Review of Wife vs. Secretary (1936) by Allan C — 17 Aug 2015

That blunt title says it all: the women's roles in this picture and in society were defined with respect to the men in their lives. Moreover, the wife suspects the secretary and, although the latter is honest, she just might seduce her boss if the wife throws him over.

The script builds a certain amount of tension but with lesser stars, this could easily have been painful (especially through today's eyes). But oh what stars! Clark Gable is witty and charming as the husband/boss running a magazine company, Myrna Loy is fetching and tender as the wife, and Jean Harlow is steadfast and alluring as the secretary.

Jimmy Stewart even has a small part as Harlow's boyfriend. Director Clarence Brown (Garbo's favourite director) makes the most of MGM's glamour factory to dress up the proceedings and there are handsome close-ups to spare.

But, yes, this is dated, not screwball enough, and badly misuses the comic talents of Myrna Loy by placing her in the sucker role - still for an escapist time-waster: not bad.