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Very clearly an attempt to duplicate the formula of the superior A Letter to Three Wives, Three Secrets is better enjoyed if one is unfamiliar with the earlier classic. The set-up in Wives is clever, but it's the brilliant execution that makes that film so memorable. In Secrets, the execution is pedestrian, and so it comes across as a gimmick. Without the exceptional writing talent, the piece comes across as excessively manipulative. It also feels forced dramatically, and the pieces don't fit together as seamlessly as they need to; one is aware of having to "stretch" one's credulity a number of times. Secrets works better than it should, however, because of a very capable cast and director, who work together to make the material seem better than it is. Director Robert Wise 's work overall is uneven; it comes in fits and starts during the main sections that detail the stories of the three women involved, finding beautiful moments here and there but missing a few surprising opportunities. However, he's at the top of his game when dealing with the more exciting sequences surrounding the search for the missing boy. The cast is quite good all around, with Patricia Neal perhaps the best of the three women. All of them, however, work hard to keep audience interest and to find new ways to play some soggy old scenes.