Waste of time

Don't Believe the Hype

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Blistering performances.

The cast for this 1936 MGM movies is first rate. The leads are top names of the day. Clark Gabe is Van, Jean Harlow is his secretary, Whitey, and Myrna Loy is his wife, Linda. The supporting cast is tops as well. May Robson is Mimi, George Barbier is Underwood, and Tom Dugan is Finney. And, James Stewart has a supporting role in only his second year and fourth feature film. He already had one film as the male lead, and he would have two more before this year (1936) was over. The plot of "Wife versus Secretary" is a female love triangle (two females in love with the same man, whereas the usual is two mien competing of h same woman). Only, in this case, one of the women doesn't make a move for the man. Harlow plays straight, not wanting to break up a marriage in which her boss clearly loves his wife. But Loy's Linda begins to become jealous and suspicious. Van has to work late many nights. This is an age-old scenario in appearance. Even in the day this film was made, marriages went on the rocks over such situations. Most often they actually happened – a boss with his secretary or another woman. But in this story, Linda knows that Van loves her. His affection toward his wife is obvious always. But her suspicion lies with Whitey. She doesn't doubt the working times they have to spend together, but she begins to think that Whitey may be using those as a way slowly to pry her husband away for herself. This is a different twist on a common story, including one for the movies. And the ending is different and very good. The performance all are very good and the direction and technical work are very good. While it's interesting, and somewhat novel, there also isn't much excitement in the story to earn it more even stars. Most adults should enjoy it for the cast, but younger audiences today will likely find it dull.

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.

My grandmother use to say this was a beautiful film and I think she is just right. It tells the story of a happily married couple Van (Clark Gable) and Linda (Myrna Loy) and husband's beautiful secretary Whitey (great Jean Harlow) and how she gets into her life and almost destroy their marriage but, on the contrary of most miss Harlow films, she does not play an unscrupulous woman but a sincere and honest one: she is in love with her boss but she acts honestly by advising his wife not to let him go after they have an argument. Film begins as a delightful comedy to turn later in to a drama but always convinces, especially because of an excellent actors' work and a good script including well written lines for almost everyone. Even Van's mother Mimi (May Robson) has great lines although her little time appearance on the screen. A great film.

Fans of Jean Harlow expecting to see the Blonde Bombshell in action may be in for a bit of a surprise here. Harlow's usual persona is toned down considerably and she's made to look less glamorous than usual in her role as secretary to Clark Gable's Van Stanhope, president of a successful publishing company. It's Harlow's undeclared rival, Myrna Loy, who sports the glam look here as Mrs. Stanhope, happily married and supportive of her successful husband. The picture's title conjures up an image of a cat-fight in the making, but when you get right down to it, this is the story of a triangle that never was, and only barely approached getting to the point where the Stanhope marriage might have become compromised. Granted, Linda (Loy) did posture leaving her husband, but it was built on a misunderstanding fueled by the kind of gossipy innuendo that always seems to surround successful people with looks, money and brains. Of course it didn't help that Whitey (Harlow) answered the phone in Van's hotel room in Havana. Not even the most understanding wife would consider that an innocent circumstance. The resolution is relatively clever, with Whitey facing down Linda in a meeting of the minds. But it's not what you might expect, so if you haven't seen the film, I'd like to think the tease will get you to catch it. With your wife, or with your secretary. Just not both.