The Social Secretary

Beautiful secretary Norma Talmadge (as Mayme) quits job after job because amorous men are always making sexual overtures. In order find steady work without sexual harassment, Ms. Talmadge decides to make herself look "extremely unattractive to men." Talmadge puts on a pair of glasses, pulls her hair up in a tight bun, and cuts out the cleavage. Talmadge is hired by wealthy matriarch Kate Lester (as Mrs. Peabody-de Puyster), who lives with boozy playboy son Gladden James (as Jimmie de Puyster) and heiress daughter Helen Weir (as Elsie de Puyster). Of course, Mr. James finds Talmadge romantically unappealing, until he meets her sans disguise...

While Talmadge and James fall in love, one of Talmadge's former caddish employers, Herbert French (as Count Limonittiez) loses his fortune, and begins to court Ms. Weir. Knowing he is only after Weir's money, Talmadge decides to catch Mr. French in a compromising position. Gossipy reporter Erich von Stroheim (as Adam Buzzard) causes everyone problems for everyone, by revealing their secrets in his newspaper society column. Real-life couple John Emerson and Anita Loos are notable contributors. While the situation is ludicrous; Talmadge's comic performance, von Stroheim's snooty support, and the New York locale are strengths.

****** The Social Secretary (9/17/16) John Emerson ~ Norma Talmadge, Gladden James, Erich von Stroheim

I had always heard that Norma Talmadge starred mainly in "women's weepies", but in this early film, she's more like a bouncy flapper. Norma stars as an attractive girl whose working life is made miserable by wolfish bosses, so she applies for her next job disguised as a frumpy spinster type. Action ensues when Norma has to stop the machinations of an evil cad and a snoopy society reporter (played with appropriate vulturishness by Erich Von Stroheim).

The film has winning performances, especially by Norma, some good cinematography, and a fairly engaging story. It will definitely interest those curious about 1916 society and everyday life. (It's interesting to see the 1916 definition of frumpy clothing, for example; the form-fitting, dark-colored clothes Norma wears as the "homely" girl would probably be considered sexier today than the fluffy garments she wears as the attractive girl. However, you can still get into the mindset of the time period and see how the latter garments would be perceived as more youthful and charming.)

Slight silent women's pic in which Norma Talmadge has to pin up her hair and don specs in order to hold down a secretarial job without getting hit upon by wolfish males. An inoffensive time-filler notable only for an early appearance from Erich von Stroheim as a low-life society columnist.

Norma Talmadge the starring attraction here as Mayme, a young stenographer who cannot keep a job because every male client she gets makes advances toward her. Finally, she gets a lucky break. Mrs. de Puyster, a woman from a wealthy family, is looking for a new social secretary. Her only conditions are that the girl is intelligent, well-bred, and unattractive to men. Mayme desperately wants the job, so she slicks back her curls, puts on some glasses and plain-looking clothes and goes out to get her job. She is immediately hired and becomes one of the family, but she becomes worried about the daughter of the house who is falling for a phony Count from Portugal. Also, she begins to fall for the son of the house and is caught by a nosy reporter (Erich von Stroheim).

This movie is pretty standard. Nothing outrageous happens but it does hold one's attention. The Grapevine print isn't of the best quality, but the title cards are still readable and one can make out faces.

After several bad experiences with hormonally overactive employers, Mayme, played by Norma Talmadge, dowdies herself up to take a job as a social secretary for Mrs. Von Puyster, the matriarch of a wealthy Riverside Drive family. (Ironically and coincidentally, just when Mayme has become fed up with her lecherous male bosses, Von Puyster has requested an unattractive applicant as the previous secretaries have left the job to get married--perhaps this would have made a bit more sense if Von Puyster were an unlecherous male, but whatever). Mayme quickly becomes close to the Von Puyster family. She is like a sister to daughter Elsie, and Mrs. Von Puyster thinks she does a fine job, and once son Jimmy (a drunk) accidentally sees the real un-uglified Mayme he becomes smitten (and cleans up his act instantly to become a good guy!--which is a bit awkward since we don't really like him to begin with, but oh well...) Mayme and Jimmie carry on a secret romance until they are found out by a smarmy reporter (played wonderfully by Erich von Stroheim). The threat of imminent exposure by the reporter, in addition to Elsie Von Puyster's marraige proposal by one of Mayme's lascivious ex-bosses, force Mayme to end her charade. The movie is fun, although the plot is at times oddly convenient, and definitely worth seeing if you have the chance.