A comedy of mistaken identity, "The Private Secretary" was essentially a quota quickie from Twickenham Studios that starred Edward Everett Horton as a mild mannered clergyman who is impersonated by a young playboy (Barry MacKay), in a plot to deceive his rich uncle. Adapted from a famous stage farce the film allows a rare opportunity to see Edwardian actors Oscar Asche & Sydney Fairbrother, and in addition there is also a brief appearance by Alastair Sim in one of his earliest roles near the end of the film. "The Private Secretary" was shown twice on Channel 4 but has been unseen since this transmission in 1994, and has not been released on either VHS or dvd. The current copyright status of this film is unknown, but it may now be an "orphan work" as defined by UK law.