Beauty and the Boss (1932)

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Ladislas Fodor (play)
Joseph Jackson (adaptation)

Release Date:

9 April 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

The Baron is a banker, in Vienna, who works at at very fast pace. He appreciates beautiful women, but...

Plot Keywords:

Business Tycoon | Paris France | Secretary | Airplane | Banker

Cast

Marian Marsh	...	Susie Sachs
David Manners	...	Baron Paul von Ullrich
Warren William	...	Baron Josef von Ullrich
Charles Butterworth	...	Ludwig Pfeffer Jr.
Frederick Kerr	...	Count Von Tolheim
Mary Doran	...	Olive 'Ollie' Frey
Robert Greig	...	Chappel

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Another English-language adaptation by Frederic Hatton and Fanny Hatton, also called "A Church Mouse", opened in New York on 12 October 1931.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Church Mouse (1934)

No Women Wanted During Banking Hours

About a bank president who talks about putting a new rule into the company: "all females must wear long sleeves and high necks". Seems he is easily distracted by women, particularly his attractive and flirtatious secretary who he thinks is a "playgirl" rather than working girl, good for after hours only. He actually fires her - and she doesn't mind, 'cause she apparently agrees with this after hours concept, and becomes one of his new girlfriends (there seem to be many others too, judging by the office visits and phone calls from bathtubs he keeps getting). Soon a young waif arrives - hungry and oddly dressed in an outfit that includes black umbrella and flat black hat with a big white feather in it (why do these poor waif girls in old movies always seem to wear an odd feathered hat?). Well, seems she's an out-of-work stenographer looking to get hired - and turns out she's a whiz who loves work too, spending her free time toning her secretarial skills rather than dating men, she takes shorthand at 150 words a minute! He hires her on the spot since she's "plain" - seems even though she is clearly very pretty, he for some reason (like often seen in movies) can't see her beauty through the odd outfit. Well, she falls for him and soon blooms!

This is a thoroughly entertaining, fast paced, fun-to-watch film with lots of amusing pre-code banter and top-notch performances adding to the mix - I loved it. Warren William, one of my favorite actors from this time period, is just perfect as the rather handsome but stiff "girl crazy" boss, and Marian Marsh as the waif (who I thought looked like Reese Witherspoon in the earlier scenes) is just SO cute and charming - I really enjoyed her performance. Cute scene where she gets "taught" by the previous secretary how to seduce a man via accidentally-on-purpose leaning against him, and she tries it out on the boss. Really excellent film.