His Private Secretary is the 1933 Pre-code film starring John Wayne. He plays Dick Wallace, a playboy forced to work for his Dad in order to mature. Dick fails at every job, including working as a collection manager when he gives Rev. Boyd an extension. It’s not a total loss, as he stays because he’s in love with the reverend’s daughter Marion. She falls in love with him and they get married. However, when they return to the city, Dick’s father is convinced that Marion is a gold digger and orders them to divorce. She gets a job as a secretary, unaware that she’s working for Dick’s father. Can she win him over or will he tear them apart?
This is a rather surprising John Wayne movie because it is a Hollywood comedy with no action. However, despite the sound quality being poor, it is actually a pretty good film. What helps it is that we see Dick mature from an insolent playboy to a mature man who marries for love. In fact, even when he was irresponsible, Dick was a pretty nice guy. It’s also great to see Dick’s father open his heart to Marion. The writer is smart enough to know that we need to care about the characters in order to have an engaging movie. The happy ending feels right as we cheer when Dick is able to solve his conflicts. Honolulu film fans should watch this movie.
More at: Tricia’s Retro Film Reviews
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