Customer Reviews

Wife vs. Secretary

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

WIFE VS. SECRETARY (directed in 1936 by Clarence Brown) is a brisk programmer starring three of MGM's best of the period: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow. It was based on a story by Faith Baldwin which originally appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Van Stanhope (Clark Gable) is a successful publishing tycoon whose marriage with lovely wife Linda (Myrna Loy) is put to the test when rumours about an affair with Van's secretary 'Whitey' (Jean Harlow) start to circulate. At first, Linda dismisses it as gossip, but later comes to the conclusion it must be true, following a whirlwind business trip to Havana...

Jean Harlow is the one who'll really surprise you in this movie. In a performance worlds away from the zingy dames she played in "Dinner at Eight" and "Red Dust", Harlow is incredibly naturalistic with her character of 'Whitey', Van's efficient, no-nonsense secretary. Observe closely her scenes with Clark Gable (especially during the Havana sequence) and her final scene with Myrna Loy. Very rarely did Harlow convey so much by doing so little on the screen.

Gable and Loy conjure up a very healthy screen chemistry. WIFE VS. SECRETARY also features an early performance from James Stewart, playing Harlow's lanky boyfriend. The supporting cast includes May Robson, George Barbier and Hobart Cavenaugh.

The DVD also includes the 'Crime Does Not Pay' short "The Public Pays" (which recycled the sets used in WIFE VS. SECRETARY), musical short "New Shoes", and the trailer. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

Spoilers here a little -- This film is fun to watch. I love the rapport between characters. Clarke Gable is wonderful as the faithful (but almost not) husband of Myrna Loy. I was quite surprised at the nice acting performance turned out by Jean Harlow. Too bad she did not live to make more films. James Stewart is sparkling, as usual, in his small part in this film. Though labeled a comedy--there are some serious lessons here relating to ill-timed words of suspicion on the part of the mother of the Clarke Gable character. This creates havoc which is not always funny, but definately interesting. The quality of this DVD is excellent. The sound is good and the picture nice and clear. All in all, if you are a fan of older movies--you will enjoy this one.

I have watch this movie over and over again, and each time I view it, I find it more enjoyable as ever. This movie is about misunderstanding between husband and wife, which is cause by other individual plant seeds of doubt in the ears of a loving wife, about her husband relationship with his secretary.
Of course, nothing is going on between the business man and his secretary, but the wife believe something must be going on, base on what she is told, the poor husband can't figure out what is wrong with his marriage, because he has done nothing wrong.
In this movie you got three of the greatest actors and actresses of all time, Myrna Loy, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow.
Ms. Loy wore some of the greatest gowns ever worn by any actresses in any movie, and she look stunning as always in them, and sexy as ever. Ms. Harlow is equally stunning and sexy, and Gable played one of his best roles ever in a movie, of course "Gone with the Wind" is his best role, but this is close second or third, (in my book).
Ms. Myrna Loy performance was so good, I don't know why she was not nominated for an award. Ms Loy stole this movie, get it you will not be disappointed.

"Are you happy?" -- Van teasing Linda

"Happy? I don't know! You've never shown me anything else." -- Linda


A Cosmopolitan Magazine story by Faith Baldwin was purchased by MGM and fashioned for a great trio of big stars by Norman Krasna, John Lee Mahin, and Alice Duer Miller. Director Clarence Brown was given all the gloss and star power that could be finagled. The results were warm and romantic, a film with fun and a message urging viewers to just believe in someone and enjoy love, adding depth to what could have been just enjoyable fluff.

V.S. (Clark Gable) and Linda (Myrna Loy) are a couple happily and playfully in love, enjoying to the full all the wonderful pleasures of being married and truly in love. Loy is magnificent here, and so adorable that you get a real sense of how special she was as a star and actress. This is also one of Gable's most likable characters, and performances. He's fun to watch, and so is she, their playful joy as a couple making the film bright, as if someone threw a big dose of sunshine at the screen. They imbue the film with energy and love so warm and fun it must have nearly spilled into moviegoers' laps with the popcorn when it was released.

Equally warm and fun is Van's relationship with his wonderful secretary, Whitey Wilson (Jean Harlow). She's smart and spectacular, and his right arm. It is this close relationship Linda's mother-in-law (May Robson) worries about, planting seeds of doubt in a garden hitherto barren of weeds, only bearing sweet fruits. When V.S. must keep secret a sweet deal to take over a magazine, and spend even more time with Whitey, finally ending up in exotic Havana with her rather than his wife, those weeds begin to choke out the roots of Linda's love, breaking her heart. Whitey has her own problems, however, her beau Dave (James Stewart) wanting her to quit her job and something important to her self-worth before they marry.

