A Letter to Three Wives (1948) – reviewed by George

We’re dealing here with well-off people who can afford to live in peace and comfort outside the city, or as the narrator says, “23 minutes if you catch the Morning Express.” Not all of these six people were born to it, but they are denizens of it now, and tonight is the first Saturday night dance of the season at the club.
Brad and Deborah Bishop (Jeffrey Lynn and Jeanne Crain): he’s leaving for the city and already pleading off the dance in case the regular Saturday meeting runs over and he has to spend the night. “I like my own pajamas between the sheets of a Turkish bath.” She doesn’t want to go without him, and brings up Addie Ross, her biggest fear and his old flame. He laughs it off, and they both leave, Brad for the train and Deb to pick up Rita.
George and Rita Phipps (Kirk Douglas and Ann Southern): George, a high school English teacher, is leaving  in a blue serge suit, when he normally plays golf every Saturday, and he is being mysterious to Rita about his plans for the day. Rita runs out of the house and gets in the station wagon with Deb, and they gossip a bit about Addie, only to arrive at the dock and have Lora Mae Hollingsway (Linda Darnell) tell them that Addie Ross left town that morning. Deb: “Why?” Rita: “I’m sure it’s just a short trip.” Lora Mae: “No. She sublet her apartment and last night she sold her car.” The conclusion by all is “How strange!”
They are there to act as PTA hostesses for the grade school kids during a boat trip on a large craft right out of “Showboat”. And as they start to board, a messenger hurries up to give them a letter for the “Mesdames” from Addie Ross. When they get a moment they read it and it says that she has run away with one of their husbands. A really cruel thing to do to the three of them, since they’re on the boat for the rest of the day, and cell phones had not been invented.
Now we get three mini-movies, each one showing the inner workings of one of the marriages. The mini about the Hollingsways, Lora Mae and Porter (Paul Douglas) shows how he, as a cad, dated employees, and how she got around that and married the guy.
And afterwards at the Country Club dance we learn whose husbands are still in town, and whose man is missing.
The film skates around soap opera, but never falls in, because of reasonably believable portrayals of marital problems. and there is great help from supporting players: Lora Mae’s mother Ruby and sister Babe (Connie Gilchrist and Barbara Lawrence) and Ruby’s friend who is also Rita’s maid, Sadie (Thelma Ritter). and Florence Bates and Hobart Cavanaugh playing Rita’s employer and her husband, the Manleighs.
Like a mystery it keeps you guessing, and when you think you know – believe me, you don’t.
From a Cosmopolitan Magazine Novel by John Klempner, Adapted by Vera Caspary, Screen Play and Direction by Joseph L Mankiewicz.
Note: Addie Ross is never seen, but her voice is provided by Celeste Holm.