My dear secretary

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Movie
Original title My dear secretary
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1948
length 94 minutes
Rod
Director Charles Martin
script Charles Martin
production Harry M. Popkin ,
Leo C. Popkin
music Heinz Roemheld
camera Joseph F. Biroc
cut Arthur H. Nadel
occupation

and (not mentioned in the film):
Stanley Andrews , Gertrude Astor , Franklyn Farnum , Bess Flowers , John Holland , Eddie Kane , Dewey Robinson , Helene Stanley and Ben Welden

My Dear Secretary is a 1948 American film directed by Charles Martin , who also wrote the screenplay. It starred Laraine Day , Kirk Douglas and Keenan Wynn .

action

The successful writer Owen Waterbury meets Stephanie Gaylord, known as Steve, at a lecture and wants to hire her as his secretary. Because she wants to become a writer herself and appreciates Waterbury's books very much, she accepts the offer. But Owen turns out to be quite unreliable. He often changes his secretaries. He'd also rather gamble away his advances on new books with his friend Ronnie at the racecourse or in Las Vegas than write the books. Steve wants to quit soon. Owen then asks her to his beach house, but doesn't dictate his new novel to her there, but a kind of love letter in the form of a novel. When he wants to kiss her at the end, she defends herself and leaves the beach house.

Owen now has Steve followed by a detective. He can Ronnie and Elsie, Steve's predecessor, in a night club invite you to randomly visited Steve with her former employer Charles Harris. Elsie, who now works for Charles, suggests that the two will get married. After determining that this is not the case, Owen asks Steve to dance and proposes to her, which she accepts. When it becomes clear that Owen already has no more money despite the large advance payment, the two decide to retreat to the mountains so that Owen can write his book. Steve will enforce that.

Four months later, Owen's book is ready. Owen's publisher doesn't want to publish it. Steve wrote a book too, but Owen ignored it. So Steve brings the two books to Charles and asks him for his judgment. One night when Steve is away, Charles calls and tells Owen that he needs to speak to Steve urgently. Owen becomes jealous and starts a heated argument with Steve, who comes home soon afterwards. Still, Steve goes to Charles the next day. He has the publisher McNally from New York City as a guest, who absolutely wants to publish Steve's book, in which Owen is not interested. Steve disagrees with the release because it doesn't want to hurt Owen's feelings. While Charles and McNally try to change Steve's mind, Owen learns from the detective that Steve is with Charles. He calls her there and there is another loud argument. Soon after, Steve comes to the apartment to pick up her things. After she leaves, Owen tries to confront Charles, but learns that Charles and Elsie want to get married. Elsie tells Owen that Steve wanted to sacrifice her career for his sake and gives him Steve's book. He should read it, then he really has a reason to be jealous.

Steve's book is a complete success. She now has an apartment in the same house and a secretary. When Owen finds out, he storms upstairs and throws the secretary out. He admits that Steve is the better writer, even if he would publicly deny it, but thinks he is the better secretary. She should try it with him. Steve dictates to Owen that he needs a psychiatrist but that she still loves him. The two kiss.

background

My Dear Secretary was shot in black and white from early May to early June 1948 by the Cardinal Pictures production company owned by the brothers Harry M. Popkin and Leo C. Popkin . Rudi Feld provided the film .

According to an October 1948 report by Modern Screen magazine , there was significant argument between Harry M. Popkin and Laraine Day on the set .

publication

My Dear Secretary premiered on November 5, 1948. The film was distributed by United Artists . There was no German version.

It was released on DVD on October 17, 2000.

Reviews

The critics disagree on whether My Dear Secretary is funny. TMP said in its review in the New York Times that the film was not funny. He admitted, however, that he couldn't say how much would have been possible had the script not been so thin and so routine. Leonard Maltin, on the other hand, finds the film "entertaining, albeit trivial". Craig Butler also thinks the film is funny. He sees My Dear Secretary as a precursor to the comedies of Doris Day and Rock Hudson . The problem with the film is that it doesn't have these two actors. Laraine Day and Kirk Douglas aren't bad in their roles, but they just don't fit the roles that well.

There is agreement on Keenan Wynn's performance . Butler says Wynn deserves special praise and Maltin says he is stealing the show. TMP also sees the comedy concentrated on Wynn, but this could not save the film.

aftermath

My Dear Secretary was one of seven feature films whose rights were sold to WCBS-TV in 1953 . The film is now public domain in the USA .

Web links

Commons : My Dear Secretary  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b My Dear Secretary. In: AFI. Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
  2. ↑ George Fisher: fighting lady . In: Modern Screen . October 1948, p. 60, 110–113 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed October 31, 2017]).
  3. ^ My Dear Secretary (1948). In: AllMovie . Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
  4. ↑ a b TMP: At the Mayfair . In: The New York Times . February 14, 1949 ( online [accessed October 31, 2017]).
  5. ^ A b Leonard Maltin: Leonard Maltin Ratings & Review. In: Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
  6. ^ A b Craig Butler: My Dear Secretary (1948). In: AllMovie . Retrieved October 31, 2017 .
  7. ↑ 7 Popkin Pictures Sold to WCBS-TV . In: Motion Picture Daily . August 5, 1953, p.  2 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed October 31, 2017]).
  8. ^ Hal Erickson : My Dear Secretary (1948). In: AllMovie . Retrieved October 31, 2017 .