Wife vs. Secretary (1936)

Myrna Loy: Linda Stanhope

Photos 

Quotes 

• Linda : Well, after all, Van, she is an uncommonly good-looking girl. I don't know of anyone in our crowd who's as attractive, and people aren't willing to believe that looks go with brains.

  Van : Well, one of the smallest troubles we've ever had, Linda, is caring what other people think.

• [kisses Linda while her eyes are closed] 

  Van : Guess who!

  Linda : Hmm... Simpson?

  Van : No!

  [kisses her again] 

  Van : Try again!

  Linda : Finny.

  Van : No!

  [kisses her again] 

  Van : Try again!

  Linda : I give up.

  [opens her eyes as they laugh and embrace] 

  Linda : Oh! It's a husband!

• Linda : The world's divided into two kinds of people: those who believe that bow tie ends should be sticking out, and those who don't. Personally, I'm very tolerant, ask anybody. But anyone who believes a bow tie end should stick out should be deported from this country.

• Van : Happy?

  Linda : I don't know. You've never shown me anything else.

• Van : You gals certainly stick together. You know, you'd rather see Whitey promoted than to see me comfortable.

  Linda : It's really my own comfort I'm thinking of. Do you know that I sat next to a young lady tonight that didn't know I was Mrs. Stanhope and was convinced that Whitey was one of *those* secretaries.

  Van : What? Did somebody say that?

• Mimi : I haven't been one to give you much advice in the past, have I dear?

  Linda : You've been an absolutely model mother-in-law, Mimi.

  Mimi : All right, then I'm going to give you some now. Get rid of that secretary of Van's.

  Linda : Miss Wilson? Van couldn't live without her.

  Mimi : I hope not with her.

• Mimi : You know, my dear, I've seen much more of the world than you have - and more of the Stanhope men. Van is very like his father: warm-hearted, impulsive, active... and temptation ought not to be put in their way.

  Linda : Mimi, darling, all Van's life is spent with attractive women... not only Miss Wilson, but the girls who model dresses, the lovely actresses whose pictures he runs.

• Mimi : I see your point of view, dear, and it's all very modern and noble. Nevertheless, I advise you to get rid of Miss Wilson!

  Linda : Never. She's as important to him downtown as I am to him uptown.

• Linda : I'm the best, aren't I?

  Van : You're the top!

  Linda : The only best, always?

• Van : What'd you want?

  Linda : Oh, nothing.

  Van : Come on, now. What was it you wanted to tell me?

  Linda : It's too late. I won't talk now.

  Van : Well, probably wasn't anything important.

  Linda : Well, you're not going to get it out of me that way.

  Van : Well, what'd you want to tell me?

  Linda : Oh, the mood's gone. It's all different now.

  Van : Oh, it is, huh? The mood's gone? Eh? The mood's gone, eh? It is? Mmm-hmm.

  [kisses Linda on the lips] 

  Van : You know, the first time you bid three spades tonight, I am definitely going to break that lovely little neck of yours.

  [kisses Linda's neck] 

• Linda : Who's that with him?

  Party Guest : His *"secretary"*.

  Linda : He's married, isn't he?

  Party Guest : So is my husband, but his secretary's 40, if she's a day.

• Linda : Please give her the promotion.

  Van : Well, I certainly wouldn't give it to her for that reason - because someone thinks something smutty.

• Van : Are you going out?

  Linda : Yes, I have an appointment at the hair dressers at nine-thirty.

  Van : It's rather early for you, isn't it?

  Linda : Well, hair dressers are very arrogant, you know. You have to take what you can get.

• Linda : Oh, Mimi, you were so right. Oh, I'm so unhappy.

  Mimi : The secretary.

  Linda : Yes!

• Van : What's to prevent me from thinking about you *all* day?

  Linda : Wild horses?