Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Dream Wife

  • 1953
  • Approved
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, and Betta St. John in Dream Wife (1953)
A business tycoon decides to wed a Middle Eastern princess whose customs dictate the pair must live apart for several months before marrying. Even more complications settle in when the tycoon's ex-fiancée is assigned to chaperone the pair.
Play trailer3:05
1 Video
16 Photos
Romantic ComedyComedyRomance

A business tycoon decides to wed a Middle Eastern princess whose customs dictate the pair must live apart for several months before marrying. Even more complications settle in when the tycoo... Read allA business tycoon decides to wed a Middle Eastern princess whose customs dictate the pair must live apart for several months before marrying. Even more complications settle in when the tycoon's ex-fiancée is assigned to chaperone the pair.A business tycoon decides to wed a Middle Eastern princess whose customs dictate the pair must live apart for several months before marrying. Even more complications settle in when the tycoon's ex-fiancée is assigned to chaperone the pair.

  • Director
    • Sidney Sheldon
  • Writers
    • Sidney Sheldon
    • Herbert Baker
    • Alfred Lewis Levitt
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Deborah Kerr
    • Walter Pidgeon
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    2.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sidney Sheldon
    • Writers
      • Sidney Sheldon
      • Herbert Baker
      • Alfred Lewis Levitt
    • Stars
      • Cary Grant
      • Deborah Kerr
      • Walter Pidgeon
    • 25User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:05
    Trailer

    Photos16

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 8
    View Poster

    Top cast92

    Edit
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • Clemson Reade
    Deborah Kerr
    Deborah Kerr
    • Priscilla 'Effie' Effington
    Walter Pidgeon
    Walter Pidgeon
    • Walter McBride
    Betta St. John
    Betta St. John
    • Tarji
    Eduard Franz
    Eduard Franz
    • Khan of Bukistan
    Buddy Baer
    Buddy Baer
    • Vizier
    Les Tremayne
    Les Tremayne
    • Ken Landwell
    Donald Randolph
    Donald Randolph
    • Ali
    Bruce Bennett
    Bruce Bennett
    • Charlie Elkwood
    Richard Anderson
    Richard Anderson
    • Henry Malvine
    Dan Tobin
    Dan Tobin
    • Mr. Brown
    Movita
    Movita
    • Rima
    Gloria Holden
    Gloria Holden
    • Mrs. Jean Landwell
    June Clayworth
    June Clayworth
    • Mrs. May Elkwood
    Dean Miller
    Dean Miller
    • George
    Steve Forrest
    Steve Forrest
    • Louis
    Jonathan Cott
    Jonathan Cott
    • Marine
    Patricia Tiernan
    Patricia Tiernan
    • Pat
    • Director
      • Sidney Sheldon
    • Writers
      • Sidney Sheldon
      • Herbert Baker
      • Alfred Lewis Levitt
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews25

    5.92.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    4utgard14

    "Can she cook?"

    American businessman Cary Grant is engaged to diplomat Deborah Kerr but grows tired of her putting her career before their relationship. So he breaks things off and becomes engaged to a Middle-Eastern princess (Betta St. John) who has been taught from birth "how to make a man happy." But the customs of her people (and Kerr's interference) ensure that Grant won't find any happiness with her.

    Inane romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor funny. A terrible movie on nearly every level. The characters are very unlikable no matter how hard I tried due to my fondness for the actors. The best thing I can say about this is that I liked the name of Cary's character, Clemson Reade. Cary Grant didn't make many stinkers but he did here. It's one of the worst films in his career. It was so bad Cary considered retiring from acting after this and didn't make another movie for two years. Worth seeing if you're a die-hard fan of the stars or on the slim chance you might find something interesting about the socio-political stuff.
    Jonathan-18

    Could have been so much better- and that's worse than a bad movie.

    Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr are a wonderful couple. Throwing each other line after line with Grant's usual and very his -facial expressions. The dinner scene between the two in the beginning is a blast. The whole beginning is great, funny, very promising, but it's obvious where it's going plot-wise, and with the plot the movie flops. The funny scenes become scarce, predictable and I just waited for it to end. Walter Pidgeon must be one of the best supporting actors ever. Catch the first 30 minutes or so than stop watching, or just pass. Nice idea that went wrong.

    PS How that "Dream wife" of his learns English so quickly is absolutely amazing! She does speak with a few mistakes, of course.
    6backusle

    dated movie is a window into post-War, 50s culture

    This film is a fascinating look at our culture's post WWII attitude towards women and the Middle East. The movie showcases the big message of get-the-women-back-into-the-kitchen that followed the War. As for our attitude towards Islamic peoples, it IS all about oil as far as our government in this film is concerned. The rulers are fabulously wealthy and exotic, the portrayal of them and their customs betray Hollywood's gross ignorance of the peoples and the religion. The princess' dance (seductive and Martha Grahamish) in the opening scene says it all. The women in the court all wear short sleeves. No one bothered to find out anything about the religion, it would seem. The behavior of the 'Bakistanis' is made up only to create comic moments, no matter how inaccurate, unseemly or unrealistic.

