Mid-1930s movies don’t come much more star-studded than 1936’s Wife vs. Secretary. A main cast of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy seems sufficient, but with James Stewart in a supporting role, we find an even stronger group.

Three years into their marriage, magazine publisher Van “VS” Stanhope (Gable) and wife Linda (Loy) remain in their honeymoon phase. However, a snarl emerges due to the persistent presence of VS’s long-time secretary Helen "Whitey" Wilson (Harlow).

Though Linda trusts VS, his mother Mimi (May Robson) implies he may stray from his matrimonial promise of fidelity. This creates complications, as Linda’s jealousy disrupts the relationship.

Given that premise, one might expect a melodrama from Wife. Which it does, but the movie opts for a comedic bent as well.

Well, in a moderate manner. I figured Wife might go for a wild screwball take on the topic, but the movie keeps things fairly subdued instead.

Honestly, it becomes unclear where precisely Wife wants to go. It seems too light for melodrama but too serious for comedy.

Again, Wife leans in the latter direction, but one shouldn’t expect a lot of laughs here. I anticipated nutty “mistaken impression” comedy but instead found… not much.

No one can call Wife a plot-driven movie, as it tends to meander in terms of story. Beyond Linda’s jealousy, a few other threads emerge related to VS’s business as well as Whitey’s relationship with fiancé Dave (Stewart).

None of these really go anywhere – and neither does the main theme. Whatever comedic sparks we anticipate, they fail to emerge, and the movie’s lack of consistent focus means it roams and wanders.

How can a movie with so many legends in its cast become so darned dull? Not that the actors lack charisma, as they display their usual talents.

Unfortunately, they simply can’t elevate this leaden script. Wife proceeds at a sluggish rate and never finds a real groove.

Which seems like a shame, as the basic story comes with obvious comedic potential. A lackluster mix of minor comedy and melodrama, the end result falls flat.

Wife vs. Secretary appears in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not a stellar image, this one still held up well for its age.

Sharpness became the only moderate concern here, as the movie could lean a little soft at times. These tendencies didn’t seem substantial, though, as the majority of the film looked pretty well-defined.

No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects appeared, and I saw no edge haloes. Grain seemed natural, and print flaws didn’t materialize.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows were smooth and clear. Despite some softness, I felt pleased with this largely age-defying presentation.

While the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack seemed more dated, it worked fine for a mix of this one’s vintage. Speech could be brittle but the lines remained intelligible.

Music played a fairly small role and sounded pretty thin but lacked issues with distortion. Effects also lacked much to do here but they came across as acceptably accurate, albeit without much life. The audio seemed more than appropriate for a circa 1936 recording.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we find a circa 1936 short titled Crime Doesn’t Pay: The Public Pays. It runs 18 minutes, 20 seconds and depicts the influence of organized crime on consumer industries.

With the presence of law enforcement for its intro, Pays acts as a dramatic rendition of a “public service announcement” sort of tale. It offers interest as a historical curiosity but it lacks much real entertainment value.

Given its cast packed with legends, I expected greatness from Wife vs. Secretary. Instead I found a tentative and mediocre mix of comedy and melodrama. The Blu-ray comes with pretty good picture, acceptable audio and minor bonus materials. Chalk up Wife as an uninspired disappointment.