First of all, out of the 5 stars, about 2 are to Ms Russel. Else it is probably 2 star or 3 star movie, all of which goes to smooth flow of the story.Though I say story here, but that is a poorly executed one. None of the character-built up is mature, starting with the two main protagonists. Both the lead actors are - well ready to jump in casting - or should I say business - coach, at least almost, at the drop of a penny, and the definition of morality is strange. The hero is ready to walk out (on the heroine), when he considers her offer to be of becoming her Mister ( masculine of Mistress) , but is ready to be a Gigolo without much ado, and even does that part admirably (from her angle) ! He does need money, but that is for his hobby, to go to Mexico for painting, and he was walking off her even then on the mister offer. Heroine is of course ready to have a relationship with her clients, to get an order. It might not have been to physical stage, but probably because Hayes won't have accepted it. Otherwise I don't see how she could have deflected all the clients. There goes the two main protagonists. Then the role of the two beaus on the quadrangle, Mr and Miss Caldwell.Multi millionaire, Caldwell (McDonald Carey), after four costly alimonies behind him, is ready to pay the fifth one to Ms Russel, after marrying her of course, despite being perfectly aware that she is madly in love with Tom (McMurray. Naturally for another, sooner or later (probably quite sooner) divorce and alimony. He gets her to accept his proposal, but on a cleverly manipulated (and stupidly behaved by his opposition, Tom) rebound, and after putting his man-eating sister (Constance Moore), loose on Tom ! It sometime reminds me of the World War propaganda movies of Hollywood, where the Nazis and SS were shown to be stupid beyond belief, and even some idiotic American (or British) hero would take care of a full battalion of them. Here of course the idiot wasn't Nazi/SS but the hero, Tom.There would have been nothing to gain for either siblings, all to loose, in terms of the double alimony, sooner or later. And just to think of ! The two in love, staying in close proximity (on account of being married to the siblings) the ember simply can't be covered in ash, it would have flared quickly.The sister looked to be more intelligent, she flirted, even almost proposed, but probably she understood and respected the play-condition, which her brother, already burnt several times, didn't. Even the ending seemed to be too hurriedly brought, and the way the director tried to sort out the equation, didn't look convincing. Since this is a Russel movie, one could just manage to stand it.

ROSALIND RUSSELL and FRED MacMURRAY have seldom had their flair for light comedy seen to better advantage than in TAKE A LETTER, DARLING in which the battle of the sexes involves Russell's career woman falling in love with her male secretary--really more of a personal assistant here and one she hires to make deals with clients and their wives.MacMurray comes to resent the position he's placed in and there's some genuine wit and satisfactory situations resulting when Russell uses him to make her various deals. Predictably, she falls in love with him and it takes the whole story for the two to finally meet on common ground after a series of misunderstandings and plot complications involving MACDONALD CAREY and CONSTANCE MOORE as a brother and sister team who are both schemers who can match Russell any day.It's all very brisk, very '40s style in the way the situations are resolved. ROBERT BENCHLEY has a more subdued role than usual in comic support.But the chemistry between MacMurray and Russell is what keeps the whole thing bubbling along to a predictable enough conclusion.MACDONALD CAREY has one of his better roles as "the other man" who has already had four wives and decides Russell should be his fifth.Summing up: Amusing and well worth your time with a clever script by Claude Binyon.

It's too bad that director Mitchell Leisen wasn't working today and making Take A Letter Darling. If he did there would be a whole lot more explicit gender bending in this one.Not that this film isn't good. In fact it's witty and bright and shows Rosalind Russell at her best. In her autobiography Russell describes this film as the first in her career woman roles. I'm supposing she isn't counting His Girl Friday, I guess Russell thought that Hildy Johnson had a job as a reporter as opposed to a career. After all she was trying all through the film to get away on her elopement and honeymoon with Ralph Bellamy.But in Take A Letter Darling, Russell is a partner with Robert Benchley in an advertising agency. She can't keep a secretary and for good reason, she's got some specific night work requirements for a secretary and she demands the male gender as requirement number one.In the gay world that Mitchell Leisen was part of, it's called hiring a beard. So many did it back in the day when the closet ruled. Many of the gay stars were always paired with public female dates lest there be any whispers about their sexuality. I'm sure it was the same in the business world.Russell hires free spirited artist Fred MacMurray to squire her around and keep jealous wives at bay and to deter husbands from getting any ideas about some after office frolicking. In fact she sends MacMurray out to a favorite men's shop of hers where she gets him outfitted the same way Gloria Swanson took care of William Holden in Sunset Boulevard.In real life Russell would have hired a gay man for her purposes, but since the mere mention of gay was out of the question, the heterosexist MacMurray is hired. They double team husband and wife George Reed and Margaret Hayes to land one account.But an even bigger challenge presents itself with brother and sister tobacco heirs, Macdonald Carey and Constance Moore. Carey's been married four times already and Moore is a mint julep sucking southern belle who looks at MacMurray like a Virginia ham.Take A Letter Darling holds up very well today although a knowledge of the mores of the times would certainly help younger viewers. This is definitely a film that could stand a remake, a more honest and explicit film about the practice of bearding.

'Take a Letter, Darling' has both great actors (Fred MacMurray, Rosalind Russell) and a fun, timeless plot [this film could easily be applied to the here-and-now]. It relates a touchingly humorous story of love and jealousy and is a tribute to the romantic notion that true love never runs smooth. Elegantly done and a pleasure to watch.