust, and his sweet yet insecure wife Deborah, a former country girl turned Navy officer. The second pair is the intellectual George Phipps, a modest university professor, and his wife Rita, a scribe of popular radio soap operas whose monetary success surpasses her husband's. Lastly, we have the affluent tradesman Porter Hollingsway and his sharp-witted wife Lora Mae, a beauty from the wrong side of the tracks. These couples share more than just friendship. They are all captivated and yet repelled by the town's elegant seductress, Addie Ross. The wives despise her, while their husbands seem irresistibly drawn to her. One sunny day, as the wives embark on a riverboat picnic with the town's children, a bicycle messenger delivers a shocking message. A letter from the elusive Addie Ross declares she has absconded with one of their husbands, igniting a tumult of anxiety and suspicion. The identity of the unfaithful husband remains unknown, turning the rest of the day into a torturous game of guesswork. As the hours pass, each wife begins to dissect her marriage, dredging up past events that may have left her union vulnerable to Addie’s allure. Will it be Deborah, terrified of never fitting into the Country Club set? Or Rita, whose financial success could have sparked resentment in her husband? Perhaps it’s Lora Mae, whose husband may have doubts about her gold-digging image. As the sun sets, the suspense builds, leading to a night that promises to unravel the mystery of Addie’s letter, forever changing the lives of three wives.

A Letter to Three Wives is a drama movie featuring Jeanne Crain and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

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