If you were a fan of mid-century cinema, 1966 was a weird, transitional year. You had the gritty realism of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? clawing at the throat of the Old Hollywood system, while the classic sex comedy was still trying to keep its dignity. Somewhere in the middle of that identity crisis, we got Not With My Wife, You Don't!, a film that feels like a technicolor fever dream of Cold War paranoia and romantic jealousy. It’s got Tony Curtis, Virna Lisi, and George C. Scott. Yes, that George C. Scott—the guy who played Patton—running around in a comedic rivalry over a beautiful Italian nurse.
It’s a strange movie. Truly.
People search for this film today mostly because they can't believe the cast. How do you get the most serious actor of his generation to play a slapstick foil to the king of 1950s heartthrobs? The answer lies in the specific, bubbly directing style of Norman Panama. He was a guy who knew how to handle big personalities, and in Not With My Wife, You Don't!, he let them loose in a plot that stretches from the front lines of the Korean War to the high-stakes world of NATO intrigue.
What Actually Happens in Not With My Wife, You Don't!
The setup is basic but frantic. Tom Ferris (Tony Curtis) and "Tank" Martin (George C. Scott) are two pilots who both fall for Julie (Virna Lisi) during the Korean War. Tom is the schemer. He’s the guy who fakes an assignment to get Tank out of the way so he can marry the girl. It’s a classic "bro" betrayal that would probably be a dark drama today, but in 1966, it was the engine for a lighthearted romp.
Fast forward several years. Tom and Julie are living a comfortable, if slightly stagnant, life in London. Tom is a big-shot colonel now. Everything is fine until Tank reappears. He’s found out about the old deception and he’s back for revenge. Not violent revenge, mind you—romantic revenge.
The middle of the film is where things get genuinely bizarre. We’re talking about a plot to send Tom on a grueling Arctic survival course just so Tank can spend time with Julie. It’s the kind of high-concept nonsense that required a massive budget back then. They filmed in locations across England and Italy. The production values are surprisingly high for a movie that is essentially about two middle-aged men acting like toddlers.
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Why the Cast is the Main Draw
Honestly, Virna Lisi is the secret weapon here. Often billed as the "next Marilyn Monroe" during her brief stint in Hollywood, she had a comedic timing that most critics overlooked because they were too busy looking at her face. She plays Julie with a mix of frustration and charm that keeps the movie from feeling too mean-spirited.
Then you have Tony Curtis. By 1966, Curtis was a pro at this. He could play the charming rogue in his sleep. But watching him play off George C. Scott is where the sparks fly. Scott is a physical actor. He brings a weird, vibrating energy to the role of Tank. Seeing him transition from the intense roles he was known for into a man who gets caught in elaborate, colorful set pieces is part of the film's lasting curiosity.
The Johnny Williams Connection
Here is a fact most people miss: the music. Not With My Wife, You Don't! features a score by a young guy named Johnny Williams. You might know him better as John Williams, the man who wrote the themes for Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones.
Before he was the king of the symphony, he was "Johnny," a jazz-influenced composer for comedies and TV shows. The score for this film is bouncy, brassy, and quintessentially sixties. It doesn't sound anything like the Imperial March. It’s a reminder that even the legends had to start somewhere, often in the trenches of studio comedies about jealous husbands.
The Critical Reception and Cultural Footprint
When the movie hit theaters, the reviews were... mixed. Critics at the New York Times weren't exactly over the moon. They saw it as a bit overstuffed. At 118 minutes, it's long for a comedy. The "Arctic" sequences go on for quite a while, and the slapstick can feel a bit forced if you aren't in the right mood.
However, the film holds a 100% audience score on some niche platforms today, mostly because it’s a time capsule. It captures a specific aesthetic. The fashion, the furniture, the saturated colors—it’s peak mid-century modern eye candy. If you're a fan of the "Mod" era, this movie is a goldmine. It represents the last gasp of the big-budget studio comedy before the "New Hollywood" era of the 1970s made everything grittier and more cynical.
Handling the "Not With My Wife" Tropes
There’s no getting around it: the movie is a product of its time. The central conceit—men treating a woman like a trophy to be won or stolen—is dated. You've got to watch it through a specific lens. If you go in expecting a modern romantic comedy with balanced power dynamics, you’re going to be disappointed.
But if you view Not With My Wife, You Don't! as a parody of masculine ego, it actually works pretty well. Tom and Tank are both ridiculous. Their obsession with "winning" Julie eventually leads to their own undoing in various comedic ways. The movie mocks the idea of the "alpha male" military hero long before that was a common trope to deconstruct.
How to Watch It Today
Finding this film isn't as easy as hitting play on Netflix. It’s often tucked away in the "vaults" of digital retailers or shown on channels like Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Because it’s a Warner Bros. property, it pops up on their associated streaming services from time to time, but it’s rarely a featured title.
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If you’re a collector, the DVD is your best bet. It’s often packaged in "Tony Curtis" collections. Interestingly, there isn't a massive Blu-ray restoration widely available, which is a shame because the cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr. (who did My Fair Lady) is actually quite beautiful.
Modern Insights for Movie Buffs
If you're looking for a deep dive into 60s cinema, don't sleep on this one just because it’s a "fluff" comedy. Look at the logistics. Look at how they used practical effects for the aviation scenes. There is a craftsmanship in Not With My Wife, You Don't! that you just don't see in modern green-screen comedies.
- Check the Backgrounds: The London and Rome locations are real. You get a glimpse of a world that doesn't exist anymore.
- Listen to the Dialogue: Norman Panama and Larry Gelbart (who later created MASH*) wrote the screenplay. The quips are faster and sharper than you’d expect.
- Watch George C. Scott's Face: He’s clearly having a blast being "un-serious." It’s a rare look at an icon letting his guard down.
Actionable Steps for Exploring Classic Comedy
If this article has piqued your interest in the era or the film itself, don't just stop here. The 1960s sex comedy is a vast, weird genre.
1. Search for the Soundtrack
Look up "Johnny Williams" scores from the 1960s. Compare the music of this film to his later work. It's a masterclass in how a composer’s style evolves over decades.
2. Watch "Sex and the Single Girl"
If you like Tony Curtis in this, watch him in Sex and the Single Girl (1964) with Natalie Wood. It’s a similar vibe but arguably a tighter script. It’ll give you a better sense of why he was the go-to guy for these roles.
3. Explore Virna Lisi’s European Work
Lisi was much more than a Hollywood blonde. After her brief stint in the US, she went back to Europe and did incredible work in films like La Reine Margot (1994). Seeing her range makes her performance in this comedy even more impressive.
4. Host a "Jealousy Comedy" Double Feature
Pair this movie with something like The Grass Is Greener (1960). It’s a great way to see how different directors handled the "husband vs. lover" trope during the waning years of the Hays Code.
Not With My Wife, You Don't! isn't going to change your life, but it’s a fascinating, colorful, and loud piece of cinema history. It’s a reminder that even when the world was changing fast, Hollywood was still trying to make us laugh with big stars and even bigger misunderstandings. It’s worth a look for the John Williams score alone, but you’ll stay for the sheer absurdity of seeing Patton try to steal Tony Curtis’s wife.