Craig's Wife (1936)

In the affluent corners of Rye, New York, the bond between prosperous Walter Craig and his wife, Harriet Craig, tells a peculiar tale of love and marriage. Harriet, unbeknownst to Walter, had bound herself in matrimony with him solely for the sake of autonomy, viewing the tender threads of romance as unnecessary complexities in the institution of marriage. Harriet's unyielding obsession with maintaining her abode to her stringent standards consumes her entirely. She orchestrates a perfect harmony in their home, where everything and everyone must adhere to their assigned roles, igniting a silent resentment in the obedient house staff. Harriet sees Walter merely as a catalyst to sustain her ideal home, and unconsciously, she has cloistered them within the shell of their house, leading Walter's friends to gradually withdraw, unwilling to endure her domineering nature. The only exception to Harriet's isolation rule is Walter's Aunt Ellen, who resides with them. Contrary to Walter's notion of taking care of her, Aunt Ellen serves as his silent guardian against Harriet's iron rule. Harriet's relentless pursuit of respect from their neighbors has her imagining them envisioning their seemingly perfect life behind the locked doors. However, a sequence of events involving her hospitalized sister in Albany, her niece Ethel Landreth, and Walter's troubled friend Fergus Passmore, sets in motion a chain of events that gives Harriet precisely what she sought. Tragically, she doesn't realize that this outward achievement might not align with her true desires until it may be too late.

Craig's Wife is a drama movie featuring Rosalind Russell.

Craig's Wife is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.