1938 marked Kay Francis's entrance into B films, making nearly a dozen of them during her last two years at Warner Brothers. This standard romantic drama wasn't anything new, but thanks to Kay, George Brent and Ian Hunter, it is an enjoyable time passer with amusing moments of comedy interspersed with the soapy main plot. So like the title says, Kay's an actress, turning down touring companies and settled in for a hopeful Broadway hit. Producer Hunter is in love with her and pushes her with the money men for a leading part. Investor George Brent, who has no interest in Broadway in general, isn't thrilled by her, but after a few tense meetings, they begin to fall in love. However, Brent has an estranged wife (Gloria Dickson) who won't let him go, so Francis turns to Hunter for comfort.Getting the bulk of the funny lines, glamorous Isabel Jeans plays Kay's dipsomaniac best friend who really has no involvement in the plot but steals the film anyway. Dickson has no real reason to hang onto Brent other than to creat a plot complications, and there are insinuations that they married simply for fun, not love. The three stars help raise this above mediocrity simply through their elegance, aided by some lavish art direction. Without them, this would have been just another B women's picture with a very ordinary plot that on its own is not really all that exciting.

An urban architect along with his married partner get caught up in a romantic triangle with an ambitious Broadway actress.Professionally done programmer that unfortunately fails to ignite. Frankly, the leads, Francis, Brent, and Hunter, go through the motions, but the men in particular don't project much emotion. Francis, on the other hand, lights things up with her smile and A-grade wardrobe. But she too doesn't go much beyond an indelible presence. Fortunately, supporting players Dickson, Jeans, and Singleton manage to inject needed verve and color.So, will the tangled relationships get straightened out by movie's end. Silly question. Too bad the film wasn't made before the deadening Production Code (1934). That way some real secrets might have been revealed. Instead, I'm pressed to pinpoint even one titillating faux pas. Looks like the title was little more than a commercial ploy. Anyway, the dialog is occasionally sprightly while director Keighley keeps things moving. Overall, the 70-minutes amounts to a cranked-out professional product with a highly misleading title.

Kay Francis was slapped into B films and her billing demoted in order to drive her out of Warner Brothers; she was making $200,000+ a year, and they were no longer interested in her. She wouldn't leave."Secrets of an Actress" is a pretty good B also starring Ian Hunter and George Brent. Francis teams up with an architect (Hunter) who wants to become a producer. Together, they make a great team. However, his partner (Brent) is less enthusiastic and at first suspicious of Francis. Then he falls for her and she for him. However, he's married to a real shrew (Gloria Dickson) - they're no longer together, but getting a divorce is proving difficult.Most of the B films Francis made were really more like A-, thanks to her. She had an elegant and likable presence that elevated everything she did. The acting is all-around good, especially from Isabel Jeans, who is a riot as Francis' friend Marion.Good for Francis fans.

Kay Francis stars as a minor actress who wants to make it on Broadway. She meets a bored architect (Ian Hunter) who has always wanted to produce a play. She has one. They team up and she becomes the toast of the Great White Way. But Hunter also has a partner (George Brent)and it's love at first sight. But he has a grasping wife (Gloria Dickson)....Fast-paced with a lot of one liners, this little Warners film is fun from the getgo. Francis is, as always, a delight to watch. Brent and Hunter are solid. Dickson is suitably vile as the shrew wife. Isabel Jeans is very funny as Marion, playing a combination of Alice Brady and Eric Blore. The 2 secretaries are nicely played by Dennie Moore and Penny Singleton.This was one of Kay's final film for Warners, and you'll note they had already demoted her to first billing but beneath the title. Her legal battles with the studio were front-page news in the late 30s. The studio put her in B films and then blamed her for slipping at the box office. Still, Francis had the last laugh; she turned in great performances even in the drek Warners gave her (while handing the plums to the new Warners queen, Bette Davis).