His Brother's Wife (1936) User Reviews (12)

Physician, Heal This Movie

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 7 September 2007]

There's always one cardinal rule in the days of old Hollywood, if you succeed than imitate. Robert Taylor's breakthrough role in his career was in Magnificent Obsession as a young playboy doctor. Right after that he was cast in Small Town Girl as a young playboy doctor. So just to keep the variety of roles going in His Brother's Wife, he's once again playing a young playboy doctor.

Bob Taylor spent so much time in the medical profession on screen it was like going to medical school.

His Brother's wife takes pieces of Magnificent Obsession, Arrowsmith, with a dash of The Rains Came and mixes it together for a hand wringing melodrama. What's significant about His Brother's Wife was that Taylor met and later married Barbara Stanwyck. The love affair they had going on this movie set definitely tells in their performances.

Taylor is from old American stock where apparently the men go into medical profession. He's got a doctor father in Samuel S. Hinds and a physician brother in John Eldredge. Taylor meets Stanwyck at a gambling establishment owned by Joseph Calleia to whom he gets into debt. He also has a whirlwind romance with Stanwyck, but brother Eldredge breaks them up.

In retaliation, Stanwyck takes over Taylor's debt to Calleia and marries Eldredge in revenge. After a lot of romantic game playing she's off to to the tropics where Taylor is working with Jean Hersholt on a cure for some tropical ailment.

Maybe there's a bit of Rain in this film too, because folks down there in the tropics do some foolish things. That I won't get into, but it's highly melodramatic.

The women of 1936 just loved Robert Taylor and that made up for a lot of the claptrap in this plot. Viewed 71 years later however the film needs a lot to be desired. Still Taylor and Stanwyck found each other and were married a little over 16 years. They did another film at 20th, Century Fox a period costume drama entitled This Is My Affair which was better, but not all that much.

Good thing that Louis B. Mayer started varying Taylor's roles after this. The man was definitely getting into a rut.

Groan

[blanche-2 · 5/10 · 16 April 2010]

This movie ran about an hour and a half, but it seemed longer than "Gone with the Wind." "His Brother's Wife" is the story of a playboy (Taylor) who decides to go into the jungle to find a cure for spotted fever. Before he leaves, he meets Stanwyck, and they fall in love. That, however, doesn't keep him from wanting to leave for the jungle - and even when it does, his father talks him back into it. So off he goes, leaving a furious and heartbroken Stanwyck behind. She retaliates by marrying his brother.

This thing is all over the place, though Stanwyck and Taylor are a darling couple and have great chemistry. MGM always put too much makeup on Taylor - I'm sure he looked just great without it.

Not recommended - you can see Taylor and Stanwyck in better films.

convoluted love triangle

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 16 July 2021]

Workers are dying from a fever in the tropics. The company recruits Dr. Claybourne to go down there to find a cure. His son Chris Claybourne (Robert Taylor) is also a scientist but he's a hard-partying playboy. He encounters Rita Wilson (Barbara Stanwyck) at a casino and they have a heated romance. He owes the crooked casino $5k. In order to pay off his debt, he has to leave her for the jungle. Rita marries his brother as revenge.

First, I'm not sure that disease-hunting is such a lucrative pursuit. Second, forcing Chris to go seems like bad motivation for good work. Third, Rita's action seems out of proportion. The movie really exists to bend these characters to the will of a convoluted story. There is a broken love triangle here. It does have a couple of good stars. I don't really buy this story.

Two Stanwyck pictures for the price of one !!

[Ale fish · 4/10 · 30 April 2000]

Just occasionally, back in the golden age of Hollywood, studios got so desperate that they tried to squeeze a couple of totally different storylines into one movie. My favourite example is ‘They Met In Bombay' with Clark Gable and Peter Lorre. ‘His Brother's Wife' never attains those heights of lunacy but it tries pretty hard !!

Movie no.1: Stanwyck is the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls for a wealthy playboy (Robert Taylor) with large gambling debts. The romance is broken up by his snobby brother but Stanwyck assumes the debts, going to work as ‘hostess' for a slimy club owner. Oh, yes and she also marries the brother (but that's not really important !)

Movie no.2: Stanwyck and the wealthy playboy (also a top research scientist !!) go deep into the South American jungle to cure a plague which is decimating the local villagers. The situation is hopeless, the playboy (sorry, top scientist) is losing his nerve and there's only one thing left for the self-sacrificing Stanwyck to do!

If this all sounds ridiculous, that's because it is.

Stanwyck tries a little too hard in this one, battling bravely against the lifeless script, dialogue and supporting cast. Director W S Van Dyke was happier with the light comedy of the ‘Thin Man' movies than this kind of absurd melodrama.

Luckily for Stanwyck fame and fortune beckoned only a year later with ‘Stella Dallas.'

This picture does have a certain curiosity value but really it's for fans only.

It's so bad that it's Good!

[movieblue · 22 February 2001]

Folks, this one is from 1936 so we have to take it for what it is. During the early years of talkies, Hollywood came up with some very interesting tales to tell. His Brother's Wife is one of them. Robert Taylor plays the younger brother to the brother that Barbara Stanwyck marries in retaliation for Taylor's going into the depths of the Jungle to find a cure for some god-awful plague. Confusing? It is? Confusing and almost silly. Yet, there is a touch of that old classic film magic that makes it a delight to watch.

