living until you try living," Pete tells him.

Dave finally accepts Pete's invitation to a night on the town at a swank new night club opening, although his wife VALERIE (Connie Strickland) is thoroughly put out by the idea. The evening begins disasterously with Pete and Valerie exchanging insults. On the dance floor with Pete's date PATTI (Anne Lewis), Dave sees his secretary Ginger turning every man in the place on.

Later, after one of their usual bedtime arguments, Valerie has a fantasy concerning Pete while Dave begins to consider the possibilities of an affair with Ginger. Pete, meanwhile, runs into scheduling trouble as his late dates begin to overlap, culminating in the arrival of PEACHES (Red Starr), a go - go dancer who appears at his door dressed only in a long scarf and black boots.

The following day Dave finally approaches Ginger only to find her more than willing to consider an affair with him. She seduces him in the office. Valerie on a shopping spree sees a tennis dress and her mind, too, begins to wander. She arrives at the tennis courts for a "lesson" from Pete which also turns into the beginning of an affair.

The free and easy life of the singles is quickly revealed to the married couple. But the excitement of it is short lived. The four people are finally trapped in the confrontation which leads to the explosive climax and surprise ending of THE SECRETARY.



CONNIE STRICKLAND appeared in public first as a Breck girl in national ads at the age of nine. Her career since has ranged from minor appearances as a bikinied teenybopper in beach party films to a photo spread on houseboats in the Caribbean in Playboy Magazine. A native Californian, she attended UCLA and studied architecture but quit to pursue a highly successful modeling career. She was a Playboy bunny and a leading Atlanta model when she was discovered by casting directors and was tested for the role of Valerie Holloway in "The Secretary". Upon seeing the test Director William Diehl immediately cast her in the part. "We never even considered anyone else as Valerie", says Diehi. "She has the right combination - equal parts of sex appeal, icey beauty and natural acting ability." Miss Strickland will appear next as the victim of an insane killer in the film, "Death Wish".