The Wife's Family

The Wife's Family
Poster in British Movie Herald
Directed by	Monty Banks
Screenplay by	Fred Duprez Val Valentine
Based on	My Wife's Family by Fred Duprez (from an original story by Harry B. Linton and Hal Stephens)
Produced by	John Maxwell
Starring	Gene Gerrard Muriel Angelus Amy Veness
Cinematography	Claude Friese-Greene
Edited by	A.C. Hammond
Production company	British International Pictures
Distributed by	Wardour Films
Release date	3 June 1931 (1931-06-03)(London)
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$67,000 [1]
Box office	$300,000 (est.) [1]

The Wife's Family (also released as My Wife's Family) is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gene Gerrard, Muriel Angelus, and Amy Veness. ^[2] It was based on the popular stage farce by Fred Duprez. ^[3] The play was subsequently filmed a further four times: in a Swedish version Mother-in-Law's Coming , in 1932; ^[4] a 1933 Finnish film Voi meitä! Anoppi tulee ; ^[5] and British remakes in 1941 and 1956. ^[6] It was produced by British International Pictures and shot at the company's Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. The film's sets were designed by the art director John Mead.

Poster taglines: "His Mother-in-law wasn't born--she was quarried out of solid granite and could lick her weight in wildcats!" ^[7]
"An inside comedy of the in-laws-the in-bads and all but ingratitude!" ^[8]

Premise

Farcical confusions ensue when newlywed bride Peggy Gay overhears her husband Jack discussing the purchase of a piano, and somehow interprets what he has said to mean he is the father of an illegitimate child.

Cast

• Gene Gerrard as Jack Gay
• Muriel Angelus as Peggy Gay
• Amy Veness as Anabella Nagg
• Charles Paton as Noah Nagg
• Dodo Watts as Ima Nagg
• Tom Helmore as Willy Nagg
• Jimmy Godden as Doc Knott
• Molly Lamont as Sally
• Ellen Pollock as Dolly White
• Geoffrey Frost as Baby

Production

BIP bought the rights to the stage farce for $7,500. The film production was very popular. ^[1]

Critical reception

• Allmovie wrote, "the level of humor can be assessed by the fact that the hero's unbearable mother-in-law is named Arabella Nagg." ^[9]
• Tasmania's The Advocate wrote in 1931, "this big talkie has been described as "Britain's Cyclone of Merriment," and packed houses have greeted it everywhere. "My Wife's Family" can hardly be included in the category of "comedies." Perhaps "super-comedy" would be an applicable term to describe the film's side-splitting qualities, but better still it would be safe to say that "My Wife's Family" has more laughs than "Rookery Nook" and "The Middle Watch" put together." ^[10]

References

1. "Big Top Rental film cost $67,000 to Make". Variety. 9 April 1932. p. 11.
2. The Wife's Family at IMDb
3. DUPREZ, F.; LINTON, H.B.; STEPHENS, H. (1950). My Wife's Family. A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts. Written and Devised by F. Duprez from the Original Story by Hal Stephens and Harry B. Linton. London. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
4. sv:Svärmor kommer
5. "VOI MEITÄ! ANOPPI TULEE (1933) | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
6. "My Wife's Family (1941) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". allmovie.com. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
7. James Travers. "The Wife's Family - Monty Banks - film review". Frenchfilms.info. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
8. "6p594 MY WIFE'S FAMILY 1sh '31 cool stone litho art of Gene Gerrard, Muriel Angelus!". Emovieposter.com. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
9. "My Wife's Family (1932) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". allmovie.com. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
10. "21 Nov 1931 - AMUSEMENTS. "MY' WIFE'S FAMILY" AT NEW BURNIE TH". Trove.nla.gov.au. 21 November 1931. Retrieved 25 June 2014.