Ceticultsot
Beautiful, moving film.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Wyatt
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Antonius Block
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.
AaronCapenBanner
Clark Gable stars in this comedy as Van Stanhope, a successful magazine executive who is happily married to his wife Linda(played By Myrna Loy). When Van hires a new secretary, the beautiful Whitey(played by Jean Harlow) Linda tries not to be jealous, but even Van's mother warns her that Van may stray, just like his father did, because of temptation. Despite the fact that Whitey has a boyfriend(a young Jimmy Stewart!) Linda becomes convinced that there has been an affair, which threatens to break up the marriage, despite denials... Good actors can't overcome obvious and predictable comedy that isn't funny enough to make it work either. Notable only for the cast.
nomoons11
Ah how jealousy can ruin any relationship rather easily. All that's needed to prevent it is communication but alas...it rarely ever happens.Clark Gable is a well liked owner of a magazine/publishing firm. He has that kinda personality that everyone takes to. Not a bad bone in his body. His new wife, Myrna Loy, doesn't have any doubt's about him around other women....until later of course. His super smart and efficient secretary, Jean Harlow, dotes on him. She looks after him without letting him know she loves him. Problem is, she isn't the kind of girl who will outright ruin a relationship to get what she wants. She's just always there. All his wife's friends plant the seed in her mind that the secretary is just too pretty for him not to be cheating. Heck, even his own mother tells her the same. She decides to tell him to not to keep his secretary and give her the promotion to work on another floor but he'll have none of it. He needs her cause she's too good at her job. Uh oh....there's a problem now.From all that you'll get circumstance upon circumstance where things never get solved because of one reason...lack of communication. Sound familiar? If they would only sit down and talk about how they feel in depth, and not in passing, things could easily work themselves out. Gable plays one of those guys that people from all around would like but he has no clue how he makes others feel...in this case...women. They love him but he has no feeling for them like he does for his wife. He's too friendly and that's where the issue is. Anyone would be jealous under those circumstances so you can't really blame his wife for her reaction. If he cared for her, he'd acquiesce, but he takes a stand instead. A younger crowd probably won't enjoy this but those who have been in relationships, this is a really good film about trust and boundaries between a married couple. Trust can only go so far until a seed is planted and you just don't know anymore. The one-eyed monster "Mr. Jealousy" comes out and it usually can ruin everything.
C. Carroll Adams
When "Wife vs Secretary" was released in 1936 for some reason my parents did not consider this appropriate for their 4 year-old boy to attend. In 1948 a few days after starting university at NYU, I finally managed to see the film at a Greenwich Village revival theater. By then I had become a huge fan of both Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy. I also had a soft spot for May Robson, who was so much like my actual grandmother.Bottom line is that I am a fan of the top six credited performers, as well as director Clarence Brown. James Stewart was just getting started as a movie actor. George Barbier made a lot of movies for Warners and was especially effective as "Dr. Bradley" in "The Man Who Came To Dinner" We first meet Van (Gable) and Linda (Loy) the morning of their 3rd anniversary in their luxury 2 story apartment. Later we meet Whitey (Harlow) personal secretary to Van, the CEO of a prestige magazine publishing firm.Van decides to expand his business and hold on to advertisers his firm needs to absorb a publisher of less expensive magazines. This must be investigated in complete secrecy, so Van depends heavily on Whitey's discretion, leaving details of the necessary accounting to her.During his anniversary party Van calls Whitey at the home she shares with her parents as they are eating dinner with Dave (Stewart) her boy friend/fiancé. He throws a tantrum because she decided her job is more important than going to a play with him.Perhaps I am prejudice, but I fail to understand why Whitey would have ever been interested in Dave. Stewart plays Dave as uneducated and non sophisticated. Harlow plays Whitey as a sensible and attractive woman who wants to be a business success while remaining ethical.At first Linda bends over backwards to have faith in Van, despite the warning from Van's mother Mimi (Robson) that men can be "naughty boys" and "Van his like his father". To keep the negotiations for the purchase of Underwood's (Barbier) magazine empire a secret, Van lies to Linda that he spent an afternoon at his club instead of admitting he had been driven to Underwood's estate accompanied by Whitey.Later, as the deal was closing, Van had to attend a convention in Havana, for private time with Underwood. He needs Whitey to fly to help type the contracts, although Van had not allowed Linda to make the trip.Whitey answered the phone in Van's Havana hotel suite when Linda called. Linda decides to separate from Van.In the closing reel Whitey confronts Linda and makes it clear that should Van ever become single, she wants him, yet she encourages Linda to reconsider.While before the fade-out Linda has returned to Van, who still had no clue Whitey had any romantic interest in him, it is far less clear what became of Dave and Whitey. I was 16 the first time I saw a revival of Wife vs Secretary in 1948, by which time I had seen Stewart in many films and had mourned to death of Harlow. My first reaction was that while Harlow should support a more mature and sophisticated Stewart, at the end of this film Whitey would be an idiot to waste another minute on a whiner like Dave.Wife vs Secretary remains one of my favorite films of 1936. I pull out my DVD and watch it ever 6 months of so and enjoy it every time!
