Coronet Instructional FilmsSecretary's Day, The (1947)

Compares daily activities of a secretary with those of a stenographer.

This item is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Coronet Instructional Films
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Occupations: Clerical

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Spuzz - - August 21, 2004
Subject: Yay! It's secretary's day!!

An earlier Coronet piece which demonstrates how cheerfully glum and boring the secretary's (oh yeah, and stenographer's) job can become! Slave over a typewriter all day! Be the servant of a male! Be bored out of your mind! In a gleeful sadistic twist (I'm sure), the girl who plays the stenographer in this is the 'popular' girl in Coronet's classic "Are You Popular?". Oh, how she's slid down the pole!

Reviewer: Marysz - - March 13, 2004
Subject: Alert, Personable and Efficient

A day in the life of secretary Jean Carroll and her co-worker, Marge Quinn. In this postwar film, made in 1947, when women were being marginalized in the workforce, we see the actresses but dont hear them. The soundtrack consists of a male voice-over who pompously dictates the films action. Jean and Marge share an outer office, where their work is constantly interrupted by visitors and phone calls. Their boss, Mr. Williams, has a private office and thanks to Marge and Jean, can work undisturbed. He also comes in later in the morning. The narrator spends a lot of the film telling us the personality qualities that a good secretary should have. She should be tactful, courteous and poised, she should have consideration of others, and be alert, personable and efficient. Remember, goodwill and understanding are part of her personalitypart of her job. Mr. Williams isnt held to such rigid personality standardscourtesy and poise arent part of his job description. At 5:00, we watch Jean and Marge leave the office in a neat, orderly manner. According to the narrator, Jean feels a sense of accomplishment and pride in her contribution to the world of business in which she plays and important part. The films ends on a shot of the front of an office building on a busy street. Jean is presumably the tiny figure we see pulling her hat on as she walks out onto the pavement. We never learn how Jean herself feels at the end of another day of her dead end job.

Shotlist

The daily activities of a secretary are compared with those of a stenographer to show the added responsibilities and duties of the secretary.


Ken Smith sez: This film takes us through a typical work day of "Jean Carroll," a professional secretary who is tactful, courteous, poised, alert, personable, efficient, prompt, neat, and orderly. We learn that Jean's morning dictation period is "the foundation of secretarial skill," and are given many opportunities to view her invaluable calendar pad. A more or less typical secretarial film. Jean's boss, "Mr. Williams," plays the young politician in Political Parties. "Marge Quinn," the stenographer, returned later in '47 to star in Are You Popular?


Focus on a secretary's duties and behavior.
"the office secretary: that alert, efficient person who plays such a vital role in the world of business."
"she's at her desk on time. Promptness, neatness, orderliness, in her first minute, Jean has displayed these attributes of a good secretary."
"Mr. Williams usually gives dictation at the same time each morning. This period is an important part of Jean's day. . . .She recognizes her responsibility to conserve her employer's time. . . .During the dictation period, Mr. Williams often takes up other questions of the day, makes suggestions and gives impromptu instructions. "
"Alert, personable, efficient. Our secretary leaves at the end of the day with a sense of accomplishment and with pride at her contribution to the world of business."
secretary making telephone calls through long-distance operator. office stenographer. filing,
Secretaries Clerical workers Workers (clerical) Workers (white-collar)