REGENT THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 15

REGENT THEATRE

Stephen Drexel (Brian Aherne), who is a serious-minded young man for the greater part of the year, but when spring comes “lightly turns to thoughts of love,” is the pivotal character of “Hired Wife,” the streamlined comedy already well advanced into the second week of a season at the Regent Theatre. . Stephen’s secretary, Kendall Browning (Rosalind Russell), who has loved him for a long time without managing to stir any answering emotion, dreads the spring and its possible consequences. . . ! In that particular spring with which 1 the film is concerned, the reason for Stephen’s exuberance is Phyllis Waldon (Virginia Bruce), a blonde model who is only too pleased to have Stephen make love to her. With womanly intuition she at once notes Kendall as a rival worthy or her best attentions, and for a. while it looks ns if the secretary is going to be the unwilling witness .of her employer s grandest and most lasting affair of the heart. . . . However, Stephen gets into business worries which can only be circumvented by putting the whole of his property into tile name of his wife. As this has to be done within 24 hours and as Stephen has no wife. Kendall is sent to Phyllis with the rather startling proposition that she meet Stephen at the airport and they go to a convenient State to be married. Always suspicious of Kendall, Phyllis regards this as yet another move to make her look foolish and refuses. Kendall goes to the airport, and Stephen, urged to do so by his friend and lawyer, Van Horn (Robert Benchley), marries Kendall instead. It can be imagined just how annoyed Phyllis is when she hears that the proposal was genuine. Don Jose (John Carroll), a talkative Latin with no money but plenty of quick wits, conies into the picture to be paired with 'Phyllis in the hilarious finale.