This is a light, rather comedic picture starring Norma Talmadge. In the silent era, Talmadge rivaled Mary Pickford as the screen's most beloved female star; yet, today, she is neglected. Jeanine Basinger ("Silent Stars") said on the matter, "The almost total unavailability of her films (as well as the loss of many to the ravages of nitrate disintegration) renders her more than obscure today. She is practically invisible. To put this in perspective, it is roughly equivalent to eradicating the name of Bette Davis from film history."
"The Social Secretary" comes before Talmadge's husband-movie mogul Joseph Schenck redirected her career to, reportedly, more prestigious productions, which began with the now lost film "Panthea" (1917). In "The Social Secretary", Talmadge plays a modern workingwoman who quits jobs due to sexual harassment from her bosses. For her next employer, she dresses like a frumpy spinster: hides her curls, wears a tight black dress and,of course, puts glasses on. We viewers aren't fooled, but all the on screen characters see fit to remark on Talmadge's unattractiveness—even right to her face. In the end, the narrative resolves conservatively with the new woman's problems being solved by getting married.
Watching Talmadge through it all was fun, though. Director-writer couple John Emerson and Anita Loos knew how to provide lighthearted, comedic vehicles to stars, as they did for Douglas Fairbanks's early comedies. This one especially gets good use out of the device of an actor's character acting as another character.
Among the supporting cast, Erich von Stroheim appears in one of his earliest roles—before he had patented the aristocratic man-you-love-to-hate character. I think he's too sniveling and dimwitted of a lurker, however, in this part. (In one scene, he's punched in the face, though, which is somewhat of a guilty pleasure.) The rich son develops unevenly from drunkard to romantic lead without anyone caring. The rich daughter and her bad-guy fiancée are likewise underdeveloped and underplayed. Only Kate Lester as the matriarch seems to play her part right and with some grace, among the supporting players. Regardless, Talmadge is the star, and this is an entertaining vehicle for her.
(Grapevine's print isn't very good, but it's viewable.)
"The Social Secretary" comes before Talmadge's husband-movie mogul Joseph Schenck redirected her career to, reportedly, more prestigious productions, which began with the now lost film "Panthea" (1917). In "The Social Secretary", Talmadge plays a modern workingwoman who quits jobs due to sexual harassment from her bosses. For her next employer, she dresses like a frumpy spinster: hides her curls, wears a tight black dress and,of course, puts glasses on. We viewers aren't fooled, but all the on screen characters see fit to remark on Talmadge's unattractiveness—even right to her face. In the end, the narrative resolves conservatively with the new woman's problems being solved by getting married.
Watching Talmadge through it all was fun, though. Director-writer couple John Emerson and Anita Loos knew how to provide lighthearted, comedic vehicles to stars, as they did for Douglas Fairbanks's early comedies. This one especially gets good use out of the device of an actor's character acting as another character.
Among the supporting cast, Erich von Stroheim appears in one of his earliest roles—before he had patented the aristocratic man-you-love-to-hate character. I think he's too sniveling and dimwitted of a lurker, however, in this part. (In one scene, he's punched in the face, though, which is somewhat of a guilty pleasure.) The rich son develops unevenly from drunkard to romantic lead without anyone caring. The rich daughter and her bad-guy fiancée are likewise underdeveloped and underplayed. Only Kate Lester as the matriarch seems to play her part right and with some grace, among the supporting players. Regardless, Talmadge is the star, and this is an entertaining vehicle for her.
(Grapevine's print isn't very good, but it's viewable.)