In his sixth film Kirk Douglas plays a writer who is ultimately outwritten by his wife, Larraine Day. He lives in an apartment owned by Florence Bates who is constantly around seeking favours and cannot be insulted. I'm guessing that Mank watched this one because soon afterwards he cast Douglas as an English teacher who is out-earned by his wife, Ann Sothern, who writes trashy radio serials for producer Florence Bates, who gets up Douglas's nose. Coincidence or what. That to one side this is a fine albeit obscure movie and if I have a cavil it is that the quality of the print - which I purchased in a shrink-wrapped case - was fairly poor. Second banana Keenan Wynn gets all the best lines and delivers them adeptly and also gets the pay-off laff when he introduces his new bride - Bates - to Douglas and Day. If I could score a decent print I'd watch it again.
Review of My Dear Secretary
