A Letter to Three Wives (1949): Cast, Box Office & Plot
A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 romantic drama directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Celeste Holm as Addie Ross (voice) (uncredited), Jeanne Crain and Jeffrey Lynn. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and earned $14,768 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is A Letter to Three Wives About?
The premise of A Letter to Three Wives without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Three wives receive a shocking note from their longtime friend Addie Ross, who tells them she is leaving town with one of their husbands, though she never reveals whose. As the women grapple with suspicion and uncertainty, each wonders if she has wandered off with their own spouse, setting off a tense, emotional drama.
A Letter to Three Wives Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- husband wife relationship
- reference to george washington
- shakespearean quote
- new year's eve
- reading a poem
- reference to john keats
- reference to percy bysshe shelley
- reference to christopher marlowe
- told in flashback
- band the musical group
- p. douglas and darnell
- fictional radio commercial
+38 more Show fewer
- duck as food
- fictional radio show
- maid's uniform
- fictional radio program
- pretension
- mankiewicz and douglas
- cigarette smoking
- mankiewicz and ritter
- reference to shakespeare's twelfth night
- woman faints
- mankiewicz and crain
- douglas and crain
- group letter
- deception
- marital infidelity
- mother adult daughter relationship
- advertising tycoon
- based on magazine story
- country picnic
- unseen character
- romantic flashback
- unseen framed photograph
- children
- drunken woman
- phonograph record as gift
- riverboat
- society melodrama
- country club dinner dance
- broken vinyl record
- cowriter director
- older man younger woman romance
- charity event
- love cynic
- picnic chaperone
- play rehearsal
- businessman
- bookmaker
- unrequited love
A Letter to Three Wives Cast & Characters
Celeste Holm leads the cast as Addie Ross (voice) (uncredited), with Jeanne Crain as Deborah Bishop and Jeffrey Lynn as Bradford 'Brad' Bishop. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz; 28 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Celeste Holm as Addie Ross (voice) (uncredited)
- Jeanne Crain as Deborah Bishop
- Jeffrey Lynn as Bradford 'Brad' Bishop
- Ann Sothern as Rita Phipps
Also Starring in A Letter to Three Wives
· 24 more- Linda Darnell Lora Mae Hollingsway
- Kirk Douglas George Phipps
- Florence Bates Mrs. Manleigh
- Connie Gilchrist Mrs. Ruby Finney
- Paul Douglas Porter Hollingsway
- Hobart Cavanaugh Mr. Manleigh
- Thelma Ritter Sadie Dugan (uncredited)
- Franklyn Farnum Country Club Member (uncredited)
- Stuart Holmes Old Man at Table (uncredited)
- Ralph Brooks Bookie Dancer at Country Club (uncredited)
- Cosmo Sardo Headwaiter at Country Club (uncredited)
- Wilbur Mack Country Club Member (uncredited)
- Carl Switzer Leo, Second Messenger (uncredited)
- Mae Marsh Miss Jenkins (uncredited)
- Sayre Dearing Country Club Member (uncredited)
- John Davidson John, First Waiter (uncredited)
Show all 28 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Charles Tannen Radio Announcer for 'Confessions of Brenda' (voice) (uncredited)
- George Offerman, Jr. Nick Butler (uncredited)
- Sam Finn Second Waiter (uncredited)
- Barbara Lawrence Georgiana 'Babe' Finney
- James Adamson Porter's Butler (uncredited)
- Patti Brady Kathleen (uncredited)
- Joe Bautista Thomasino (uncredited)
- Ruth Vivian Miss Hawkins (uncredited)
More from Joseph L. Mankiewicz
More films directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, best-rated first: All About Eve, Guys and Dolls, There Was a Crooked Man... and The Barefoot Contessa.
A Letter to Three Wives Plot Summary
What happens in A Letter to Three Wives from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Three friends—Deborah Bishop, Rita Phipps, and Lora Mae Hollingsway—are about to take a riverboat outing with a group of curious children when they receive a startling message from their enigmatic friend Addie Ross (heard but unseen in the film), claiming she has left town and taken one of their husbands as a lover, though she keeps the exact identity to herself.
Full summary
The whole story of A Letter to Three Wives, scene by scene
A Letter to Three Wives Box Office
A Letter to Three Wives grossed $14,768 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$14.8K
- International
- $14.8K
A Letter to Three Wives Trailers & Videos
The trailer of A Letter to Three Wives.
How Well Do You Know A Letter to Three Wives?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the unseen friend who sends the mysterious letter?
Cars in A Letter to Three Wives
5 cars on screen, including the 1947 Ford Super De Luxe Station Wagon and the 1947 Lincoln Club Coupe.
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1947 Ford Super De Luxe Station Wagon Important role -
1947 Lincoln Club Coupe Important role -
1947 ACF-Brill Model C-44 Minor role -
1949 Lincoln Convertible Coupe Minor role
A Letter to Three Wives Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “세 부인” and “Lettera a tre mogli”.
- Also known as
-
- 세 부인
- Lettera a tre mogli
- Chaînes conjugales
- 三妻艳史
- Carta a tres esposas
- Ein Brief an drei Frauen
- מכתב לשלוש נשים
- Письмо трем женам
- Quem é o Infiel?
- Dopis třem manželkám
- Ένα γράμμα σε τρεις γυναίκες
- Min man - eller din ?
Seen A Letter to Three Wives?
Movies Like A Letter to Three Wives
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Three Husbands, Three Wives and Four Wives.
A Letter to Three Wives FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of A Letter to Three Wives, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Letter to Three Wives?
A Letter to Three Wives runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was A Letter to Three Wives released?
A Letter to Three Wives was released on January 20, 1949.
Who directed A Letter to Three Wives?
A Letter to Three Wives was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
More films by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Who is in the cast of A Letter to Three Wives?
A Letter to Three Wives stars Celeste Holm as Addie Ross (voice) (uncredited), Jeanne Crain as Deborah Bishop and Jeffrey Lynn as Bradford 'Brad' Bishop, among 28 credited actors.
How much did A Letter to Three Wives make at the box office?
A Letter to Three Wives grossed $14,768 worldwide.
Does A Letter to Three Wives have a post-credit scene?
No. A Letter to Three Wives has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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