Good 30s Films: Wife vs. Secretary

1936 Comedy
From MGM
Directed by Clarence Brown

Starring
Clark Gable
Jean Harlow
Myrna Loy
James Stewart
May Robson
George Barbier

Someone out there must be thinking is he ever again going to write a piece that doesn't mention Clark Gable, Myrna Loy or Jean Harlow?  And OMG, all three of them are in this one!  Will it never end?  Well, yes, it will... when we leave the 1930s.  But while we're camping out in this decade, these three can rightfully claim their places at the front of the pack.

In those golden days all the studios took note of the dollars being raked in because Mr. Handsome and Miss Beautiful costarred in some film together.  Those in power were certain lightning would always strike again.  Usually they were right.  Wife vs. Secretary represents the fifth of six pairings of Gable and Harlow and the fourth of seven for Loy and Gable.  Furthermore, when this film wrapped, the two actresses went into another one together, Libeled Lady, which we reviewed earlier.  Stewart, in only his fourth film, would later in the year join Loy in After the Thin Man.

As I've said before, Harlow and Gable were great pals in real life while Gable never really warmed to Loy until they made this one.  Only a few months before shooting commenced, Loy and Harlow became friendly because their circle of friends (and costars) were often the same.  Most of all they had William Powell in common.  Powell and Loy made 14 films together (you read about them here) and he and Harlow were engaged to be married in real life.  It was all very chummy and MGM knew that to put three of its brightest stars in the same film was box office gold.

A magazine writer, Faith Baldwin, had a thing for writing about threesomes.  One would think she had experience in such matters. Her onesie-twosie-threesie pieces helped sell magazines.  MGM bought the rights knowing just what to do with them.

Under the studio's glossy look came a sophisticated, rather sexy (for its day, mind you) comedy with a title that is a little misleading.  I don't especially see this as a versus although I don't doubt that it helped sell tickets.  

Gable is a successful magazine publisher and Harlow is not just his secretary but his Girl Friday.  She seems to be the true brains of the outfit.  One of Baldwin's earlier works was called Office Wife and that could certainly fit Harlow's role.

Loy is the trusting wife of three years and the surprise here is that she has every reason to be.  Gable appreciates Harlow in every way accept a romantic one.  He has been true blue and Loy has never had a reason to doubt him until his own mother (Robson), upon seeing Harlow, puts a seed of doubt in Loy's mind.  The film aptly captures one comedy scene after another as Loy's mind is cluttered with dodgy doubts.

She is dismayed to learn that Gable will not release Harlow to take a promotion within the company because he needs her too much as his secretary.  Loy asks him to get someone new and he refuses.  Ooops.

Things come to a head when Gable is set to fly to Havana to finalize a hush-hush deal over assuming ownership of a competitive magazine.  Loy knows he is going and assumes that she will be going along.  Her bags are packed and she's ready as he arrives home to prepare for the trip.  She is most disappointed when he tells her she needs to stay home because he will be much too busy to spend time with her.  Her pleas to change his mind go nowhere.  She instead asks him to promise to call her twice a day.

He tells her not a single lie but life occasionally takes some curious turns.  Once in Havana, he realizes he has left some important papers behind in Manhattan and since no one's ever heard of FedEx, he asks Harlow to fly down with the work items.  She does and they become enmeshed in last-minute preparations including into the wee hours of the morning in his hotel room, frequently with others helping out.  Not only is Harlow there when Loy calls (after not hearing from him as promised) but Harlow answers the phone.  What's a secretary to do?  If she were really involved with him, smart cookie that she is, would she answer his phone at 2 a.m.?

And what's a faraway wife to do, one who has gotten increasingly suspicious?  Why, she files for divorce, of course.

Gable is most upset.  Harlow takes it upon herself to speak to Loy in person and alone.  (My favorite scene... sorry CG.)  Harlow tells her if you leave him now, you're never going to get him back and then adds if he turns to me, I won't turn away.  We have suspected all along that she cared for him beyond the boss-employee relationship but this is the first time anything was confirmed.  Loy appears indifferent while Harlow says you're a fool... for which I am grateful.  Shocked into sensible, she returns to Gable and Harlow looks as if she'll work it all out with Stewart. 

The great fun of the piece, of course, is the suspicion of cheating when none has occurred.  It's not a stretch to realize that others would consider that two good-looking people working closely together are not sometimes doing it undressed.  It wouldn't have been as funny if Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were the two, but Harlow and Gable?  

Gable was only so-so about making this one, which he regarded as a woman's picture but he came around.  He didn't do a lot of comedies but he was usually so good at them and this is one of his best.  He sure lays a lot of passionate kisses on Loy.  I actually have no recollection of him kissing a costar this much.  Of course his scenes with Harlow-- and he has more scenes with her-- are pure magic.

As I said in my piece on her, when Harlow forsook her frequent coarse and contrary manner to become the most charming light comedienne, it allowed her to show some class and depth.  She even eschewed her trademark platinum blonde looks for a darker shade of blonde.  Still, her character was called Whitey.  It's not overkill to call this a luminous performance... her best, as I see it.  Many felt this film would put Harlow's career on a whole new trajectory, but, of course, it was not to be.

Loy is not so much underused as much as her role is underwritten.  It's nice that the title mentions her role when the secretary part is much larger.  Still, being the most serene, if not regal, of actresses, she is always such a winning addition to any film.  Loy was often critical of some of her films but no metaphor was too grandiose for her to bestow upon this one.

Here is very early Jimmy Stewart.  Never more good-looking, he had already developed some of those actorly traits for which he would become world-famous.  He plays Harlow's boyfriend who is perpetually bummed out at Gable's interference in their lives.  He always claimed Harlow was one of the best kissers of any of his many costars.

Director Clarence Brown was an employee in good standing at MGM.  They entrusted him with a number of their valuable projects but he did almost no comedies.  He was a very visual director, big on story-boarding and knowing every scene of his films as if they were all separate films.  He was well-regarded among MGM's top stars because he had a knack for making each one feel as if he or she were the most important person in the world to him.  When this picture was as well-received as it was, Brown garnered a lot of the credit around the Culver City lot.

This is clearly a romantic-comedy and regular readers certainly are aware of my general disdain for the genre.  But I'm always happy to kick my position to the curb for one as entertaining and generally as well-made as this one.  And of course Gable, Harlow and Loy.  Be still my heart.

Next posting:
A singing duo