Harlow gets to be Harlow here, a nice girl who just happens to be a knockout; a character much closer to her own personality than others she played onscreen. Humor and warmth blend with romance in this enjoyable film, the absence of a "bad girl" within the triangle refreshing. Whitey is indeed anything but a problem, but might not have the will to resist the boss she adores and take him on the rebound if the hurt Linda doesn't realize she's made a big mistake of trust. It is Whitey who will make the most loving gesture in fact, sacrificing what might be for herself, for a happiness much greater between two people who truly can't be happy without the other. Jean Harlow is a good girl here, and it fits like a glove.

A rare and wonderful tone and a gorgeous cast all make this story a pleasure to watch. A must see classic for fans of any or all of these stars. Great fun.

"Wife vs. Secretary" is a mid 30s romantic comedy that isn't all that romantic and certainly not that funny, but what it does have is 3 of the top stars of the era - Gable, Harlow and Loy - in terrific performances. And just to put the cherry on the cake, we have a very young Jimmy Stewart in one of his first roles.

This must have seemed like a party to the 3 stars. Gable and Harlow made 6 films together and Loy and Gable made 7 films together. Harlow and Loy appeared together in "Libeled Lady" (1936) with William Powell and Spencer Tracy. Gable and Harlow were BFFs

Jean Harlow (1911-1937) was the biggest sex symbol of her times. She gained her reputation playing the gangster's moll in films like "Hell's Angels" (1930), "The Secret Six" (1931), and "Public Enemy" (1931). In 1932 alone she made 5 films, including "Red Headed Woman", "Scarface" and "Beast of the City," and she co-starred with Clark Gable in "Red Dust". By 1936 she had secured her position as a comedienne, largely as a result of "Bombshell" (1933). In "Wife vs. Secretary" she really makes another transition - into a full fledged actress, capable of playing any role.

Clark Gable (1901-60) was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century, and a pretty good actor to boot. We remember him best as Rhett Butler for "GWTW" (1939), for which he received one of his three Oscar nominations (the other nomination was for 1935's "Mutiny on the Bounty" and he won in 1934 for "It Happened One Night"), but he gave us many memorable performances in films like "Teachers' Pet" (1958) and "But Not for Me" (1959) both of which earned him Golden Globe nominations. My favorite Gable flick is "Run Silent Run Deep" (1958). BTW - it was Gable's appearance with Harlow in "Red Dust" that moved him from the ranks to the top list.

Myrna Loy (1905-93) is best remembered as Nora Charles from "The Thin Man" series that produced 6 films between 1934 and 1947. She made more than 100 films, the most notable of which are "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948) and "Cheaper by the Dozen" (1950).

This was Jimmy Stewart's (1908-97) fourth film, He needs little introduction. He ranks #3 on the AFI list of greatest male stars. He was nominated for an Oscar 5 times, winning for "The Philadelphia Story" (1940), although he's probably better known for "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). He made nearly 100 films between 1934 and 1991, and was equally at home in westerns ("The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"), comedies ("The Shop Around the Corner"), and drama ("Rear Window").

Also in the cast are May Robson and John Qualen.

May Robson (1858-1942) was everyone's favorite granny, a part she played in films like "Irene" (1940), "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939), and "A Star is Born" (1937). She was nominated for an Oscar for "Lady for a Day" (1934). She plays Gable's mother.

John Qualen (1899-1987) is best known as part of the Wayne/Ford stock company. He made nearly 200 films, 9 of them directed by John Ford and 4 with Wayne but not Ford - "Shepherd of the Hills", "The High and the Mighty" (1954), and "North to Alaska (1960) and "Donovan's Reef" (1963). My favorite John Qualen role was as Lars in "The Searchers" (1956). Qualen has a small role as an accountant. He doesn't use his customary European accent.

Clarence Brown (1890-1987) directs. Brown was a well known silent film director ("Last of the Mohicans", "Flesh and the Devil"). He was nominated for an Oscar 5 times ("Anna Christie", "A Free Soul", "The Human Comedy", "National Velvet", and "The Yearling") but never won. His films earned 38 Oscar nominations and 9 wins, but never for Director. He loved working with actresses, and worked with both Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford 6 times.

Brown was also a producer and made 28 films, including this one. Other Brown films were "Anna Christie" (1930), "The Human Comedy" (1943) and "Angels in the Outfield" (1951).

