A Wife's Life is an eight minute short film made in 1950 by classic short filmmaker, Pete Smith (film producer)

Pete Smith (film producer)

Pete Smith was a film producer and narrator of "short subject" films from 1931 to 1955....

, who also narrates. It is directed by Dave O'Brien (actor)

Dave O'Brien (actor)

Dave O'Brien was an American film actor, director and writer. Born David Poole Fronabarger in Big Spring, Texas, O'Brien started his film career in bit parts before gradually winning larger roles, mostly in B pictures....

 and written by Dave O'Brien and Julian Harmon. The film is narrated in Smith's classic nasally matter-of-fact comedic delivery and is shot as a mockumentary

Mockumentary

A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...

of sorts.

Plot

Mrs. George T. Hardnose is an average mid-century housewife burdened by her aloof and patriarchal husband. She calls her husband to say she wants to go to a movie that night; he says, nothing doing, he's tired, he's worked hard, and what has she done all day. In a series of flashbacks, we see - starting with getting George out of bed and off to work, bathing an obstreperous three year old, dealing with stopped drains and a faulty defroster, doing dishes, cajoling a rich uncle, washing clothes, mopping floors, sweeping behind heavy furniture, cleaning the stove and a rug, and cooking dinner. When George asks her after dinner to let him have the paper, she cracks him over the head with a metal pipe.