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Movie

Hired Wife

1934 · 60 min

A gentle old-fashioned romantic drama about a convenient marriage slowly turning real, with modest charm and a makeover at its heart.

Directed by
George Melford
Genres
Drama
Starring
Greta Nissen, Weldon Heyburn, James Kirkwood
Overview
Kent Johns learns that he must be married within a certain timeframe to collect a significant fortune left by his late grandfather. Kent originally plans to marry his girlfriend, "Dovie" Jansen, but she calls off their wedding to marry a European count instead. Needing a wife quickly, Kent proposes a business-like marriage to Vivian "Vi" Matthews (Greta Nissen), his next-door neighbor who has long harbored feelings for him. The contract stipulates that after one year, they will divorce, and Vi will receive a $100,000 settlement. Encouraged by her friend Pat, Vi accepts the offer. During their honeymoon in New York City, Vi undergoes a physical transformation—aided by her personal maid, Celeste—evolving from a plain "homely matron" into a sophisticated and beautiful woman. While Kent remains preoccupied with business and often neglects his new wife, his artist friend Philip Marlowe (James Kirkwood) becomes deeply attracted to the "new" Vi, creating a romantic rivalry.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
George Melford
Genres
Drama
Starring
Greta Nissen, Weldon Heyburn, James Kirkwood
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • lightstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • love
  • identity
  • class
  • betrayal
  • ambition
Places
  • big city
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language none
  • Violence none
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour3
Realism6
Romance6
Tension3
Darkness3
Complexity3
Emotional weight5

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
George Melford
Written by
Alma Sioux Scarberry
Starring
Greta Nissen, Weldon Heyburn, James Kirkwood, Molly O'Day, Jane Winton, Blanche Taylor, Carolyn Gales
Runtime
60 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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