Hired Wife

Hired Wife (1934) blends Drama elements. Top cast includes Greta Nissen, Weldon Heyburn, and James Kirkwood. Relationships and emotional turning points shape the core of the story.

Actor: Greta Nissen • Genre: Drama movies

Kent Johns learns that he must be married within a certain timeframe to collect a significant fortune left by his late grandfather. Kent originally plans to marry his girlfriend, "Dovie" Jansen, but she calls off their wedding to marry a European count instead. Needing a wife quickly, Kent proposes a business-like marriage to Vivian "Vi" Matthews (Greta Nissen), his next-door neighbor who has long harbored feelings for him. The contract stipulates that after one year, they will divorce, and Vi will receive a $100,000 settlement. Encouraged by her friend Pat, Vi accepts the offer. During their honeymoon in New York City, Vi undergoes a physical transformation—aided by her personal maid, Celeste—evolving from a plain "homely matron" into a sophisticated and beautiful woman. While Kent remains preoccupied with business and often neglects his new wife, his artist friend Philip Marlowe (James Kirkwood) becomes deeply attracted to the "new" Vi, creating a romantic rivalry.