It's kind of shocking to find that no one has noticed the similarity of "Foolish Wives" to 1988's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" or even that film's predecessor, "Bedtime Story." I should really change that around. Both of those films in fact mirror "Foolish Wives" to a great degree, as FW was first; the main difference being the two later films play the situations for laughs.
FW is set in Monte Carlo, the others on the nearby French Riviera. Characters in all three films pretend to be people they are not in order to fool unsuspecting potential victims, for the purpose of creating sympathy or fabricating romance, with the ultimate goal of separating them from their money. It is here where the films part ways, as FW is a 1922 melodrama of the first order, while the other two are comedies all the way. But still, the commonalities are striking. I never heard of FW back in the '80s when I first saw DRS, but the link is undeniable now that I have.
Plot In a Nutshell: A bogus Russian 'Count' and his accomplices try to fleece unsuspecting victims in the opulent playground that is Monte Carlo.
The film is listed in the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," and although it is not mentioned in the book, I suspect one of the reasons it was listed was because of FW's budget. It has been said that this film was the first American production to exceed $1 million in expenses. If true, that is certainly noteworthy and worth viewing just to see how that money was spent. The Monte Carlo casino set was pretty darn impressive for a Universal backlot creation I must say.
Overall I enjoyed FW but there are a few hokey parts that sort of go with the times (i.e, 1920s films). The Count seems ready to molest any and every woman he can get his hands on, even if his time window to do so is just mere seconds. Not sure what you think you're going to achieve in a time frame like that, but OK lol. And this despite the Count seemingly having multiple floozies at home that he can bed any time he wants. That's 1920s drama for you!
7/10. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: Sure why not. FW isn't essential viewing by any means but it can be entertaining.
FW is set in Monte Carlo, the others on the nearby French Riviera. Characters in all three films pretend to be people they are not in order to fool unsuspecting potential victims, for the purpose of creating sympathy or fabricating romance, with the ultimate goal of separating them from their money. It is here where the films part ways, as FW is a 1922 melodrama of the first order, while the other two are comedies all the way. But still, the commonalities are striking. I never heard of FW back in the '80s when I first saw DRS, but the link is undeniable now that I have.
Plot In a Nutshell: A bogus Russian 'Count' and his accomplices try to fleece unsuspecting victims in the opulent playground that is Monte Carlo.
The film is listed in the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," and although it is not mentioned in the book, I suspect one of the reasons it was listed was because of FW's budget. It has been said that this film was the first American production to exceed $1 million in expenses. If true, that is certainly noteworthy and worth viewing just to see how that money was spent. The Monte Carlo casino set was pretty darn impressive for a Universal backlot creation I must say.
Overall I enjoyed FW but there are a few hokey parts that sort of go with the times (i.e, 1920s films). The Count seems ready to molest any and every woman he can get his hands on, even if his time window to do so is just mere seconds. Not sure what you think you're going to achieve in a time frame like that, but OK lol. And this despite the Count seemingly having multiple floozies at home that he can bed any time he wants. That's 1920s drama for you!
7/10. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: Sure why not. FW isn't essential viewing by any means but it can be entertaining.