The Private Secretary

It was a special treat for me to discover this forgotten British comedy from the 1930s (which was unreleased in America), as it presents a still-funny but quite different approach to humor (highly theatrical) than we've become used to. Above all, it's an opportunity to see Edward Everett Horton thrust to center stage rather than his reliably effective supporting roles.

Stealing the show is larger than life Oscar Ashe, a "big" performer in more ways than one. He's cast as the rich uncle of nominal leading man Barry MacKay, and when he crashes onto the screen, a man of constant bluster and nearly double-talk fast delivery of nonsensical dialogue it's amazing. I instantly thought of Jack E. Leonard, the great insult comedian so popular in the 1950s and 1960s who I saw countless times on TV talk shows of the era, but who is all but forgotten (or even reviled) now after Don Rickles, Jackie Cannon and others took over his particular brand of humor.

Horton's physical comedy and unique bumbling persona are the movie's point and while of course including dated elements he holds up well as such a talented performer. Alastair Sim, with a wild hairdo, is priceless in a small but totally imitable bit as a spiritualist in the final reel.

Milquetoast Edward Everett Horton is the clerical private secretary, in London for some reason, calling upon wastrel Barry McKay, who is being pursued by creditors. McKay comes up with the idea of having Horton take his place -- without telling him, of course -- and assuming Horton's, until McKay's enormously wealthy uncle arrives from London. Complications ensue, including McKay falling in love with his quondam employer's daughter, and the dotty old lady who loved Horton's uncle until he died a quarter of a century earlier, and for whom Horton is named; Alistair Sim is the medium who promises to open communications with her lost love.

It's played extremely broadly. If there are a few scenes intended to open it up from the original stage play by Charles Hawtrey, they are obvious interruptions to the play. Oscar Ashe is amusing as McKay's uncle, who is appalled by Horton, and who thinks there's nothing better than a red-blooded nephew who owes large sums. There are a few funny lines scattered through the dialogue, but the coy score doesn't help much.

A very minor quota quickie from Julius Hagen, but a pleasure to watch, with some very good performances and laugh-out-loud moments. The plot, such as it is, requires practically everyone in the film to be mistaken for someone else, and although most of the situations are somewhat telegraphed and barely plausible - and the ending of the film is hardly in doubt - it is great fun to watch them all unfold.

The most bizarre aspect of the film is the appearance of Edward Everett Horton as the eponymous secretary - this only a few weeks after making Top Hat with Fred and Ginger. What possessed him? He turns in a typical performance, but large chunks of the film consist purely of location footage of the great man doing some comedy confusion and pratfalls, in London (fascinating for the social historians among us) and the country. One can only imagine how the film was made - did the solo footage come later, to pad the film out? Or beforehand? Star performance is that of Oscar Asche as the portly rich uncle back from India. But also worthy of note is an early performance by Alastair Sim as a fake spiritualist, his trademark lugubriousness already in place.

This is a lot funnier than I expected. I actually laughed out loud, which isn't something I'm that prone to doing. Equally surprising was how professional and well acted this was. If only all 1930s British films were this good!

Although made by Twickenham Studios, this is NOT a quota quickie. After years of making quota quickies for RKO, Fox etc in 1935 Julius Hagen decided to splash the cash and go it alone. Compared with those quota quickies - which are dreadful, with a few exceptions, this is distinctly classier on par with what Gaumont or even Hollywood was doing.

If you've enjoyed any of The Aldwych Farces, you'll like this - it's equally as entertaining, if not even better than some of those. The script, having been previously honed on stage, is genuinely funny. The story, as silly as it is, is somehow credible when you're watching and the likeable characters really get you engaged. In addition to the usual Twickenham team of actors we've got Barry MacKay borrowed from Gaumont and of course E E Horton. All that with an uncharacteristic amount of outside and on-location scenes make this bigger budget production quite the exception for Hagen's ambitious little studio.

How Julius Hagen got Edward Everett Horton to work in his infamously low wages studio is the most curious thing about this. Maybe he knew Hagen, maybe he just fancied a holiday in England or maybe being 'the big Hollywood star' him allowed him the rare opportunity to get his name above the title? Whatever the reason he fits in well with the team.

These types of farces would be hilarious seen live. Often when turned to a film, a lot of that energy and raw quirky humour is lost but they've done a brilliant job with this.

If its got Michael Shepley in it then it must be a quota quickie.This one has quite a distinguished cast including Oscar Asche of Chu Chin Chow fame,Alistair Sim and Barry Mackay.Edward Everett Horton plays his usual milquetoast character who gets involved in situations by mistake.Not quite as good as hos character in To Hat Mae the same year.Accetable nonetheless.