barrymplsplus
This is a beautifully written comedy/drama, very typical of the best of the late 1930's. But this movie illustrates how much it was a man's world and the wife is never to be involved in his business. When Van (Gable) is putting together this big magazine take-over, he completely shuts out his wife, which is why she does not understand why Whitey (Jean Harlow) is down in Havana instead of her. If he had only told her of his hush-hush plans, the whole misunderstanding wouldn't have happened! All of the actors are perfectly cast and do a wonderful job. This is exactly the kind of quality adult performance Jean Harlow was heading towards. What a tragedy she was dead within a year. This is also one of Clark Gable's best roles. He was excellent in this kind of light comedy/drama role...shame he didn't do more.
firefoxpies-139-635676
Originally a story by naughty Anita Loos, published in Cosmopolitan magazine, where she scandalized the 'old guard' by revealing the cutting-edge, cool, hip practice of wives palling around and spending recreational time with their husbands! Previously, men hung out chewing cigars and slurping brandy with other men for recreation, and didn't make a habit many times of sharing a bed, or even a room with the wife. Watching the opening of the film carefully, you will notice Van and Linda don't share a bedroom; their rooms adjoin, and he has his own bathroom. As they come out of their respective rooms in the morning and embrace, they share an intimate aside about "last night", revealing how he didn't want to leave her bedroom, and she replying that she hadn't asked him to leave. At breakfast they compete with tales of their intimate fly fishing vacation they have just returned from, another novelty in that the wife is fly fishing, and knows her way around a lure. Their conversation is intimate and witty. He pranks her with the novel presentation of an anniversary gift, followed by engulfing kisses and more intimate patter. Even the help gets in on the fun, noting that Mr. Stanhope had not yet touched his trout. The modern woman in her modern marriage, an enviable marriage to a loving, devoted, demonstrative hunk of a rich husband who only has eyes for her! Kind of a fairy tale for the modern woman of the times, still attractive today. Many intimate, sexy moments between Gable and Loy; a smooth, enjoyable story.
Claudio Carvalho
In New York, the magazine publisher Van "V.S." Stanhope (Clark Gable) and his beloved wife Linda (Myrna Loy) have been happily married for three years and are in love with each other. Van is a dynamic executive of the Stanhope Publications and works very close to his dedicated and efficient secretary Helen "Whitney" Wilson (Jean Harlow), who is a beautiful young woman engaged with Dave (James Stewart). When Van's mother Mimi (May Robson) poisons Linda about the relationship of her son with his secretary, Linda becomes jealous of her. Whitney and Dave have an argument and she breaks with him. Meanwhile Van is secretly planning to buy a magazine owned by Underwood (George Barbier) and Whitney helps him with the strategy. When Whitney discovers that the competitor Hanson House is also disputing the magazine, she travels to Havana to help Van to close the business with Underwood. They are well- succeeded in their intent and celebrate until late night. When Linda calls Van at 2:00 PM, Whitney answers the phone call and Linda believes that Van is really having an affair with Whitney. In the end, don't look for trouble where there isn't any because if you don't find it, you'll make it."Wife vs. Secretary" is an adorable romantic comedy by Clarence Brown with Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy in the lead roles. The intelligent screenplay is very well written, with funny situations. James Stewart in a supporting role in the beginning of his career has the final and most important line of this movie. The talented Jean Harlow passed away on the next year of cerebral edema caused by uremic poisoning, in a great loss for the cinema industry. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Ciúmes" ("Jealousy")
kenjha
The title suggests a comedy, but it's more like a fluffy drama about a woman who starts to become jealous when her husband lavishes too much attention on his secretary. It's fairly well done, but perhaps it would have worked better as a comedy. The cast is stellar. Gable is charming in typical role of the virile male who makes the ladies swoon. Loy is wonderful as the loving wife, a role she played often. Harlow is effectively subdued as the devoted secretary. Stewart, in only his fifth film, shows the screen persona that would soon carry him to super stardom. Unfortunately, all this star power is undermined by the mediocre script.
AD
