Private Number
Private Number

Private Number

1936Movie80 minEnglish

Ellen Neal, a young and inexperienced maid, becomes romantically involved with her employers son which causes various complications. The head butler also has an infatuation for the young girl but his intentions are not that good.

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Insights

IMDb6.6/10
Director: Burt KellyGenres: Drama, Romance

Plot Summary

A struggling writer named Thomas 'Tom' Lawrence finds inspiration and love with aspiring actress Ellen Neal. As Tom's career begins to take off, he becomes entangled with a wealthy socialite, Lila Norwood, who offers him opportunities he can't refuse. This creates a complicated love triangle, forcing Tom to make difficult choices between his ambition, his true love, and the allure of a privileged life.

Critical Reception

Reviews for "Private Number" were mixed upon its release. While the performances of the lead actors, particularly Robert Taylor and Loretta Young, were often praised for their sincerity and chemistry, the plot was sometimes criticized for being somewhat formulaic and melodramatic. The film found a moderate audience but did not achieve widespread critical acclaim.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for the charming performances of its lead actors.
  • Criticized for a predictable and somewhat contrived romantic storyline.
  • The film offers a standard, albeit well-acted, melodrama of its era.

Google audience: Audience reception data for this older film is not readily available through Google's platform. However, general sentiment from contemporary reviews suggests it was a pleasant, if unremarkable, romantic drama.

Fun Fact

Robert Taylor, who was being groomed as a major MGM star at the time, was allegedly paid $25,000 for his role in 'Private Number', a significant sum for the era.

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TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Down on her luck "Ellen" (Loretta Young) arrives at "Winfield Manor" seeking a position. She's completely unqualified, but butler "Wroxton" (Basil Rathbone) takes a bit of a shine to her and so she gets a job anyway. Indeed, fairly swiftly ...