My Dear Secretary

Overview

Kirk Douglas' first comedic performance casts him as Owen Waterbury, a hard-living, womanizing novelist who marries his secretary Stephanie (Laraine Day). After she achieves greater literary success than he, the couple splits, leaving their friends to try to reunite them.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2021
UPC:	0191091588857
Original Release:	1949
Rating:	NR
Source:	Digicomtv
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kirk Douglas	Owen Waterbury
Laraine Day	Stephanie 'Steve' Gaylord
Keenan Wynn	Ronnie Hastings
Helen Walker	Elsie
Rudy Vallee	Charles Harris
Florence Bates	Mrs. Reeves
Alan Mowbray	Deveny
Grady Sutton	Scott
Irene Ryan	Mary
Gale Robbins	Dawn O'Malley
Virginia Hewitt	Felicia
Abe Reynolds	Taxi Driver
Jody Gilbert	Hilda Sneebacher,Hilda Sneebacher
Helene Stanley	Miss Pidgeon
Joe Kirk	Process Server
Russell Hicks	Publisher
Gertrude Astor	Miss Gee
Marten Lamont	Male Secretary
Charles Halton	Teacher
Stanley Andrews	Actor
Heinz Roemheld	Composer

Technical Credits

Charles Martin

Charles Martin	Director,Screenwriter
Leo G. Popkin	Producer,Producer

Editorial Reviews

My Dear Secretary is an engaging little screwball comedy that, while far from a classic, promises a very decent amount of merriment. Secretary can be seen as a precursor to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson style of sex comedies that would become popular a decade or so later. Indeed, much of Secretarycould be taken and re-filmed with those stars and fit perfectly into their own films. However, Secretary doesn't have Doris and Rock, it has Laraine Day and Kirk Douglas -- and this is one of the reasons why it isn't quite as good a film as it could be. Neither star is bad, mind you, but they don't have the natural flair for this material that is required. Douglas tries too hard, and the effortless charm that is needed is sorely missed. Laraine Day gives off with one note and doesn't vary it sufficiently, becoming annoying in sections. Worse, without providing any greater character depth, she throws the story a bit off balance. Fortunately, the supporting cast is first rate and goes a long way to making up for the deficiencies of the star. Special praise is due Keenan Wynn's expert comic account of the best pal of Douglas, stealing scenes with ease and aplomb.