The Social Secretary

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.

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

This movie was so cute you could pinch its cheeks. Where has the cuteness gone in films? The silents were filled with cuteness!

Norma Talmadge stars as a pretty secretary who changes jobs alot due to passes made at her by sex-starved bosses. She finally answers an ad for a rich household on Fifth Ave. as a social secretary and makes herself look homely and unattractive so she doesn't lose this one. She gets the job and proves a valuable employee, but the playboy son in the house starts to realize her game. One night he comes home drunk and she thinks he's a burglar and hits him over the head with a flower vase. She's in her nighty without all her makeup and he chases her around the house and she locks herself in her bedroom. The next morning she plans on leaving, but at breakfast the son passes her a napkin on which he writes he's sorry, and won't do it again, and will she please stay on? He seems truly apologetic and so she stays.

Norma ends up saving the day when one of her former employers who was a wolf tries to ensnare the younger daughter of the family into a marriage because he's broke. She tries to tell the mother of the house but she won't believe Norma, so Norma at a party dresses up really pretty and reveals her true identity to the mother, and ensnares the former employer into an embrace in the garden to show the mother the true character of the wolf. The wolf is sent away in disgrace but sends a letter to the daughter of the house in secret that everyone is conspiring against him, and if she wants to marry him she'd better elope with him. The note works and the girl sneaks off. Well, I won't tell you the rest, this is getting long, but check out The Social Secretary for some smiles and fun.

Talmadge is the star is this brisk 1916 comedy-drama, and she's quite good. She plays a secretary who keeps getting unwanted attention from her male bosses, so she makes herself dowdy and goes to work as the social secretary for a rich woman. She then gets involved in the household dramas of the rich family in a series of episodes. Talmadge is beautiful and a very good actress. It's easy to see why Norma Talmadge was one of the biggest stars of the 20s. She is, unfortunately, also remembered as being one of the biggest victims of "talkies." Talmadge made 2 talkies and then retired from films. Her New York accent did not match her screen persona as the epitome of romance and charm. This is a good little film, which also boasts Erich Von Stroheim as the Buzzard, Gladden James as the boy friend, Kate Lester as the matriarch, Helen Weer as Elsie, and Nora Cecil as the spinster secretary who "never has a problem with men." Interestingly, this plot was used 20 years later in the Marion Davies film, Ever Since Eve.

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.