classicsoncall Review of Wife vs. Secretary

Wife vs. Secretary (1936)

"And people aren't willing to believe that looks go with brains".

[7/10 · 23 March 2011]

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.