Wife vs Secretary **** (1936, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, May Robson, George Barbier, James Stewart, Hobart Cavanaugh) – Classic Movie Review 3,686

MGM’s classy 1936 romantic comedy film Wife vs Secretary provides a star role for May Robson as Mimi, Clark Gable’s mother, who stirs up his wife Linda (Myrna Loy) to be jealous of his secretary Whitey (Jean Harlow).

Director and co-producer Clarence Brown’s classy 1936 American romantic comedy drama film Wife vs Secretary provides a memorable star role for May Robson as Mimi, Clark Gable’s mother, who stirs up his wife Linda (Myrna Loy) to be jealous of his secretary Whitey (Jean Harlow).

The screenplay in this highly polished and pleasing comedy seemingly effortlessly finds something still fresh and fragrant on the old marital jealousy and battle-axe mother-in-law themes.

There are charming performances by all four of the wonderful Thirties stars and there is the usual MGM polished production and cast backup to boost the deliciously witty script (by Norman Krasna, Alice Duer Miller and John Lee Mahin), based on a magazine short story by Faith Baldwin, published in Cosmopolitan in May 1935.

Director Brown handles it all just beautifully.

James Stewart appears sixth billed in support, playing the secretary’s suitor in one of his first notable roles.

Also in the cast are George Barbier, James Stewart, Hobart Cavanaugh, Marjorie Gateson, Charles Trowbridge, John Qualen, Gloria Holden, Gilbert Emery, Margaret Irving, William Newell, Leonard Carey, Hilda Howe, Tommy Dugan, Jack Mulhall, Frank Elliott, Greta Meyer, Frank Puglia and Holmes Herbert.

It is the fifth of six films with Gable and Harlow and the fourth of seven with Gable and Loy. It is the first time Harlow and Loy worked together but they went on to make Libeled Lady later in 1936.

It earned $1,350,000 in the US and Canada and $717,000 elsewhere, turning a profit of $876,000, against a budget of $519,000.

Loy recalled: ‘Jean Harlow had begged for a role that didn’t require spouting slang and modelling lingerie. She even convinced them to darken her hair a shade, in hopes of toning down that brash image. It worked. She’s really wonderful in the picture and her popularity wasn’t diminished one bit.’

James Stewart recalled: ‘That Jean Harlow sure was a good kisser. Clarence Brown wasn’t too pleased by the way I did the smooching. He made us repeat the scene about half a dozen times. I botched it up on purpose.’

The cast

The cast are Clark Gable as Van ‘V.S.’/ ‘Jake’ Stanhope, Jean Harlow as Helen ‘Whitey’ Wilson, Myrna Loy as Linda Stanhope, May Robson as Mimi Stanhope, George Barbier as J D Underwood, James Stewart as Dave, Hobart Cavanaugh as Joe, John Qualen as Mr Jenkins, Tom Dugan as Finney, Gilbert Emery as Simpson, Marjorie Gateson as Eve Merritt, Gloria Holden as Joan Carstairs, Eugene Borden as Ship’s Officer, Aileen Pringle as Mrs Anne Barker, Charles Trowbridge, John Qualen, Margaret Irving, William Newell, Leonard Carey, Hilda Howe, Tommy Dugan, Jack Mulhall, Frank Elliott, Greta Meyer, Frank Puglia and Holmes Herbert.

It is also known as Wife versus Secretary.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,686

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