Herbert Stothart (1885-1949) was the composer and often worked with Brown. Stothart won the Oscar for "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) and was nominated 9 more times. He was often used in period pieces, and his films include "Treasure Island" (1934), Viva Villa" (1934), "David Copperfield" (1935), Anna Karenina" (1935), "Tale of Two Cities" (1935), and "Romeo and Juliette" (1936).

The plot is no great shakes and the film would only be a so-so film in the hands of anyone else. But Brown manages to get bravura performances from everyone. There are a few scenes in which silent looks between Gable and Harlow (in their hotel room in Havana) and between Loy and Harlow (in Gable's office) are so expressive that they rank up there with the very best scenes in any film.

Most people interpret this film as a conflict between Loy (wife) and Harlow (secretary), and while this is true, on another level this is also a film about Harlow's choice to remain as Gable's secretary or to quit and become Jimmy Stewart's wife.

In 1936 Jean Harlow had 3 films in the top 20 - "Libeled Lady" ( Spencer Tracy, William Powell, and Myrna Loy), "Wife vs. Secretary" (Gable and Loy), and "Suzy" (Cary Grant). The other big money winners were "San Francisco" (Gable), "The Great Ziegfeld" (Powell and Loy), "Modern Times" (Chaplin), and "Charge of the Light Brigade" (Flynn and de Havilland). The big Oscar winner was "The Great Ziegfeld" (Picture, Best Actress). Other notable films from that year were "The Petrified Forest" (Bogart), "Romeo and Juliette" (Shearer and Howard), "Dodsworth" (Walter Huston) and Fritz Lang's "Fury".

If you're a Harlow fan, you need to watch this film. In fact, fans of Gable, Loy, or Stewart will also find their performances exceptional and enjoy this film. As a 30s romantic comedy it is pretty straight forward, but by the time Brown and his 4 stars get finished with it, it's elevated to a must see.

With Actors such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy and James Stewart you might assume this was one of those all-star romantic comedies that are made just for the sake of selling tickets. Well that it's not really the case here because "Wife vs Secretary" is neither dumb or superficial, besides James Stewart wasn't a known actor at the time. As the title obviously suggests it's about a man who has a very appealing secretary thus setting a scenario for a confrontation with his wife. But here is where 'Wife Vs Secretary" differs from the cliche. Because neither is Loy (the wife) the jealous type, Gable (the husband) a Casanova, or Harlow (the secretary) a dumb sexy home wrecking type. The confrontations occur out of the scenarios that these three characters are put in and the gossip that people spread around them. And i like that for a change we are shown that sometimes problems are just the schemes of our own fears and insecurities and even though people always try to push you to see the world how they want, you have to realize life is simpler than that. So as Stewart so eloquently puts it "Don't look for trouble where there isn't any, because if you don't find it, you'll make it."

What a gem! This movie is smart, well directed and wonderfully acted. If I had to pick one movie that showcased the best acting of these Hollywood legends this would be it. Wonderful story line. It is still as fresh as it was in the late '30s. They haven't made movies like this in a long time, and that's a damned shame.
Buy this for your library and watch it at least once a year.

Quirky, adorable and charming. Gable and Loy almost give you a cavity in their most enduring portrayal of a loving, societal couple. This film is very thick with old, conservative ideals of what marriages were like but I rather enjoy that about this film. The best scene to sum up this classic is when Gable and Loy have had a fight and are seperated; he at his "club" and she at home. Loy finally succumbs to guilt and calls his club; Gable looking haughty and masculine, quits his poker game, saunters over to the phone and in a gruff voice asks: "Hello?!" Myrna Loy, sniffling away tears, softly cries: "Van...Come home!" Gables face lights up in a huge smile and yells happily: "Darling I'll be right there!!" Then he runs straight out of the club and back home to her arms to smother her in kisses. It's a good story with quite a bit of truth to it in response to temptation and human-nature. Harlow is quite the beauty in this film (with brains!) but Loy truly is no slouch either! Although I felt the ending left something to be desired, it's still an enjoyable experience for anyone who enjoys old movies or Clark Gable.

I approached this film expecting a glossy MGM screwball comedy. What I found was a serious look at how the most happy unions are threatened when a perceived threat comes in the form of the opposite sex no matter how harmless it is. I can empathize because I work in an office that is majority woman. My wife also works in a different office at my company and sometimes there's some splaining to do when I'm caught communicating with a co-worker. Though 70 years old this film is tiomeless because it's themes are universal. The principals here are all terrific especially Jean Harlow as Clark Gable's secretary suggesting greatness if she hadn't perished so young.

This is a really good film. Love the stars in this one. A must see!