Misbehaving Husbands was intended as a comeback vehicle for silent-film comedy great Harry Langdon, who after his fall from grace in the 1920s had to content himself with cheap 2-reelers, featured roles and screenwriting assignments. Langdon plays henpecked store-owner Henry Butler, who decides to save money by designing his window displays himself. When Henry's wife (Betty Blythe) spots him in an innocent but compromising situation with one of his underdressed models, she walks out on him and files for divorce. Making matters worse, poor Henry is accused of murder when he's seen carrying a store dummy into his house. It's all strictly short-subject material, but Langdon carries off his assignment with finesse, proving that he was still capable of carrying a feature film if given half a chance. Others contributing to the general merriment are statuesque Esther Muir, Langdon's longtime screen partner (and close friend) Vernon Dent, Ralph "Dick Tracy" Byrd and veteran western heavy Richard Cramer (who'd previously appeared in the Langdon-scripted Laurel & Hardy vehicleSaps at Sea). ~ Hal Erickson
Plot synopsis from IMDB: The owner of a department store is threatened with divorce by his wife, who has gotten reports that he's been seen in the arms of a beautiful blonde on the night of their 20th wedding anniversary. He has to find a way to convince her that the "beautiful blonde" in question was actually a store mannequin that he was taking in for repairs.
My thoughts: Harry Langdon had in his silent films and early talkies often made comedies about his character's idiotic inability to distinguish between real people and dummies--this film reverses the gag, and he plays a henpecked nebbish whose actions with a mannequin nearly provoke divorce. It's not his best work, but it's amiable fun.
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