Private Number
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"Private Number" with Loretta Young and Robert Taylor

Excellent mass entertainment, with a particular appeal for women, because of the romantic theme. The fact that the plot is ordinary will, no doubt, be overlooked by audiences, for the production, direction, and acting are of the highest order. And the personal charm and popularity of both Robert Taylor and Loretta Young should, in itself, bring patrons to the box-office. Miss Young wins the spectator's sympathy at the very beginning and retains it throughout. the courtroom scene, in which she is shown trying to protect her good name for the sake of her child, should touch one deeply. there are several sex situations, but they have been handled cleverly and tactfully. Audiences should be highly amused by the antics and wisecracks of Patsy Kelly; her comedy lines are perfectly timed and relieve the tenseness in several situations:

Miss Young, personal maid to Taylor's mother, repulses the advances of Basil Rathbone, the head butler. She innocently becomes involved with Monroe Owsley in a raid on a questionable house and is arrested. She telephones to Rathbone for help; he arrives at the jail and pays her fine. Again he suggests to her the advisability of her being "pleasant" to him. Taylor notices Miss Young and is impressed. When the family leave for Maine for their vacation, they take Miss Young and Patsy with them. There the romance between Taylor and Miss Young develops and they are married secretly. He returns to college in the Fall. A spiteful maid discloses to Rathbone that Miss Young is to become a mother. He rushes with the news to his employers and when Miss Young is brought before them, she is upbraided. Patsy rushes to her defense and blurts out the fact that their own son is Miss Young's husband. Rathbone, furious, informs them that Miss Young has a police record and shows them the receipt for the fine he had paid. Miss Young is unable to convince them that she had been innocent and leaves. She is taken in to the home of old friends where her baby is born. She is brought to court on annulment proceedings and things look bad for her because of the false testimony given against her by Owsley, who had been bought off by Taylor's father. Through a clever ruse, Owsley is forced to tell the truth, thereby clearing Miss Young. Eventually she and Taylor are reconciled.

Cleves Kinkead wrote the story, and Gene Markey and William Conselman the screen play. Roy Del Ruth directed it, and Raymond Griffith produced it. In the cast are Joe Lewis, Marjorie Gateson, Paul Harvey, Jane Darwell, and others.

Because of sex suggestiveness it might be unsuitable for children and adolescents. Good for adults. Class B.

—Harrison's Reports, June 13, 1936

Private Number
Romantic Drama

This adaptation of a stage play combines romantic love interest and drama in a way that makes for desirable entertainment. Based on a well grounded story and soundly produced, it contains the ingredients in story content for any kind of audience from the teen age up. In this quality, together with personalities presented, exhibitors are provided with wide latitude in concocting interest creating campaigns.

Human interest is the pitch to which the production is keyed. That quality is an effective attribute to its heart-warming love interest, tense drama  and gay comedy. Played by a large cast, it permits about half a dozen of the members, particularly Robert Taylor, Loretta Young, Basil Rathbone, Patsy Kelly, Joe Lewis, Marjorie Gateson, Monroe Owsley and John Miljan, to contribute exceptional performances. In Rathbone, the heavy, it offers a menace almost certain to have audiences hooting, hissing and yelling for his scalp.

The plot is simple, intriguing and powerful. Through the machinations of maid Gracie, Ellen Neil, obviously a personage of higher social status, becomes a servant in the Winfield mansion. Almost immediately she comes under the terrorizing spell of chiseling, lustful butler Wroxton. Elevated to the position of Mrs. Winfield's personal maid, she comes to the attention of the home-from-college son, Richard, who mistakes her for a party guest. The action evinces that it is a case of love at first sight.

Later, while on a maids' night out lark with Gracie, sequences that are full of gayly exciting comedy, she becomes part of a sailors' brawl and eventually is arrested in a raid on a gambling house where she has gone with pick-up Coakley. Wroxton, whose advances she has been able to fight off, procures her release. The family moves to Maine and the romance with Richard is beautiful and idyllic, although Ellen strives to convince the boy that marriage is impossible. However, as it is subsequently learned, the pair do marry.

Richard returns to college, letters to Ellen are intercepted by Wroxton, who via the medium of servant gossip learns that Ellen is to have a baby. Unaware of the relationship, the vengeful butler accuses the girl of promiscuousness, citing the arrest incident as proof. Though Mrs. Winfield is tolerant, Mr. Winfield rises in wrath and demands Ellen's dismissal as a gold digger when she acknowledges her marriage. As he institutes annulment proceedings, Ellen, advised by Gracie and her boy friend Smiley, hires shyster lawyer Stapp to protect her interests. As Winfield goes after the girl with hammer and tongs, Richard meets her, to be convinced that charges made against her character are true.

In a suspense-packed court scene, all evidence goes against girl, particularly as Coakley turns traitorous perjurer. But when the witness is trapped in a lie, he turns yellow and pleads with Richard to save him. Taking the floor, Richard demands that the case be dismissed inasmuch as all was inspired by villainous Wroxton, who, though claiming he was only seeking to protect family name, actually was motivated by desire for personal revenge. The finale has husband and wife reunited as he berates Wroxton and Winfield begs for Ellen's forgiveness.

Showmanship calls for proper explanation of entertainment value. The tools are at hand in story content and personalities presented, with Taylor whose popularity is increasing by leaps and bounds, Loretta Young, Rathbone and Patsy Kelly. It can be sold either as a tense drama or a heart-touching romance, especially for adults.

Previewed in the Westwood Village Theatre. It was evident that the audience was visibly impressed by the class and finished manner in which the picture was produced. quickly swept into the spirit of the romance between Taylor and Miss Young, it didn't hesitate audibly to express its opinion of the character presented by Rathbone.

McCARTHY, Hollywood

— Motion Picture Herald, May 30, 1936

"Private Number"

Remember Constance Bennett and baby in "Common Clay"? It was hugely successful with the mob and deplored by the few. Rewritten and redecorated, it is remade for the benefit of Robert Taylor and Loretta Young and is still the story of a housemaid and a millionaire's son. Except tht the new crop of censors see to it that Mr. Taylor marries the girl in the first place, which should cheer servant girls no end. They will also be cheered by Miss Young's extensive wardrobe of pretty clothes. Even her uniforms have that "special" look, and her mistress gives her an elaborate evening gown in time for her big scene in Mr. Taylor's arms. It isn't a cast-off, either, but was designed for Miss Young's lissom figure and starry-eyed type. With such a set-up as this, it is no wonder there's a happy ending. Basil Rathbone, as a vengeful, frustrated butler, is impressive, and Patsy Kelly's comedy is a godsend.

Norbert Lusk

—Picture Play, September 1936

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