Episode 486 - How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968)

·34 min·3 clips

A friend tries to save a marriage by making an offer to the mistress, only to discover she isn't who she seems.

The episode opens with a dramatic reading from the film, setting up its premise of marital strife and mistaken identity. Host Brian Davis introduces the movie, noting its release by Columbia Pictures in 1968 and a runtime of 102 minutes. He reads Roger Ebert's review from early in his career, where Ebert critiques the film as old-fashioned, comparing it unfavorably to 'The Graduate'. Davis argues the film's appeal lies in Dean Martin's persona rather than its romantic comedy elements. He details the main cast, including Dean Martin as David, Stella Stevens as Carol, and Eli Wallach as Harry, with background on their careers. The plot summary explains how Carol, a sales clerk, gets entangled in rumors of an affair with Harry, leading his friend David to intervene, resulting in a series of misunderstandings. Davis describes key scenes, such as David renting an apartment for Carol and the ensuing phone mix-up with Harry's real mistress. Fun facts are shared, like the role originally intended for Marilyn Monroe and Stella Stevens' falling out with Jerry Lewis. Guest Lindsay joins, admitting she initially thought the film would be cheesy but ended up enjoying its hijinks and smart writing. She compares it to 'Three's Company' for its mistaken identity humor and praises Stella Stevens' performance as empowered. Lindsay notes the film's modern elements, like characters talking to themselves in elevators, and appreciates the 1960s New York setting and fashion. The interview concludes with Lindsay reflecting on her tendency to underestimate such films, and Davis promotes the podcast's social media and subscription options.

As heard by us

A wary guest warms to a Dean Martin comedy built on hijinks, reversals, and mistaken identity.

Dean Martin's How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life comes across here as a breezy comic knot of mistresses, mistaken identities, and one friend's questionable plan to save a marriage by tempting the supposed mistress elsewhere.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when the Dean Martin movie you expected to dread turns into a hijinx-y, pleasantly tangled surprise.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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