Third Finger, Left Hand (1940) in Color — Starring Myrna Loy & Melvyn Douglas

Third Finger, Left Hand (1940) — Buy This Classic in Color

Third Finger, Left Hand is a 1940 American romantic comedy directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas. Loy plays Margot Sherwood, a hard-working magazine editor who invents a husband to keep her boss from piling on extra work — a harmless white lie that turns complicated when a handsome artist walks into her life. Filled with the sharp banter and glamorous settings that defined the era’s best screwball comedies, it is a warm, witty showcase for two of Hollywood’s most effortless stars. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

Margot Sherwood is the capable, career-focused editor of a fashionable magazine, and she has a problem familiar to working women of her era: her employer expects her to be available at all hours, assuming she has no life of her own. To protect her independence, Margot lets it be known that she is married — inventing a husband who is conveniently always away. The fiction gives her the breathing room she needs, and her colleagues, including the fussy and easily flustered Mr. Murchison, accept the story without question.

While on a working trip, Margot meets Philip Booth, a charming and somewhat bohemian artist played by Melvyn Douglas. The two strike up an easy, teasing rapport, and Philip is clearly drawn to her. But Margot’s invented marriage stands between them, and she is reluctant to abandon the convenient story she has built her working life around. Philip, for his part, is puzzled by a woman who claims to be married yet behaves like someone entirely free.

The situation grows more tangled when circumstances force Margot to produce her imaginary husband in the flesh. Through a series of misunderstandings and comic contrivances, Philip is drawn into the role, posing as the absent spouse. What begins as a practical arrangement quickly becomes something far more complicated, as the two are thrown together in situations that blur the line between performance and genuine feeling.

Around them swirls a lively supporting cast. Raymond Walburn, Lee Bowman, Bonita Granville, Felix Bressart, Donald Meek, Ann Morriss, Sidney Blackmer and Ernest Whitman fill out a world of office politics, social engagements and romantic rivalries. The film keeps its pace brisk, moving from workplace comedy to romantic sparring with the polished timing that director Robert Z. Leonard brought to his best comedies.

As the deception deepens, Margot finds herself caught between the professional freedom her fake marriage protects and the real attachment growing between her and Philip. The lies she told to keep her career intact now threaten the very happiness she never expected to find. Each new complication pushes the pair closer together even as it seems to drive them apart.

The film builds toward a resolution that hinges on a single question: when the truth finally comes out, will the love that grew out of a convenient fiction prove strong enough to survive it? The answer is the warm, satisfying payoff that has kept this comedy charming for decades.

Cast & Crew

Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Stars: Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Walburn, Lee Bowman, Bonita Granville

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

Watching Third Finger, Left Hand in color brings the world of 1940 magazine offices and Manhattan social life vividly to the screen. The colorized restoration reveals the textures of period-accurate costume — the tailored suits, elegant gowns and sharp menswear that define the film’s stylish look — along with the details of set dressing and interiors that black and white can only suggest. The result is a richer sense of the era’s glamour, from the sheen of fabrics to the warm tones of the locations where Margot and Philip spar and fall in love. Crucially, the colorization serves the performances rather than distracting from them: Myrna Loy’s expressive comic timing and Melvyn Douglas’s easy charm read just as clearly, now framed by a palette that feels true to the period. For collectors who already love this film, the colourised edition offers a fresh way to experience it; for newcomers, it is an inviting introduction to one of 1940’s most enjoyable romantic comedies. Buy it today for €15.00 and enjoy an instant DRM-free MP4 download.

Historical Significance

Third Finger, Left Hand arrived in 1940, at the height of the screwball and romantic comedy boom that defined late-1930s and early-1940s Hollywood. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, a prolific and versatile filmmaker whose career spanned the silent era and the studio system’s golden age, the film reflects the polished craftsmanship of MGM-style comedy: brisk pacing, witty dialogue and a reliance on star chemistry. Leonard was known for drawing strong performances from leading ladies, and here he gives Myrna Loy a role that plays to her gift for sophisticated, self-possessed comedy.

Loy was one of the most beloved actresses of the period, celebrated for her intelligence and comic timing, and Melvyn Douglas was a perfect foil — urbane, warm and effortlessly funny. Together they anchor a film that trades on the era’s fascination with the modern working woman and the compromises she made between career and personal life. The premise of the invented husband was a popular comic device, and the film uses it to poke gently at workplace expectations and social convention without ever losing its light touch.

The supporting cast adds depth and humor, with character players like Raymond Walburn, Felix Bressart and Donald Meek bringing the kind of reliable comic presence that studio-era audiences trusted. While the film is not as widely remembered today as some of its contemporaries, it remains a fine example of the romantic comedy craft of its time — a genre that continues to influence modern filmmaking. Colorization brings it to new audiences, offering a fresh visual experience of a classic that deserves rediscovery.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 / MKV digital download
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: English original mono
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00 (token, rendered by the site)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Was Third Finger, Left Hand originally filmed in color?
A: No. Like most films of 1940, it was shot in black and white. This page offers a later professional colorized restoration, not a studio colour release — the original theatrical version was monochrome.

Q: Who stars in Third Finger, Left Hand?
A: The film stars Myrna Loy as magazine editor Margot Sherwood and Melvyn Douglas as the artist Philip Booth, supported by Raymond Walburn, Lee Bowman, Bonita Granville, Felix Bressart, Donald Meek, Ann Morriss, Sidney Blackmer and Ernest Whitman.

Q: What kind of comedy is Third Finger, Left Hand?
A: It is a romantic comedy — often described as a screwball-style comedy of manners — built around a case of mistaken identity and a woman’s invented husband, directed by Robert Z. Leonard.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as MP4 and MKV files that play on virtually any device.
Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.
Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

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• Nightmare Alley (1947)
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• Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)