Le tre donne di Casanova

Plot-- On the day before his wedding, Casanova Brown (Cooper) finds out he may be a father from his first marriage (Wright) that's since been annulled. So he rushes off to Chicago to get the facts, leaving his newly intended waiting at the altar. Now, what will he do since first wife wants to put the baby up for adoption and he definitely doesn't. And what will the girls and their families do now that Brown is running amok.

The comedy starts off with a bang thanks to animated old grouch Frank Morgan. His scenes with a floundering Casanova are little gems of contrasting style. Then there's Patricia Collinge and her astrology book that may keep you from looking at the stars ever again. And how about Casanova's laugh-filled battle with a lit cigarette he's not supposed to be smoking in the stuffy Drury house. Let's see, no ashtray ended up costing the inhospitable Drury's a bundle. There's a lesson there, but I'm not sure what. But then, once the baby arrives in the last third, things start to get smarmy and the chuckles subside.

The usually staid Cooper manages a pretty good comedic turn without overdoing it, even though the floudering fatherhood bit puts him to the test. And was there ever a sweeter looking ingénue than Wright. However, making her a mother at what appears a sweet-sixteen is a stretch, particularly when pairing her with Cooper at 43. Nevertheless, what a colorful supporting cast that director Wood uses to blend into the amusement, from Morgan to Treen to a gum chewing Parnell.

All in all, it's an episodic comedy with a touchy 1940's subtext about sex even if it is within the bonds of marriage. Note how totally Casanova's intimacy with first wife (Wright) is elided even though it's an important plot point. But maybe most unusual of all is the macho Cooper as he's seldom seen.