Wife vs Secretary (1936)

Myrna Loy - Linda Stanhope
Clark Gable - Van Stanhope
Jean Harlow - Helen "Whitey" Wilson

I'm still trying to figure out my feelings toward this film so until I fully get a grasp of my thoughts, I will instead tell you the things I know of the actors and such.

Myrna Loy get's third billing in the movie credits but first billing on my blog because she rates pretty high in my book. (It's my blog and I can do what I want!) This is the same year that she and Clark Gable won "King and Queen of the Movies" so they were both hot commodities, especially when paired together. This is Myrna's second time in the same year working with Jean Harlow, the other film being "Libeled Lady" which is as close to a perfect romantic comedy as you can get. Myrna always plays the wife role perfectly. I can see why, though never a fan of the title, she was nicknamed "The Perfect Wife".

Clark Gable get's first billing in the credits but second on my blog because Myrna beat him out simply by being a classy, witty dame. This film comes two years after the Frank Capra hit "It Happened One Night", but three years before his iconic role as Rhett Butler in "Gone With The Wind". I wouldn't say that I'm indifferent to Clark Gable, it's more that I have never fully explored his filmography, though I have seen quite a few of his movies and enjoyed them all. Whether he is playing opposite Myrna Loy, Vivian Leigh, Claudette Colbert or Doris Day, he is the standard that all leading men should measure themselves against. He's a man's man that knew how to love the ladies and make them unabashedly love him back.

Jean Harlow, second billed in the movie credits but third here because I really don't know much about her other than she was considered an acerbic movie vixen and engaged to William Powell only to pass away before the marriage and well before her time should have been up. She was only 26. However, from the two movies I've seen her in and have mentioned in this entry, she was a good actress with intelligence, wit and fierce determination. I have no strong desire to see anymore of her movies but I do know that if I happen upon one I will be delighted by her performance.

Now my reaction to the movie.

First of all, the title implies a certainty possibility for infidelity which immediately made me not want to watch it but, considering the star power, went against my initial impulse. I was happy I did because it was a delightful film with each star bringing to the table their own brand of personality which brought extra depth to the storyline. Clark and Myrna are husband and wife who can't seem to get enough of each other. Seriously lovey dovey from the word go. He runs his own business which is very successful as indicated by their house and style of living. Though their relationship is solid and based on trust, his mother puts doubts in Myrna's mind that there could be a risk in having Jean be his secretary. Why put the temptation right in his sightline everyday? Well, Myrna doesn't worry her pretty little head about it, that is until his mother says those things. She doesn't want to be a worry wart but things start happening and being said that lead her to wonder. Though this is a serious topic, the movie has moments of comedy and light-heartedness. There are even moments in the beginning, that the trust that Clark and Myrna share is a wonderful sight to see and almost leads one to think that, because of this established trust, there could be a chance that Myrna and Jean could be friends. Maybe it only seems that way because they were friends in real life? Not sure?

Parts that stood out.

-Incredibly suggestive dialogue by both stars and extras. Here's a clip as proof. PHEW!



Here is a quote from Myrna regarding this movie and the future of movies when it comes to sex..."Where sex is concerned, the double entendre, the ambiguity, it seems to me, is much more effective than being too explicit. This is something the moviemakers don't seem to understand today."
I agree with her whole-heartedly and this may be the real reason I will not should not read "Fifty Shades of Grey."
 
-Jean Harlow is a career-woman and very good at her job. I do not mean that to imply she's "good" at her job and will try to land the boss, but she's genuinely very effective in her role as secretary and you have no doubt that when Clark says he'd "die without her", he means it. Even Myrna agrees, in a business mindset.

-Jean refusing to leaver her job if/when she get's married. Quite a radical idea for a woman in the 30's. I admire her for that but I also struggle with it because it has to do with her relationship to Jimmy Stewart in the film, and who would do anything to ruin their relationship with Jimmy Stewart!?

**Spoiler**

-Quite often we, as a society, are presented with many films where women are competing for a man. It's so often that we don't even see it as something that is being subliminally taught to us; that women should not and cannot be friends with each other. Though the movie primarily shows this competition between Myrna and Jean, there is a moment at the end where the two share a scene and speak frankly about the situation. Jean ultimately tries to explain the misunderstandings that have occurred and show Myrna that if she doesn't accept the real innocent truth then she'll lose Clark forever to whomelse but Jean. She plainly says that if Myrna doesn't go back to him then she, Jean, will gladly take her place with the understanding he'll never love her the way he loves his wife. It's a kind of solidarity I wasn't expecting and found it to be refreshing.

So there you have it, a movie I wasn't overly excited to watch and didn't immediately love, ended up being a movie I'd watch again and again (if only for the natural banter between Myrna and Clark). Please leave a comment or let me know if/when you watch the movie and what you think of it.