"More Than a Secretary" is a mildly entertaining and interesting film. It's not particularly funny as a comedy, nor is there much spark in the romance. My five stars are mostly for the interesting plot. It has a subplot that was becoming old hat in Hollywood by that time – the young secretary who went to work to snare a wealthy husband. A sub-subplot of that was the ditzy blonde who couldn't type or take dictation getting a private secretary job.
The initial humor of this aspect quickly fades, and we are more interested in seeing how Jean Arthur's Carol Baldwin will win over the driven Fred Gilbert. George Brent plays the efficiency and healthy living expert who publishes a men's fitness magazine. Lionel Stander does very well in the role of Ernest. The rest of the cast are OK.
One other interesting thing in this film is its look at the schools that flourished for a few decades in America to train secretaries. Arthur's Baldwin and Ruth Donnelly's Helen Davis run such a school. This isn't a movie to run out and buy. Jean Arthur fans may like it, although it's one of her lesser works. For others who may come across it on TV, it's worth a watch.
The initial humor of this aspect quickly fades, and we are more interested in seeing how Jean Arthur's Carol Baldwin will win over the driven Fred Gilbert. George Brent plays the efficiency and healthy living expert who publishes a men's fitness magazine. Lionel Stander does very well in the role of Ernest. The rest of the cast are OK.
One other interesting thing in this film is its look at the schools that flourished for a few decades in America to train secretaries. Arthur's Baldwin and Ruth Donnelly's Helen Davis run such a school. This isn't a movie to run out and buy. Jean Arthur fans may like it, although it's one of her lesser works. For others who may come across it on TV, it's worth a watch.