Your Money or Your Wife * (1960, Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Richard Wattis, Peter Reynolds) – Classic Movie Review 13,727

Donald Sinden and Peggy Cummins star as newly-weds who must divorce to inherit a fortune, in the 1960 British comedy film Your Money or Your Wife.

Director Anthony Simmons’s 1960 British comedy film Your Money or Your Wife is a clumsy, old-style British farce starring Donald Sinden and Peggy Cummins as newly-weds who, by one of those contrived plots beloved of writers, have to divorce to claim a bequest from as rich relative.

Pelham Butterworth (Sinden) and Gay Butterworth (Cummins) are a young married couple saddled with debts and a large house. They think their problems are solved when they hear they may be inheriting a fortune. But, when the terms of the will turn out to be complicated, they try to make money by taking in lodgers.

The screenplay by by Ronald Jeans is based on his 1951 play Count Your Blessings. That’s not a bad title for the theatre, but the film’s title is cleverer. The witty title conceals a very daft premise for a farce as a newly-wedded wife (Peggy Cummins) faces four choices; running their lodging house at a profit, bankruptcy, or the death or divorce of her new husband (Donald Sinden).

Your Money or Your Wife is silly – but then of course that’s the point – and not funny enough, thanks to the snail-speed pacing and over-signalled performances. Too much falling over and fooling around get in the way of some decent enough comedy ideas. Nevertheless, the amiable cast try their darndest to make it work, giving too much maybe, the script not repaying their effort. Always nice to see Richard Wattis (as Hubert Fry), Peter Reynolds (as Theodore Malek), Barbara Steele (as Juliet Frost) and Ian Fleming (as the judge).

Donald Sinden recalled: ‘Oh dear. Unfortunately it was made on the cheap and little care had been taken turning a script, intended to be played in one permanent setting, into a film.’

Cast: Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Richard Wattis. Peter Reynolds, Georgina Cookson, Gladys Boot, Barbara Steele, Betty Baskcomb, Olive Sloane, Ian Fleming, Candy Scott, Noel Trevarthen.

Famed British guitarist Bert Weedon plays the ‘Your Money or Your Wife’ theme. His book Play in a Day was a bestseller.

It runs 91 minutes.

It was shot in black and white by cinematographer for the Ethiro-Alliance production company at Southall Studios, London.

It was released in the UK on 28 March 1960 by J Arthur Rank Film Distributors.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,727

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