SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

pete36 Grant plays a French officer who constantly bickers with Sheridan, a US WAC officer in immediate post-WWII Germany, but they fall in love, marry and want to leave for the US. But US army red tape proves a serious obstacle to their plans.I am about the biggest Hawks fan there is but this is somewhat one of his lesser efforts, compared to his other outings in the screwball genre (His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, Monkey Business, Ball of Fire,....). It still is OK to watch, if not only for the rather unusual setting of a still bombedout and devastated Germany (but the Autobahns seem intact). The Germans in this movie all seem to be very nice by the way but mainly consisting of females or elderly people as the young (males) were likely all dead or in a prison camp.There is a long trip through Germany with a sidecar which leads to some slapstick and pratfalls. But then they fall in love, marry quickly and the main problem becomes then the US army red tape.Grant is funny of course but is not exactly convincing as a French captain as there is no French accent all : even when a US captain starts to talk French to him it looks as Grant doesn't even understand him. Also he seems waferthin in this movie as his uniform and later his civil clothes seems a bit too large for him. He suffers quite a lot through the film at the point you really start to feel sorry for him. His new wife also doesn't seem to care much.It ends well of course but only when Grant has been thoroughly humiliated and having to dress up as a woman.So not the best of Hawks&Grant movies. But there might be some external reason for this : both Sheridan, Grant and also director Hawks became seriously ill during filming. It might explain (partly) the minor end result. With their next collaboration, Monkey Business, they were again up to their usual par.

cricket crockett . . . proved more dangerous to film in Real Life than lensing SCHINDLER'S LIST. However, you'd never know this from a casual viewing of I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE, the first half of which features Cary Grant's and Ann Sheridan's characters searching post-WWII Germany for a black marketeer named "Schindler," who apparently grinds rare military-grade lenses. Filmming had to break off for months mid-shoot as Cary Grant, playing the BRIDE, nearly died of hepatitis, while co-star Ann Sheridan battled life-threatening pleurisy and pneumonia. Most Americans forget or never learned that U.S. Gen. "I-Like-Ike" Eisenhower, to avenge WWII, killed several MILLION German P.O.W.s and civilians through denying them access to food and medicine from 1945 through 1948. (These facts are NOT in most history books, because War's winners write the texts, which then are censored by the Texas State School Board.) When I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE filmed ON LOCATION, every inch of Germany was crawling with corpses and the deadliest germs known to mankind, making it one big happy Death Camp. But Hollywood's moguls had no qualms about nearly sacrificing the lives of Mr. Grant and Ms. Sheridan (plus probably ACTUAL fatalities among the lesser known cast and crew) on the altar of political expediency (as in, "Hey, Middle America, watch this movie and then book a Bavarian vacation!") while the fat cats themselves were snuggled safely in their Tinsel Town castles. If all this sounds like an apt analogy for generals and privates in War, you only need to watch I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE with informed eyes to notice how haggard Mr. Grant and Ms. Sheridan look towards the end. You may conclude that this flick was a total travesty, parading as Art.

wes-connors In post-World War II Germany, French officer Cary Grant (as Henri Rochard) returns underwear belonging to attractive American soldier Ann Sheridan (as Catherine Gates). The implication Mr. Grant and Ms. Sheridan are having a sexual affair is false, although they flirt as Allied wartime partners. On their last mission, the couple continues to bicker and flirt, then decide to try kissing. This works out all right and they are married. Grant and Sheridan want to go to the US, but he isn't allowed. They discover a law – The War Bride Act – providing transport for US military spouses. Although Grant is not female, he decides to enter the country as predicted in the titular, "I Was a Male War Bride". The main attraction is seeing Grant decked out as a woman. This occurs only near the story's end and isn't even the funniest part of the film. The co-stars and director Howard Hawks keep you interested, but the story does eventually drag.****** I Was a Male War Bride (8/19/49) Howard Hawks ~ Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan, Marion Marshall, William Neff

Jackson Booth-Millard I think the things that made me decide to try this film that I had never heard of were it being directed by Howard Hawks (Only Angels Have Wings, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Rio Bravo), the leading actor, and of course the critics giving it five out five stars. Basically French army officer Capt. Henri Rochard (Cary Grant) and American army officer Lt. Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan) are assigned to a mission together. At first they are sure that they hate each other, especially with so many things going wrong. But through the mission process, and after it succeeds, they end up falling in love, and wanting to get married as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this becomes complicated when Catherine is assigned back to America, and the only way that Henri can go with her is to register as a female war bride, and at one point even dress like one. This obviously confuses many of the other army officers and staff, but don't worry, they get their eventually. Also starring William 'Bill' Neff as Capt. Jack Ramsey, Marion Marshall as Lt. Kitty Lawrence and Randy Stuart as Lt. Eloise Billings. It has some amusing moments, including Lionel Murton repeating the phrase "you cant sleep here" (the film's British release title), and some of the screwball moments are good, but I can't see giving giving it five stars myself, but it is certainly worth watching. Very good!