Unfaithfully Yours

Unfaithfully Yours

Year: 1948

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: English

Director: Preston Sturges

RomanceComedyCrude humor and satireGags jokes and slapstick humorAmusing jokes and witty satire

Before a brief European trip, symphony conductor Sir Alfred De Carter asks his staid brother‑in‑law August to keep an eye on his young wife Daphne. August hires a private detective, whose report hints that Daphne may have been canoodling with his secretary. Sir Alfred, infuriated, starts plotting revenge.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Unfaithfully Yours (1948). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1940s

The story unfolds in the late 1940s within a metropolitan American setting, featuring concert halls, luxury apartments, and refined social circles. Postwar sophistication and moral tension frame the drama, where art, wealth, and private lives collide. The era’s style is reflected in the formal, high-society atmosphere and the prominence of classical music as a narrative device.

Location

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:26

Main Characters – Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Meet the key characters of Unfaithfully Yours (1948), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Sir Alfred de Carter (Rex Harrison)

World-famous symphony conductor whose temper and jealousy are inflamed by rumors of his wife Daphne's infidelity. He channels his insecurity into elaborate murder fantasies staged during his concert, guiding the narrative with musical cues. His artistic intensity is matched by a volatile need to control both love and life.

🎭 Aristocrat 💔 Jealous 🎼 Musician

Daphne de Carter (Linda Darnell)

Alfred's devoted wife who becomes the subject of his suspicions. She remains loyal and caring, even as the tension peaks and he questions her fidelity. Her actions—like tending to Alfred's injured thumb—reveal a patient, supportive side amid his irrational behavior.

💞 Wife 💬 Loyal 🎼 Music lover

August Henshler (Rudy Vallee)

Barbara's husband and Daphne's brother-in-law, a wealthy patron whose misinterpretation of Alfred's request to watch over his wife leads him to hire the private detective. He embodies meddling upper-class influence that amplifies the central conflict. His actions catalyze the film's surveillance and suspicion plotline.

💰 Wealthy 🕵️‍♂️ Interfering 🎭 Patron

Anthony 'Tony' Windborn (Kurt Kreuger)

Alfred's secretary, a man closer in age to Daphne who becomes the focal point of the romantic tension. He is the object of the conductor's dramatic plots and is entangled in the suspicion surrounding the alleged affair. He stands at the crossroads of professional duty and intimate intrigue.

🎼 Secretary 👀 Potential love interest

Sweeney (Edgar Kennedy)

Private detective hired by August to monitor Daphne, whose reports feed Alfred's paranoia. He operates as the mechanism by which the couple's private life is exposed to scrutiny, intensifying the melodrama. His surveillance role underscores the invasion of privacy at the heart of the plot.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective 🗝️ Privacy intruder

Barbara Henshler (Barbara Lawrence)

Barbara is August's wife and Daphne's sister, whose presence highlights the family dynamics within the web of suspicion. Her involvement, whether direct or implied, adds another layer to the interwoven relationships featured in the story. She represents the collateral impact of marital rumors on relatives.

👩‍👧 Family 👀 Observer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:26

Major Themes – Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Explore the central themes of Unfaithfully Yours (1948), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Infidelity

Suspicion surrounding Daphne's fidelity drives the central tension. Alfred's prickly jealousy is provoked by rumors and a private detective report, fueling his irrational fantasies. The drama examines how trust, or the lack thereof, can distort perception and push characters toward extreme actions, even when love remains intact.

🗡️ Murder Fantasies

Alfred envisions three crime scenarios during the concert, each paired with a musical cue: a 'perfect crime' to the Overture to Semiramide, a forgiveness fantasy to the Prelude to Tannhäuser, and a Russian roulette fantasy to Francesca da Rimini. These fantasies reveal how art can become a playground for darker impulses. The boundary between imagination and reality becomes dangerously porous as the music guides his impulses.

🎨 Artistic Temperament

Alfred's creative temperament shapes his worldview and responses to conflict. His obsession with operatic drama bleeds into his personal life, turning marital strain into stage-worthy spectacle. The film uses his conductorial authority and musical metaphors to explore how an artist's inner life can override rational judgment. Creativity here serves as both expression and danger.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:26

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Unfaithfully Yours Summary

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Unfaithfully Yours Summary

Unfaithfully Yours Timeline

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Unfaithfully Yours Timeline

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