Although Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull and Anita Louise are billed above her, the true star of this 1935 feature film is the incomparable actress Ruth Donnelly as 'Lizzie' the Personal Maid with a big secret. Some reviewers do not believe people living in Manhattan in the mid 1930's in modest apartments had maids. Well, my folks were wealthy, we owned apartment buildings in Greenwich Village and an estate in The Hamptons. We had a butler, cook, parlor maid, valet and a ladies maid. Only Dad's valet who doubled as chauffeur lived with us. But many of the family friends had lost most of their wealth in The Depression. They did not live in large apartments, but all had at least a full-time maid and often also a cook. To me the apartments shown were far more realistic in size and furnishings than in most 1935 films.
Arthur Treacher plays a butler as he did frequently. Anita Louise plays Diana, a mad-cap 17 or 18 year-old running around with married men, much to her mother's disapproval. Since the Production Code was fully-enforced in 1935, we only see hints of just what Diana does with those married men and she does drink, but in New York then the legal drinking age was 18 and not strictly enforced.
The nominal stars are Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull as 'Joan' and 'Jimmy' Smith who hire 'Lizzie' although then they cannot afford her. By magic and good connections, Lizzie charms the rich folks of the Upper East Side so that the fortune of the Smith's vastly increase during the film. Frank Albertson plays Joan's brother 'Kent Fletcher' who is successful designing carburetors and falls in love with Diana.
I found all of these performers excellent, but Ruth Donnelly as Lizzie gets most of the best lines.
Please note that one of my favorite character actors, Claude King, plays 'Mr. B. Abercrombie' grandfather of Diana. Maude Turner Gordon plays 'Mrs. Abercrombie'. These performers do not get much screen time, but they are outstanding, as both of them were in countless movies.
The only sad thing is that the TCM print of the movie needs preservation and restoration. Possibly TCM has restored it to the extent possible, but now that WB has improved restoration software, it would be great if they gave "Personal Maid's Secret" another restoration pass!
Arthur Treacher plays a butler as he did frequently. Anita Louise plays Diana, a mad-cap 17 or 18 year-old running around with married men, much to her mother's disapproval. Since the Production Code was fully-enforced in 1935, we only see hints of just what Diana does with those married men and she does drink, but in New York then the legal drinking age was 18 and not strictly enforced.
The nominal stars are Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull as 'Joan' and 'Jimmy' Smith who hire 'Lizzie' although then they cannot afford her. By magic and good connections, Lizzie charms the rich folks of the Upper East Side so that the fortune of the Smith's vastly increase during the film. Frank Albertson plays Joan's brother 'Kent Fletcher' who is successful designing carburetors and falls in love with Diana.
I found all of these performers excellent, but Ruth Donnelly as Lizzie gets most of the best lines.
Please note that one of my favorite character actors, Claude King, plays 'Mr. B. Abercrombie' grandfather of Diana. Maude Turner Gordon plays 'Mrs. Abercrombie'. These performers do not get much screen time, but they are outstanding, as both of them were in countless movies.
The only sad thing is that the TCM print of the movie needs preservation and restoration. Possibly TCM has restored it to the extent possible, but now that WB has improved restoration software, it would be great if they gave "Personal Maid's Secret" another restoration pass!