The problem with this film is the central premise of the story, and therefore the fault can either be laid before Billy Wilder for the story or Lubitsch for not changing it. At the heart of the film is a bit of sadism. Claudette Colbert agrees to marry Gary Cooper on condition that he pay her a set amount of money if he agrees to divorce her. She then refuses to sleep with him, and through refusing to consummate their marriage, she literally drives him insane. Then, after he agrees to a divorce in the asylum (the scene where he maniacally repeats to himself, "I feel fine, I feel very, very fine" is one of the few embarrassing moments in any Lubitsch film), she comes back to marry him because she now has her own money. None of this is very convincing. I personally lay the fault before Wilder, because while he is one of my favorite directors, he was also capable of more than a little malevolence towards his main characters (think of the tortures through which he puts Jack Lemmon's C. C. Baxter in THE APARTMENT or William Holden's character in SUNSET BOULEVARD, who begins his narration of the story as a corpse floating in a swimming pool, or, even better, having Ray Milland think he has fallen in love with a 12-year-old girl in THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR).
There is also a major problem with casting. As great as Gary Cooper could be, he is just not terribly convincing as a multi-millionaire. The guy was a cowboy before he became an actor (though he had also spent most of his teens living in England), and that Western edge never rubbed off. He was enormously convincing in any part that allowed him to portray a commoner, but hoi polloi was not on his resume.
Nonetheless, Lubitsch was still Lubitsch, and while the movie doesn't hang together very well as a whole, there are hordes of magnificent individual moments. The bit about the pajama tops and bottoms is great, and nearly any scene with Edward Everett Horton is great. The scene where Claudette Colbert hires a pugilist to pretend to be her paramour is well done. But none of this covers up the fact that the story as a whole just isn't very pleasant.
Anyone seeing this but not having seen much else by Lubitsch should immediately go see one of his better films. His finest, in my opinion, is probably TROUBLE IN PARADISE, but there are many others readily available that are very nearly as good, including NINOTCHKA, HEAVEN CAN WAIT, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE MERRY WIDOW, or the extraordinary TO BE OR NOT TO BE. I will add that a few of his very finest early sound films--THE LOVE PARADE, MONTE CARLO, and the delightful ONE HOUR WITH YOU--are unfortunately not available at this time.
Based loosely on an old Gloria Swanson vechicle of the same name from the 1920's, the story scripted by Billy Wilder has been necessarily updated to the closing period of the depression era and tells the story of well heeled individuals, or those wishing to be well heeled playing out marital games in a glamourous setting so popular with a viewing audience slowly recovering from the viscitudes of the stark depression years of the early 30's. Central to the story is wealthy American playboy Michael Brandon visiting the Riviera who becomes instantly besotted with the young and attractive Nicole de Loiselle (Claudette Colbert) in a department store where an argument develops over Michael's desire to purchase only the tops of a pair of Pajamas. After agreeing to buy the bottoms for her father Nicole, who is a refined Gold Digger out for a solution to her's and her father's (the eternally perplexed Edward Everett Horton in another great performance), money troubles finds herself with an ardent suitor in the wealthy American who initially hides the fact from her that he has been married seven times before! After this startling piece of information is revealed to her at the engagement party photographic session Nicole decides to play the same game herself and promises to marry Michael only if considering his track record, he will give her a large sum of money in the divorce settlement. After the marriage takes place Nicole attempts by living a seperate life and refusing the playboy's romantic advances (in one very funny scene by chewing on some onion sticks over his shoulder just before he kisses her!)to prod him into a divorce which he finally agrees to after a mental breakdown. By this time Nicole has her own money and begins to see that Michael is actuallly the man for her and attempts to win him back through staging scenes to provoke his jealousy till the romantic conclusion when all is settled.
Romantic sophisticated comedy it certainly is with just an edge of malice thrown in, and it makes for some funny hijinks by the cast and an entertaining although not top grade romp that will keep you amused. Much talk has been spent on the correctness of the casting with good reason. Claudette Colbert is her usual best in this type of a role, even in the scenes where her character is playing around with Michael's mind. She had that way of making marital comedy seem so effortless and her own glamourous Parisian appearance and manner suited her perfectly for roles set in the world of the rich and priveledged. Gary Cooper is the bone of contention for most viewers of this film and certainly he does not look comfortable in the role of the Millionaire playboy who just can't help himself in marrying too many times. The role definately called for an actor who has a more sophisticated screen persona like Cary Grant. Cooper tries hard and his work with Claudette is the best part of the film but I always think of the better choices that were available at this time to do this role. The supporting cast as in all Lubitsch productions is first rate starting with the befuddled Edward Everett Horton as the roguish and financially strapped Marquis de Loiselle, Nicole's father who is desperate to get Nicole and Michael married so he can enjoy the rich bounty that would flow from such a marriage. His scenes of trying to pass off a questionable "antique" bath tub supposedly belonging to Louis Fourteenth to Micheal is most amusing and Horton's famed double takes are much in evidence here in this story. A young David Niven in one of his earliest roles plays Albert De Regniera, a friend of Nicole's who is equally short of money and is mistaken by Michael as an unwelcome suitor in one of the climatic scenes towards the end of the film where he scores a punch to the jaw from Nicole to raise Michael's jealousy of her other "suitors".
"Bluebeard's Eighth Wife", is a pleasant way to pass an hour and a half dallying with the problems of beautiful, wealthy people and those who wish to be that way by hook or by crook. A lesser effort by Lubitsch certainly but lesser for him is still enjoyable. Despite the miscasting of Gary Cooper in the urbane type of role that was not really his speciality, any film with Claudette Colbert is worth a look and her comedy playing in "Bluebeard", tends to mask some of the lack of confidence in Cooper's playing. For a journey back to 1930's sophistication and marital goings on, "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife", is an enjoyable minor comedy to have a laugh with.
