His Private Secretary: A Pre-Code Romp That's Barely Hanging On

Is this thing worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, pre-code era romantic comedies where everyone speaks at double speed, then sure. It’s got a weird energy. If you’re looking for a serious John Wayne western, keep walking. This is just a goofy office comedy that feels like it was written on the back of a napkin in twenty minutes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of His Private Secretary (1933) through its definitive frames.

The whole premise is so silly it hurts. Dick Wallace (the Duke himself, looking young and confused) marries a girl in secret. Then she gets a job at his dad's firm. It’s basically a recipe for every possible cliché from 1933.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of His Private Secretary (1933) through its definitive frames.

Wait, did I mention the office set? It looks like it was made of cardboard and hope. There’s a scene where John Wayne leans against a desk and it honestly looks like it might collapse under his weight. It’s very distracting.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of His Private Secretary (1933) through its definitive frames.

Evalyn Knapp is trying her best here. She’s got this sharp, fast-talking delivery that keeps the movie from completely stalling out. She has to carry the heavy lifting while everyone else just sort of wanders through the scenes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of His Private Secretary (1933) through its definitive frames.

Some random notes:

• The dialogue is incredibly fast. Like, nobody actually talks like this in real life.
• I keep waiting for someone to drop a tray of dishes.
• The minister character is played with such over-the-top earnestness it’s almost funny.
• John Wayne looks like he’s just happy to be in the room.

There’s a weird vibe here, kind of like when I watched Watch Your Husbands. Everything feels a bit loose, like they knew it wasn't a masterpiece so they just leaned into the absurdity. It’s not as polished as something like The Belle of New York, that’s for sure.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of His Private Secretary (1933) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is a disaster. Sometimes a scene ends before you realize it started. Other times, a conversation goes on for an eternity while two people just stare at each other. It’s almost hypnotizing in its unevenness. 😵‍💫

Is it great? No. Is it boring? Sometimes. But there’s something genuinely sweet about the way it just refuses to be taken seriously. It’s not trying to be a The Awakening or some grand dramatic statement. It just wants to get to the next punchline, even if the punchline doesn't always land.

If you're in the mood for something light that won't ask much of your brain, this is fine. Just don't expect to remember much about it by tomorrow morning. It’s a perfectly average relic of a very strange time in Hollywood.