So You Want to Hold Your Wife (1947) User Reviews

Great line!

[jbacks3 · 7/10 · 14 October 2004]

The topic is the odds of marital bliss, circa 1947. Joe McDoaks relates what life is like being married to his wife, Alice with a handful of examples (her insensitivity to his party guests, her snoring. The best? After an argument over his wife inviting her family over for Thanksgiving, Joe's wife packs a suitcase to go home to her mother. Joe takes the turkey and stuffs it in her suitcase yelling, "AND YOU CAN GIVE HER THE BIRD FOR ME!" Absolute classic. Jane Harker, who pops up frequently in these Warners' Joe McDoaks shorts is quite a babe. She's quite a contrast to Joe's circle of dentally-challenged friends and co-workers. As a kid of the 60's it's tough reconcile George O'Hanlon's face with George Jetson's voice, but he's a enjoyable comedian and these (mostly) 40's one-reeler's are all watchable.

Fifty Percent Of All People Who Get A Divorce Are Women

[boblipton · 7/10 · 25 June 2019]

That statistic cited at the start of this movie may have wobbled a bit in the last decade. When this was made in 1947, George O'Hanlon explains to "Mr. Agony" that his wife, Jane Harker is a moody creature, liable to walk out when George invites all his friends over without warning, or when he objects to her family coming over on what was intended as a private Thanksgiving, and then invites all his family. She's the most unreasonable woman in the world.... and there's worse to come in this funny short subject.

The "Joe McDoakes" series of shorts starring O'Hanlon were the brainchild of Richard L. Bare. 67 were produced between 1942 and 1956. O'Hanlon may be more famous for voicing "George Jetson." Bare went on to direct undistinguished features through the early 1970s, and much episodic TV.... including GREEN ACRES.

America's more Progressive communities require . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 7/10 · 2 July 2018]

. . . that all local feline owners "bell their cats." Just as a few illegal alien pythons multiplied to the point that their offspring have eaten upwards of 98% of the native mammals and birds within Everglades National Park (which EPA Director "F. Scott Ruinit" is consequently renaming Great Dismal Swamp National Park), no wild birds are heard in towns or villages allowing free range cats to sneak up (with NO warning bells!) upon unsuspecting "prey," killing endangered species for the sheer joy of being Evil. SO YOU WANT TO HOLD YOUR WIFE points out that amid our rampant national epidemic of "post-partum depression" (featuring Moms drowning the kiddies in bathtubs, driving carloads of children into rivers, and discarding their babies at the deep ends of swimming pools), it's just as unfair to let Mommy ambush junior as it is to tolerate the pythons swallowing up all the pink flamingos, or to look the other way as Snowball gargles chickadees. At least give your tykes a fighting chance, HOLD YOUR WIFE urges, by keeping a bell swinging permanently from Mommy Dearest's neck!

Good Entry

[Michael_Elliott · 31 March 2009]

So You Want to Hold Your Wife (1947)

*** (out of 4)

Another entertaining entry in the Joe McDoakes series this time has our lovable loser on a radio show talking about the problems with his marriage. His marriage started off fine but now he can't stand her snoring, her inviting her parents over for Thanksgiving and he especially can't stand her brother. If you're a fan of the series then there's no doubt this one will keep you entertained. If you're new to the series this might not be the best place to start but I'm sure you'll still find it mildly entertaining. There are many funny moments but the best has to be when the wife threatens to go to her mother's after their fight on Thanksgiving so Joe packs her bags with the turkey in it. The earlier scenes with the wild party are fairly lame but things pick up after that.

A very funny McDoakes

[Paularoc · 7/10 · 28 June 2012]

Joe and Alice McDoakes have been married for five years and he now feels put upon and dissatisfied. He tells all to a radio marriage counselor called Mr. Agony who hosts a show called the Hour of Agony. Joe relates two instances where he thinks his wife is being unreasonable. The first instance shows something interesting about stereotypes. Joe, who works in a trucking company office, invites the truck drivers and their wives to a party at his house. They (including the wives) act as drunken louts, all the wives wear tasteless dresses and hats and their manners are crude in the extreme. This depiction of truck drivers was just not funny (I know –it's only a movie). That said, the last two-thirds of the short is indeed funny. The second incident surrounding Thanksgiving dinner plans going awry has one of the best lines ever in a comedy sort. Even though a previous reviewer has already mentioned it, it's worth repeating. Alice and Joe are fighting, she decides to go home to her parents, and he grabs the Thanksgiving turkey, shoves it into the suitcase and says something like "…and you can give the bird to your mother for me." Priceless. Also, the bit about the snoring ball was pretty funny.

Wives NEVER snore, Joe!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 30 April 2017]

The first portion of this Joe McDoakes short tells us about the terrible statistics concerning divorce. However, when Joe is interviewed on a radio show, he admits that he's considering divorce simply because he cannot get any sleep because his wife snores so loudly. But, he also is warned NOT to tell her as wives NEVER will admit that they snore and it's a no-win situation. So instead he tries to secretly use an anti-snoring device to stop her...with no luck whatsoever. How will this all end? See the film.

This installment is only fair. Better than most of the early ones, by now the films had become goofier and weird...but this one is a bit on the conventional side. It does have a few laughs but is not among the better McDoakes films.