The Well-Groomed Bride
| The Well-Groomed Bride | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Sidney Lanfield |
| Produced by | Fred Kohlmar |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Robert Russell |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Edited by | William Shea |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Well-Groomed Bride is a 1946 American romantic comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Olivia de Havilland, Ray Milland, and Sonny Tufts. Written by Claude Binyon and Robert Russell, the film is about a man and a woman who fight over the last bottle of champagne left in San Francisco—he wants it to christen a new aircraft carrier, and she wants it as the centerpiece for her upcoming wedding reception. During the course of their fierce battle over the bottle, the two fall in love. This was de Havilland's first film after a two-year legal battle she waged against Warner Bros. regarding her rights under her contract.
In the spring of 1945 in San Francisco, United States Navy lieutenant Dudley Briggs (Ray Milland) is promised a two-week furlough and a promotion by his ship's captain if he can acquire a bottle of French champagne by the next morning to be used in launching of the U.S.S. Vengeance, the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. Dudley heads to a liquor store and finds the last magnum of French champagne in the city—champagne having become rare during the war. Unfortunately, he loses the bottle to a beautiful young woman named Margie Dawson (Olivia de Havilland), who is about to be married to Army lieutenant Torchy McNeil (Sonny Tufts), an Oregon football star, whom she has not seen in two years. Margie plans to present the bottle as the centerpiece for her upcoming wedding reception.
Dudley accompanies the couple to their hotel, where he tries to steal the magnum, but is unsuccessful in his efforts. Undaunted, he arranges a meeting between Torchy and his ex-girl friend, Rita Sloan (Constance Dowling). When Margie finds them together, she calls off the wedding and goes out with Dudley in order to get back at her former fiancée. Following Margie and Dudley onto the Richmond Ferry, Torchy confronts them, insisting that a marriage must have only "one quarterback". After giving him the magnum, Margie again breaks up with him. On the ferry, Dudley confesses to Margie that he is in love with her, but she suspects he only wants the champagne. Their date is interrupted by Dudley's commanding officer, captain Hornby, who has them arrested and arranges for Margie herself to christen the ship with the bottle of French champagne.
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Wikipedia