7/10
A Girl With Initiative!!!
14 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Before John Wayne found his true genre calling he played a variety of college boys, bored young men about town etc - all like a fish out of water. Just before he began his famous Lone Star series that really put him on the map, he played Dick Wallace, an idle rich kid going to the dogs whose father (Reginald Barlow, who was more at home playing butlers and servants) puts him to work in his office in "His Private Secretary".

In exasperation, he sends Dick to Somerville to recover a debt (a round trip of 200 miles) hoping to keep him out of temptation's way but resourceful Dick is able to mix business with pleasure when he gives pretty Marion Hall (Evalyn Knapp) a lift to her grandfathers after telling her the bus has broken down. Unfortunately, it is the grandfather, the Rev. Hall (Alec B. Francis) who he is chasing for a bad debt - the Rev. has given the money that he owes to feed the sick and needy. This is a really nice little movie - of course Dick waives the debt which has the old man fuming and giving him the sack but Dick has already decided to stay in the sleepy little town and trades his up to the minute roadster in exchange for the town's only garage, knowing he will have to meet up with Marian sometime. I know it sounds silly but it is a fun rainy day type of movie.

Back in the city and now married, Dick and Marian run into opposition from Dick's dad who thinks she has only married Dick for his money. He has never met her of course but when Marian goes to the office to have it out with him, she comes out with a job - as his private secretary!!!

Evalyn Knapp started out as a dewy eyed blonde but when she did have the lead in a talked about picture, "Sinner's Holiday", the only stars talked about were the supporting cast (James Cagney and Joan Blondell). So it was soon on to programmers and by 1933 she looked efficient enough to have the leads in poverty rowers "Air Hostess" and "His Private Secretary".
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