There is something about the on-screen chemistry between Taylor and Stanwyck, (most likely spurning from their real life romance), that makes you keep watching. The scenes between the two stars make the whole twisted tale worth sitting through.

Now, don't be fooled, there are many more films that have plots that are more contrived than His Brother's Wife, but there is something about the jump form New York, to the Jungle, and then back to New York, then to the Jungle again, that makes this film a little more silly than most. But, lets face it, if you choose to watch this film you are doing so all for the man with the perfect profile's smile (Robert Taylor) and The Ball of Fire's spunk (Barbara Stanwyck).

All and all this is a fun film to watch. It by no means is predictable--

most likely due to the fact that the plot is out of this world.

Enjoy. I did.

What a load of hooey!!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 9 September 2007]

This is a terrible film, though you can't tell for almost the first half of the movie. But then, the plot gets really weird and it becomes a second-rate soap opera that is so ridiculously improbable that it might make you laugh--all this despite it having two of the biggest stars in Hollywood in the leads.

Playboy and scientific researcher(?) Robert Taylor meets and falls in love with Barbara Stanwyck only ten days before he's due to depart for the tropics to conduct dangerous research on Spotted Fever. But a bad gambling debt nearly gets him in trouble and he's at a loss. He knows he must go to the tropics to help mankind (uggh) but he wants to stay and marry Barbara but he's also racked up a huge gambling debt--what is this irresponsible jerk to do? Well, his brother convinces him to go overseas anyway and the brother will arrange to pay the debt--leaving Barbara out in the cold (i.e., jilted).

Now here's where it gets REALLY screwy. Barbara goes to work for the guy owning the gambling hall but only if the gambler gave her the bad note owed by Taylor. Why? Who knows. But a bit later, she's vamping Taylor's good brother and she leaves him a shattered mess AFTER marrying him! Apparently, she resented the brother's interference and this was her way to pay him back. Huh?! Then, later, Taylor returns on furlough and finds out that his brother's reputation is in ruins but Barbara STILL wants to run off with Taylor! How scandalous, huh? So the two original lovers run off to the tropics--leaving the poor brother to sulk.

Once abroad, the two sleazy characters seem in love--that is until Taylor gets word that his brother has divorced Barbara. Apparently, Taylor spirited her off to the tropics in order to force the divorce. Now that it's final, he tells Barbara to kiss off--it's all been a ruse and he hates her.

Now, Barbara decides to play Miss Nobility and deliberately infects herself with Spotted Fever. Now it's up to Taylor and his new serum to save her. In the end, they are indeed in love again and get married! Doesn't this all sound 100% ridiculous and contrived? If not, then you might want to consult with a therapist. Too bad Taylor and Stanwyck didn't--it might have saved them from appearing in this god-awful turkey. It only manages to get a 3 for the first half of the film--the rest is 100% grade-A baloney!! By the way, as a way of letting you know how silly and syrupy this mess was, get a load of the line delivered by Jean Hersholt "love,...it puzzles me more than science...". Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Can Robert Pull Barbara Out of His Hat?

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 8 September 2007]

Robert Taylor (as Chris Claybourne) is a playboy doctor who falls in love with model Barbara Stanwyck (as Rita Wilson). This is a film for Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor (he takes off his shirt as a bonus) fans only.

Otherwise, "His Brother's Wife" is an absurd movie. The opening switches around from an infested Jungle Fever… to Mr. Taylor as a seemingly alcoholic doctor… to Ms. Stanwyck playing Roulette… Then, Stanwyck and Taylor go on a prolonged date where she discovers he has a fetish for collecting and/or trading hats, which seems to disappear with his alcoholic tendencies - actually, he's an excellent doctor. Later, listen for Stanwyck to tell Taylor he smokes too much.

*** His Brother's Wife (1936) W.S. Van Dyke II ~ Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Joseph Calleia, Jean Hersholt

Yes, it's really as bad as everyone says

[thebb1951 · 1/10 · 23 September 2007]

The other comments here say it all, so I'm simply adding my voice to the chorus. The single word that comes to mind is "ludicrous." One of the more hilarious elements in this ridiculous film is to see everyone talking about the 130 degree heat of the jungles of South America, but their clothes are pristine white, without the slightest smudge, and no one seems to be even breaking a drop of perspiration. It's also a plot point that Robert Taylor is broke, but he has no problem easily jumping on a boat from South America to get back to New York City...and then back to South America, with Stanwyck. If you have the choice between watching this and getting a root canal, go for the root canal -- at least they put you to sleep.

Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck

[marthawilcox1831 · 2/10 · 3 July 2014]

They call this a movie, but really it is just a collaboration between Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck who would end up getting married to each other. They are a nice couple, but that doesn't make an interesting story. This poorly written does nothing to exploit the talents of Taylor and Stanwyck even though the performances are good. The dialogue lacks sparkle, and fails to provide anything to engage the audience. No wonder it hasn't stood the test of time. Good actors and performances don't necessarily make a good film. You need a good script first and foremost for a good film, even if it is poorly made. This absurd film is not the fault of the actors, but the script writer.

