“The High Cost of Loving” is a mild comedy of errors about the home and workplace tribulations of Jim Fry (Jose Ferrer). Jim’s a purchasing agent for the Lynden Company which has just been purchased by Associated Industries. Through a series of accidents and misunderstandings Jim gets the impression that he’s about to be fired. And naturally this is simultaneous with the news that his wife Ginny is going to have a baby.
(Spoiler Alert – Skip down to last paragraph to avoid spoilers and read recommendation)
This comedy of errors begins with Jim not getting invited to a lunch where the executive board of Associated will meet the assistant directors (like Jim) who are being considered for promotion in the new corporate environment. And after this first slight, several incidents provide reinforcement to the idea that the new management intends to terminate Jim. And of course, this makes him jumpy and increasingly bitter and causes trouble between husband and wife.
In addition, Jim’s work friend Steve has a wife Syd who in addition to being Ginny’s friend is also a blabbermouth who can’t help but say the wrong thing about the events going on at Lynden Company.
Finally, after Jim has come to terms with his worries and resolved to do whatever is necessary to save his job, he reaches his office in time to see a painter scraping his name off the window. Incensed, he sits down at this desk and writes a scathing letter to the new president of Lynden Company expressing his outrage at what he thinks is the company’s ingratitude toward him. He stomps over to the president’s office and gives the letter to the secretary there. Just then the president and his boss from Associated Industries walk in and hurry Jim into the office to inform him that an error occurred keeping Jim off the list of invitees for the lunch with the executive board. And then they inform him that he’s been promoted to Director of Purchasing. After some embarrassing moments he retrieves the letter and manages to convince the president that the letter he wrote should be returned unread. And tranquility is restored on the business front for Jim.
The movie ends with Ginny allowing Jim to regale her with tales of his oratorical prowess at the infamous “lunch” followed by Ginny pulling a prank on him. She pretends that the letter he reclaimed from the president’s office was not the one he wrote but a magazine subscription form letter that must have been on the president’s desk. After debunking her joke the movie ends with a romantic scene between husband and wife as their lives settle into a new and happier circumstance.
This movie is a bit of fluff. A Shakespearian title would be “Much Ado About Nothing.” It’s such a mild comedy with so little consequence about the plot that you might think it isn’t worth the trouble to watch it. I’ll disagree. I don’t suppose that the word charming has much currency today. But that is the word that comes to mind. And for once my tastes and Camera Girl’s agreed. I guess that makes this domestic comedy a good date movie. The relationship between husband and wife is so attractively drawn that we both found ourselves laughing at the same scenes. And each of us defended our side of the battle of the sexes when it inevitably emerged. But we equally agreed that the marriage on display was refreshingly healthy. Jose Ferrer directed himself in this movie and I believe he also had one of the writing credits. I give him high marks for the little touches he added to the domestic scenes. The scenes where husband and wife wake up and stagger through their groggy routine were well scripted and enjoyable. And finally, the thing I noticed was that the world of 1958 America was a thoroughly pleasant place. Even the anxiety of losing a job takes place in surroundings that trumpet a peaceful and well-ordered world. And Jim is worried about losing his job because of competency not diversity, equity and inclusion considerations. Ah, simpler and better times.