Personal Maid's Secret

Not even Hazel working for the Baxters in the comic strip or on television did as much good as Ruth Donnelly does for nominal stars Warren Hull and Margaret Lindsay in Personal Maid's Secret. With her offhanded suggestions thie couple manages to rise several notches on the social scale.

Donnelly should have gotten top billing, she has the title role and the film does revolve around her. As per the title she does have a secret and it''s a beaut. She has to reconcile with her past as well and does.

for you Arthur Treacher fans he's once again a butler and something happens to him that you won't see in any of his other films.

A nice product from Warner Brothers B picture unit and for fans of donnelly and Treacher.

Fourth-billed Ruth Donnelly is the subject of this ultra-short Warner B, as she ditches her old job - they never pay - for young couple Warren Hull and Margaret Lindsay. As a good household servant, she knows all the secrets but would never tell, except to fellow servant Arthur Treacher. By the end of the movie, we find out she has a couple of her own. She also pushes her employers to what seem to be extravagance, but turns out to be good advertising.

It times in at less than an hour and amuses, thanks to Warner Brother's fine stock company. It never sparkles; the dialogue is never more than sarcastic, and the direction by Arthur Grenville Collins in his first time handling the megaphone looks to maximize efficiency.

Ruth Donnelly was a longtime member of the Warner's stock company. Earlier she had been a favorite of George M. Cohan on stage. She played in some movie shorts in 1914, but didn't begin that phase of her career until 1931. Over the next 26 years, she appeared in almost ninety features. She died in 1982, aged 86.

With a run time of only fifty-eight minutes, this film is surprisingly satisfying.

A maid goes to work for a young family who can barely afford her services, but she uses subtle influence to elevate their social aspirations. Ruth Donnelly plays the maid, Lizzie, who uses craft and kindness to motivate the Smith family. Along the way, we learn that she harbors a secret.

The script is admirably economical as it creates connections between many of the characters, leading to conflicts and attractions. Through it all, Lizzie works her magic, leading to a revelation of the secret and an interesting, if brief, commentary on social classes.

This is a charming film. Watch for Arthur Treacher as a snooty but likable butler who is Lizzie's long-time friend.

Stars Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull.... both had only been in hollywood for a couple years when they made "Personal Maid's Secret". Ruth Donnelly is Lizzie, the maid; she counsels Joan (Lindsay) on how to entertain correctly. and with her advice, they get more successful, and meet all the right people. Clearly, there's some downfall coming, but who knows what is about to happen? What is Lizzie's big secret? she's just too good to be true. It's a Warner Brothers shortie. all kind of light and fluffy, but no big deal. there are some surprises, which you will have already figured out. it's pretty rushed near the end, but it is only a short, so they had to hurry the plot along. only 58 minutes. Directed by Art Collins, his first directing job. only directed ten films. didn't do a lot in hollywood, acc to imdb.

Not a bad little film with the fabulous Ruth Donnelly in the title role of the maid. One has to suspend a sense of realism to think that even those people living in a small apartment had maid service!! I mean, to look at the apartment of Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull, you would think that they don't have two nickles to rub together--let alone afford a maid!! But if you can overlook that fact, then this is a nice little movie that keeps your attention throughout. Also, it is another treat to watch Margaret Lindsay--one of the best actresses ever. But it is the great Ruth Donnelly that keeps the film going--she is another character actress never given her due and it is so nice to see her headline a film on her own. Like a certain IMDBer has said "Pass the popcorn"--you will enjoy this film a lot, I think.