A great leading lady but a convoluted mess of a story had me as cross-eyed as the leading man.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 25 September 2018]

There is no doubt about it that Robert Taylor was as handsome a leading man in the 1930's as you can find. He complained about often being considered prettier than his leading ladies, but his masculine presence covered up the fact that he was too attractive for words. By 1936, he was getting both Crawford and Garbo, and on a rare visit to MGM, his own future wife Barbara Stanwyck. In most of his films, I have not noticed anything odd in how he was photographed, but the close-ups of poor Mr. Taylor in this show him to be a bit cross-eyed, and it is quite a distraction. It doesn't help that the script of this film goes all over the map, and not just going from New York to South America either. It has far too many themes, some not really believable situations, and ends up a poor example of how too much in one movie is never a good thing.

This starts off fine with Taylor in trouble with gambling establishment owner Joseph Calleia, given the hysterical name of "Fish-Eye" because his knack of keeping close tabs on certain types of customers. Right next to him at the crap tables is the feisty Barbara Stanwyck who comes to his rescue in a rather odd moment but turns out to be working for "Fish-Eye". For some reason, Taylor's debts with Calleia end up with his brother (John Eldredge) getting involved, and Taylor being sent off to South America to work on finding a cure for various tropical diseases. After a great scene where Stanwyck and Taylor declare their love for each other, Taylor must suddenly bid farewell, and for some reason, Stanwyck decides to marry Eldredge on the sly then dump him in Central Park on their wedding night, simply out of revenge against Taylor and Eldredge's family. But in the middle of the jungle, working with Jean Hersholt (given a very silly accent, constantly repeating "Nigh! Nigh!"), Taylor decides he needs to find Stanwyck and returns home, only to learn of what transpired from his father (Samuel S. Hinds). It is indicated that Eldredge is insane (but works as a surgeon!), and for some strange reason, Stanwyck and Taylor return to the jungle together where Taylor secretly enacts a strange revenge on her.

Yes, this film is overloaded with the MGM gloss, and when the cameras are not going too close up on Taylor, the shots of the love scenes with him and Stanwyck are beautiful. But the script is a mess and too many things happen which infuriates the viewer because it seems too much of a mess is being created simply to add to the drama. Stanwyck and Taylor would immediately follow this up with a better film over at 20th Century Fox ("This is My Affair", a Civil War drama where Stanwyck sings!), and would marry in 1939, reuniting long after their divorce for the campy horror movie "The Night Walker". But the motivations of the characters here never are believable, and it often seems like several shelved scripts shoved together to make one. The title doesn't help either, since Eldredge's character simply fades out of the story with no real explanation. Had this focused on either the gambling plot line or the research of the cure for the plague (where the anecdote is basically right under their nose all the time), it would have been more acceptable. As written and edited (even under the direction of the legendary W.S. Van Dyke), this is one of the true near disasters in Stanwyck's post stardom career.

Decent at the outset, but progresses steadily downhill

[gbill-74877 · 4/10 · 21 August 2017]

This movie is decent enough in the beginning, which has a wealthy playboy doctor (Robert Taylor) falling in love with a woman he meets in a casino (Barbara Stanwyck). He's meant to leave for the jungles of South America in ten days to work on a cure for spotted fever, so it's a whirlwind romance that they both know will be short-lived. Things get complicated when they fall in love (surprise, surprise), and even more so as Taylor owes the casino owner (Joseph Calleia) money, and seeks to borrow it from his brother. The film gets muddled from there - in character motivations, in melodrama, and in several dangling threads. The scenes in the jungle are just silly, and it's irritating when the woman starts taking the blame for things. I found my grade for the film steadily decreasing as it progressed, and hoping for it to end, which is never a good sign. It was interesting to see Samuel S. Hinds as the father, as he was George Bailey's dad in 'It's a Wonderful Life', and it was also interesting to consider that Stanwyck and Taylor would be married in real life three years later, for thirteen years. This one is for a fan of those actors only, and seeing the first thirty minutes or so would be sufficient.

Another spotted fever film

[HotToastyRag · 3/10 · 30 October 2018]

His Brother's Wife is the film that brought Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor together, but since all Hollywood trivia buffs know the sadness that ended their marriage, it might not be very enjoyable to watch this film. To be honest, there aren't very many sparks flying between the two in this movie, so if you want to see lots of smooches and starry-eyes, rent This Is My Affair instead.

Robert Taylor is a biologist and a playboy-imagine the combination-and when he falls in love with Barbara Stanwyck, he vows to give up his science lab and settle down. The only trouble is he's already signed up for an important two year trip to the jungle to study spotted fever. The only other trouble is he's in debt to Joseph Calleia at his gambling house, so if he stays, he's in big trouble. Barbara comes to the rescue and tells Joseph she'll work off Bob's debt while Bob's away.

The story does get a little interesting and the movie continues, but the start is pretty slow. Die-hard Stanwyck or Taylor fans might want to check it out, but this isn't going to make the classics list anytime soon.