Waste of time

Good start, but then it gets ruined

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Blistering performances.

Although it might not seem like it at first, My Dear Secretary is a great movie to watch if you're a feminist. Kirk Douglas plays a successful romance novelist known for his womanizing ways. It's the same routine every time he gets a new secretary, until he hires Laraine Day. She starts her new job with a little crush, that fades fast when she sees what kind of man he really is. He insists she work nights, suggests she move into his apartment, and when she tries to get him to work, he keeps making passes!Parts of this movie are absolutely hilarious, with the endless antics involving Kirk's roommate Keenan Wynn and their attempts to dodge their landlady Florence Bates. Parts are a little quirky, and it's easy to imagine Charles Martin's script adapted into a play. Kirk and Keenan bounce off each other's comic timing wonderfully, and it's nice to see Kirk in a comedy, since he usually made such heavy dramas. If you like quirky, slightly silly romantic comedies with a heart of gold, be sure and rent My Dear Secretary with your girlfriends.

Don't get me wrong. This is a sort of fun slap sticky screwball comedy from and of the 40's. It is Kirk Douglas's sixth film and he is billed second after the lovely Laraine Day. It is just two films and two years before his Academy Award winning turn in Champion in 1950. BUT Kirk is best at those scene chewing, somewhat over-dramatic, tooth baring roles. Comedy, not so much ! Keenan Wynn is fun to watch in another of his frequent appearances as best pal to the star. He has the most clever wise cracks in the film but they aren't all that funny, really. The whole deal with him using the kitchen and burning everything is just sort of annoying and goes on way too long. Grady Sutton and Alan Mowbray are their usual competent selves. As the housekeeper there was a "Oh, wow.. looky here that's Irene Ryan, Granny from the Beverly Hillbiliiies !" Rudy Valle is sticklike as always.The story is silly and rather garbled and total nonsense but it's a chance to see the 32 year old, on the threshold of stardom, Kirk Douglas.

I was one of those who found this DVD in a Dollar Store bin and took it home figuring some evening when I had nothing else to do I'd watch it for Kirk Douglas - a long time favorite actor. Well, I finally cracked the seal tonight, and I'm glad I did! This movie was a pleasant surprise. Far from perfect with the unevenness of tone commented on elsewhere, but well worth the time.The slapstick - especially every scene so deftly stolen by Keenan Wynn - rolled along merrily. The romance was somewhat predictable, and the attitudes appear dated - well sure - the movie was released in 1948! Yet even there the film managed to defy expectations - no spoilers, but don't get too settled with how you think things will happen. While the end result may be expected the route is not! A delightful ensemble supporting cast carries their parts well, and a token stab at relevance works better than would have seemed possible in such a featherweight story.Relax, break out the popcorn and let this sweet-natured charmer do its thing. Hopefully your copy doesn't act up and almost ruin the end as mine did - let the buyer beware - you gets what you pays for!

One of my favorite comedies because of the character actors. Keenan Wynns very best droll efforts as the songwriting best friend and neighbor of Kirk Douglas; Florence Bates, a busybody as the owner of the apartment building where they live; Irene Ryan, the building maid who sings "Sniff, sniff where's your handkerchief; kerchoo, kerchoo, gazundheidt to you; Let yourself go and blow; Oh, let youself go and blow" Wynns latest song; Helen Walker, one of Kirks secretaries; Rudy Vallee, as Day's former boss; and Alan Mowbray as the dense detective Kirk hires to watch Day.As in all screwball comedies, the story is just a framework for the characters to do and say their funny business. And they don't dissapoint. Douglas is a writer who has had a successful first novel and goes to a college to give a class and meets Day who is there as a student, and he hires her as his new secretary. When she arrives the next day, after quitting as Vallee's secretary, Walker goes up in the elevator with her to retrieve her belongings because she has just quit as the last secretary. It gets crazier as Wynn answers the door and receives a slap from the mother of one of the girls Kirk has just interviewed, which he immediately passes on to Kirk. Wynn spends most of his time at Kirks trying recipes which he is hilarious preparing, but no one ever dreams of eating.More complications and silly goings on but it is all fun and is still one of my favorite videos, which I just watched again today. My rating: 8/10.