"Affectionately Yours" is a "comedy of remarriage", a genre particularly popular during the "Golden Age of Hollywood" of the late thirties and early forties which dealt with a divorced or separated couple getting back together again. (The best-known example is probably "The Philadelphia Story"). Such films were popular because they allowed screenwriters to flirt with daring themes without breaching the requirements of the Production Code relating to the depiction of adultery.
Rickey Mayberry is the foreign correspondent of an American newspaper. He enjoys his work because foreign assignments allow him ample opportunity to romance local women, even though he has a wife back in New York; his favourite line is "I'd marry you in a split second if I wasn't already married". (The aforementioned requirements of the Production Code mean that the film is never too explicit about whether Rickey's flirtations end up with him taking his conquests to bed).
As the film opens, Rickey is on assignment in Lisbon where he is romancing a girl named Irene Malcolm. (The name and her accent suggest that she is American rather than Portuguese). And then he receives news that his wife Sue has divorced him. (It would seem that in 1941 it was possible for Americans to obtain a divorce without allowing their spouse to contest the petition, or even informing them of the proceedings in advance). Rickey heads back to New York to try for a reconciliation, with Irene in hot pursuit. Upon arrival he discovers that the news is true and that Sue has found another man. (Her new boyfriend Owen is played by Ralph Bellamy, who had played a similar role in "His Girl Friday" the previous year). The film then explores the complications arising from this situation.
Some comedies of remarriage could be very good; "The Philadelphia Story" is a classic and "His Girl Friday" not far behind in terms of quality. "Affectionately Yours", unfortunately, is in nothing like the same class as either of those films. This is partly because the plot runs out of steam about halfway through, leaving the latter part of the film painfully unfunny, and partly because Rickey is such an unpleasant two-timing rat that it is difficult to imagine any two women fighting over him, let alone two as attractive as Merle Oberon and Rita Hayworth, two of the great cinema beauties of the forties. Even during its Golden Age Hollywood could still turn out plenty of dross. 4/10.
Rickey Mayberry is the foreign correspondent of an American newspaper. He enjoys his work because foreign assignments allow him ample opportunity to romance local women, even though he has a wife back in New York; his favourite line is "I'd marry you in a split second if I wasn't already married". (The aforementioned requirements of the Production Code mean that the film is never too explicit about whether Rickey's flirtations end up with him taking his conquests to bed).
As the film opens, Rickey is on assignment in Lisbon where he is romancing a girl named Irene Malcolm. (The name and her accent suggest that she is American rather than Portuguese). And then he receives news that his wife Sue has divorced him. (It would seem that in 1941 it was possible for Americans to obtain a divorce without allowing their spouse to contest the petition, or even informing them of the proceedings in advance). Rickey heads back to New York to try for a reconciliation, with Irene in hot pursuit. Upon arrival he discovers that the news is true and that Sue has found another man. (Her new boyfriend Owen is played by Ralph Bellamy, who had played a similar role in "His Girl Friday" the previous year). The film then explores the complications arising from this situation.
Some comedies of remarriage could be very good; "The Philadelphia Story" is a classic and "His Girl Friday" not far behind in terms of quality. "Affectionately Yours", unfortunately, is in nothing like the same class as either of those films. This is partly because the plot runs out of steam about halfway through, leaving the latter part of the film painfully unfunny, and partly because Rickey is such an unpleasant two-timing rat that it is difficult to imagine any two women fighting over him, let alone two as attractive as Merle Oberon and Rita Hayworth, two of the great cinema beauties of the forties. Even during its Golden Age Hollywood could still turn out plenty of dross. 4/10.