Wife vs. Secretary

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Alec B @Alec97 Feb 28 The movie does not deliver on what the title promises but that's probably a good thing. Its low stakes drama but well acted. See more Steve D @RT35616104 05/13/2023 With this talent it should be so much better. See more michael d @RT16138633 12/20/2021 This is a perfect little film, absolutely well-rounded and exquisite. Beautifully scripted, intelligently directed, ebulliently acted. Clark Gable is the successful publisher, newly married to society lady Myrna Loy who, although very modern and not jealously disposed, begins to suspect that he is carrying on an affair with his bleach-blonde secretary, Jean Harlow. As Gable's mother states, laconically of her son, "You wouldn't blame a boy for stealing a piece of candy". All fluff, right? Light as air, unsubstantial? Of course it is, it takes masters of their craft to make this plot stick, to make the movie plain unforgettable. Gable was never better, he seems to relish every second he is on screen, and there is none of the masculine stiffness about him that his worst performances have. He is a joy to watch with the always delightful Loy, their scenes together bristle and self-combust, and they are a really sweet, engaging couple. Loy has to be the most sophisticated creature ever to be filmed, she is SO cool and contemporary ("I'm the best, aren't I?", she says with just the slightest sardonic hint.) Harlow isn't given as much to work with, and she has to downplay her sassy sexiness in order not to tip the scales. But she is still almost all Harlow, and they go as far as they possibly could under the Production Code. The scene with Harlow and Gable in the Havana hotel room is all about sex, as we are left in no doubt. See more Irene M @igawel 05/10/2020 I read about this movie in a book about the Chateau Marmont. I love Myrna Loy and it was great to see a younger Clark Gable. I read up on the writer Faith Baldwin, who wrote many books and magazine serials about "working women" and their challenges. for its time, the script was much less preachy than I expected it to be (Only Jimmy Stewart who says its not "natural" for a woman to want to work vs marry". See more 12/29/2016 A strong cast rescues what would likely have been an otherwise forgettable comedy. Clark Gable plays a magazine publisher looking to make a major deal, but the real drama of the film is his wife, Myrna Loy, being suspicious that her loving husband is falling for his secretary, Jean Harlow. Top that off with a young James Stewart playing Harlow's boyfriend and you have a cast your couldn't imagine being any better. Not brilliant, but the cast makes this film seem well worth watching. See more 11/29/2016 This movie is loaded with star power - Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and wow, even a young Jimmy Stewart. The story is straightforward - Gable is an executive, Loy is his wife, Harlow his secretary, and Stewart, Harlow's boyfriend. Harlow is incredibly helpful to Gable and works long hours with him, thus prompting rumors, but the two are absolutely innocent. Eventually Loy and Stewart get jealous of the time the two are spending together, and are concerned the two are having an affair. I have to say, for a good part of the movie, it seemed reasonably good but somewhat false - the chemistry between Gable and Loy is just "ok", and the straight and narrow course Gable and Harlow take and the overall message of needing to trust in one's relationship seemed somehow influenced by the Hays Code to me. On the positive side, both Gable and Harlow are in roles outside of their usual typecasting, including Harlow with her natural hair color. Harlow also stands up to Stewart's requests that she quit her job to focus on family (hooray especially for 1936!), and Harlow confronting Loy and ultimately sacrificing herself is a good scene. And, on top of all that, the very best scene is between Gable and Harlow, after they've been drinking in Havana following closing a deal they had worked on over sleepless nights. Innocence aside, there is a moment of truth when she's in the same hotel room in the wee hours, untying his shoes. Their conflicted stares are priceless and communicate brilliantly without words, until Harlow says at last "we've had an awful lot to drink". That scene alone makes the film worth watching, and shows Harlow's ability and potential to grow even further. How sad she would die the following year at the age of 26! As for this film -- the script is good, not great, but the screen presences here surely are. See more Read all reviews

Wife vs. Secretary

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