Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)

What makes it different from others?

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife has one of the most classic "meet cutes" of any old movie: Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert are shopping for pajamas; he takes the top and she takes the bottoms. Sparks fly, and before they know it, they've gotten hitched! But what penniless Claudette doesn't know is that millionaire Cooper has been married seven times before. Once she finds out his dirty secret, she makes it her mission to make him pay. This is a delightful screwball comedy, with elements of romance, ridiculous timing, sexual innuendos, a battle of the wits, and a battle of the sexes! Armed with help from her father Edward Everett Horton and her friend David Niven, both with hilarious comedic talents, Claudette is ready to battle for the constancy of her husband's affections. There won't be a ninth wife-not on her watch! Check out this adorable romantic comedy during your next classic film fest, or watch it with your hubby after he's done wrong. He'll get the idea.

I liked Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert in this. Cooper played Michael Brandon, an American multi-millionaire and Colbert was Nicole - a French woman of aristocratic background. They meet in a store in Paris while Michael is trying to buy pyjama tops without the bottoms (? - must be a thirties thing.) When the store refuses to sell them that way, Nicole steps in to buy the bottoms, and the two develop a romance. Unfortunately, just before their marriage, Nicole discovers that she's to be Michael's eighth wife - and she doesn't take kindly to the news, especially when he offers her a contract paying her for the inevitable divorce. Here's where the movie stopped working for me.From this point on, it became - to me at least - mean-spirited rather than funny. Yes, there continued to be amusing scenes, but they were all seemingly spiteful. In a way, this struck me as a milder version of something like "The War Of The Roses." Yes, there's more going on than meets the eye - as we discover when the movie finally comes to an end and Nicole's motivation becomes clear, but I still didn't find this an especially pleasant movie to watch in spite of the good performances from the two leads. (3/10)

planktonrules comments must've been written on Topsy-Turvy Day, because everything stated by that simple life form is the opposite of real truth!'Bluebeard's Eighth Wife' is hilarious in every scene, in every way -- the chemistry between Colbert and Cooper could not have been finer...supporting cast is superb.Writing and direction are magnificent!!!Like so many other comments on this board again I lament, "Why can't films be like this anymore?" This is classic Paramount 1930's screwball comedy at its best, folks!

Years before pre-nuptial agreements became a regular thing, Ernest Lubitsch made a screen comedy on which they are the basis. Bluebeard's Eighth Wife involves Gary Cooper as a multi-millionaire living on the French Riviera who's been married seven times and now marries Claudette Colbert for number eight. But Cooper's a good sport about it, he always settles with his ex-wives for a $50,000.00 a year as per an agreement they sign before marrying him. Sounds like what we now call a pre-nuptial agreement.Of course Claudette wants a lot more than that and she feels Cooper takes an entirely too business like approach to marriage. She'd like the real deal and is willing to go some considerable lengths to get it.Bluebeard's Eighth Wife has some really funny moments, the original meeting of Cooper and Colbert in a men's store where Cooper is insisting he wants only pajama tops and Colbert looking for only bottoms. And of course my favorite is Colbert trailing and blackmailing the detective Cooper sends to spy on her. Herman Bing has the best supporting role in the film as that selfsame, flustered detective.I've often wondered how back in the day Hollywood could get away with casting so many people who are non-French in a film like this. Of course Cooper is an American and Colbert of the cast is the only one actually of French background. Though David Niven is charming as always, having him be a Frenchman is ludicrous, he is sooooooo British.Nevertheless Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is an enjoyable film and a great example of what was called 'the Lubitsch touch' back in the day.