Sometimes when I review a film, I would almost rather write "I agree with _______"....and that's the case with "Wife to Spare". Boblipton noticed that this film seemed an awful lot like the short films Edgar Kennedy was making about the same time...shorts where a husband is treated terribly by his wife and her family. The difference is that the Kennedy films were a bit funnier...whereas "Wife to Spare" has very, very few laughs.

When the story begins, you can see how emasculated Andy (Andy Clyde) is, as his wife and mother-in-law use him as a sewing dummy....all dressed in a frilly dress. In addition, the mother-in-law is simply hateful towards him...unleashing horrible comment after horrible comment. There also is the lazy brother-in-law who's moved in along with the mother-in-law and it's enough to drive anyone to homicide!

In the midst of all this, Andy learns that his brother-in-law is being blackmailed by a woman. So, being a nice guy, Andy tries to work things out...only to find he, too, is now being blackmailed by this same woman and her accomplice. Can Andy work his way out of this mess AND the mess with his in-laws?

The biggest problem with this short film is that it's a comedy but it has very few laughs. Additionally, as I mentioned above, it's not like this is an original idea--Edgar Kennedy made a ton of films in the 1930s just like it.

The slapstick comedy subgenre, a term that originates from a type of wooden paddle with a hinged flap that was used in early comedic performances to create slapping noises during comedic actions, is a form of physical comedy characterized by exaggerated, boisterous, and often absurd actions, situations, and physical interactions. Slapstick humor relies on visual gags, physical stunts, and exaggerated movements to create laughs.

Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Andy tries to fix a dilemma between a gold digging blonde and his brother-in-law who's smitten with her. This causes problems for Andy's wife.

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Wife to Spare

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