The Trials & Tribulations of Wedded Bliss, 50s Style
Anne (Susan Stephen) is 19 and over the moon as Tony (Dirk Bogarde) has proposed even though they haven't been out together more than five times. But first they need to convince Anne's parents (Cecil Parker, Eileen Herlie) who have their doubts as not only are they too young but her fathers worries that Tony cannot support his daughter in the way she has become accustomed to. That is easier said than done as living in London is a costly business especially as all Tony can afford is a small apartment with neighbours who are a continual test of their patience. The question is that can their love for each other triumph all the issues they face.
In "For Better, for Worse" Dirk Bogarde plays a 23 year-old whilst Susan Stephen as Anne is 19, just a little bit older than my parents were at the time this was released. I mention this because my father likes to mention that when they got married they ended up renting a room in a house and when they did finally get to a position to buy a home he had to get a loan from the company he worked for and the furniture they had was donated to them by friends and family. I say this because "For Better, for Worse" is simply a comical take on being newly weds in Britain during the 1950s especially when you come from the middle classes and you try to maintain those standards.
As such what you get is lots of lightweight fun from Tony dealing with Anne's father trying to make sure his daughter will be taken care of to the various salesmen who prey on those who are young and in love leading to them ending up with too much stuff for their small apartment. Of course this leads to bickering between the young couple as they also realise is that know very little about their likes such as sleeping with the window open or shut whilst they also have financial difficulties. It is as I said just some lightweight fun made all the more entertaining by some amusing characters such as Fred and Alf, the delivery men who repeat each other and also Mrs. Doyle (Thora Hird), the cleaner who likes to gossip and stir.
What this all boils down to is that "For Better, for Worse" is just some lightweight British entertainment from the 1950s which whilst not full of great humour is rich in fun characters as well as a sense of nostalgia which even if you weren't born when this released brings a smile to your face.