    The plot is silly and implausible, but it's fun to watch Grant and Kerr in their first on screen performance.
    dougdoepke

    Flounders, Despite the Talent

    A big disappointment considering the two legendary leads, Grant and Kerr. And that's despite a rather promising opening. There's comedic potential in a jilted love translating a guy's flowery affections to a non-English new amour. As a result, the movie's best passages involve Kerr doing just that. Here, however, the idea's bound up with Middle East intrigue, and distinctly non-comedic mid-eastern types. There's also comedic potential in watching a woman transition from traditional subservience to modern freedoms. Trouble is these themes fail to catch fire in what amounts to a sloppy screenplay.

    Too bad too that Grant appears to be walking through his role in very uncharacteristic fashion. There's none of his usual bounce or spark. Apparently, he was on the brink of retiring and would not make another feature for two years. So there may well be an inside story to the MGM production. Kerr too seems too dour to be droll in a rather thankless role. At the same time, the results look like director Sheldon had no feel for the antic material, being more a popular writer than director. At least there's a winsome Betta St. John as the Arabian princess, an aptly commanding Walter Pidgeon as a government honcho, and a fearsome Buddy Baer as a towering enforcer. All in all, however, I expect this was not a movie Grant would like to be remembered by, nor one that his fans will revere him for.

    (In passing—Iran's Prime Minister of the time, Mohammed Mossadegh, gets a quick mention in the dialog. No wonder, because he had just nationalized the country's oil production and would quickly be deposed by a notorious CIA plot. These events culminated about the time this movie was in production, ie. early 1953, and may well have inspired the premise.)
    deewitt

    Boring.

    I saw this movie for the first time on TCM, interested because of the pairing of Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. It's really boring, with a silly, unbelievable plot.

    Worse than that, Grant looks and act in such a peculiar manner. He appears to be bone-thin, with his suits just hanging on him. And his expressions and body language border on the effeminate in some sequences. This is not the dashing, debonair, sophisticated Cary Grant we've all become accustomed to seeing in so many movies over the years.

    Kerr has a brief drunk scene that is unusual for her screen persona. Aside from that, there's not much to her character that can save this dreary flick.

    The one thing worth noting is the movie's benign portrayal of Islamic rulers. Was it really like that 50 years ago, or were we just too ignorant to know any better?

    More like this

    Every Girl Should Be Married
    6.3
    Every Girl Should Be Married
    Once Upon a Honeymoon
    6.4
    Once Upon a Honeymoon
    Crisis
    6.7
    Crisis
    I Was a Male War Bride
    7.0
    I Was a Male War Bride
    Mr. Lucky
    7.1
    Mr. Lucky
    People Will Talk
    7.3
    People Will Talk
    The Pride and the Passion
    5.7
    The Pride and the Passion
    Monkey Business
    6.9
    Monkey Business
    That Touch of Mink
    6.6
    That Touch of Mink
    The Grass Is Greener
    6.4
    The Grass Is Greener
    Kiss Them for Me
    5.6
    Kiss Them for Me
    None But the Lonely Heart
    6.4
    None But the Lonely Heart

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After making this film Cary Grant announced his retirement from acting in February 1953. However, 18 months later he agreed to return to acting in To Catch a Thief (1955).
    • Goofs
      When Effie is served Arak by the Khan, she is informed that it is a wine made from rice. In fact, Arak is an licorice-flavored liquor made from distilled late-harvest grapes mixed with aniseed.
    • Quotes

      Clemson Reade: We haven't been able to make a definite plan since we met.

      Effie: Well, we went to Vermont for two weeks.

      Clemson Reade: Yes. Yes, that's right. To her grandfather's farm. For two wonderful relaxing weeks in glorious Vermont.

      Walter McBride: Tim'll be there in September.

      Clemson Reade: We spent *one* day there. She had to leave to take care of the crisis in the Sahara; some of the sand was missing.

      Effie: Well, you stayed on.

      Clemson Reade: With grandfather. It wasn't the same thing.

    • Connections
      Featured in American Masters: Cary Grant: A Class Apart (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Ghi Ti, Ghi Ti, Ghi Ti
      By Charles Wolcott and Jamshid Sheibani

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is Dream Wife?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 19, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Du und keine andere
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Loew's
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,565,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, and Betta St. John in Dream Wife (1953)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Dream Wife (1953) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Poster
    List
    IMDb Summer Watch Guide
    Browse the guide
    Production art
    List
    July 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates
    See the list
    Poster
    List
    Most Popular Indian Movies of 2025 So Far
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.