Beauty and the Boss

Clearly a pun on "Beauty and the Beast".... this early talkie is so under-rated. It's just before the Hays code started being enforced, and the clever banter gets quite saucy. Warren William (from the Lone Wolf films) is the all-business, hardworking company president, who has no time for the flirtations of his secretaries, first Mary Doran, then Marian Marsh. It turns into a kind of competition between the two girls, after a confrontation. Doran is "Ollie", who uses her wit, wiles, and low-cut dresses to try to lure in the Baron. Susie (Marsh) tries to take the high road at first, but sees how easy it is to make men swoon with Ollie's naughty girlie ways. Charles Butterworth is here as the office manager, and has all the best lines. That dry, sarcastic wit, which he brought from his vaudeville days, usually muttered under his breath. He was only 36 in this film, but wow, he always looked old as dirt. Frederick Kerr is the Baron's sidekick, but doesn't really add much to the story. It's fun being an observer, to see who will "win" the prize. Story by Hungarian Ladislas Fodor, and the foreign currency and other words creep into the conversation. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, who had been around since the early days of silents, and successfully moved into talkies. This one is a lot of fun. Doesn't seem to have been shown often on TCM, with only 300 votes. Warner packed a lot into 66 minutes, and it moves right along. Recommended ! Catch it if you can. Warner Brother archives HAS released this on DVD...

Although it betrays its theater-script origins in the rhythm of the performances and dialogue, this sparkling little formula comedy about a secretary who wins a rich Baron is chockablock with snappy retorts and racy rejoinders. Marian Marsh is adorable, charming and always convincing.

The surprising candor of the script is refreshing: despite the free modern use of more explicit language, this depression-era tale leaves nothing to the imagination. Its honesty is surprising and heightens the humor of the gentle jokes.

Watching scenes played out between Marsh and Warren William with such genuine engagement would be impossible in the modern era of frenetic jump-cutting. What a treat to see talented performers do such naughty and giggly scenes in a single take with hardly a cutaway or interruption in sight!

Rapid fire dialog rips through this charming pre code gem so fast you'll have to put down your iPhone to enjoy. Marian Marsh shines and Warren William is offensive and hilarious.

...but you just can't help yourself. William is perfect here as an efficient German bank president and baron, totally consumed with business by day and with romancing the ladies -lots of them - at night. He only has problems when his two interests converge. This usually occurs because he has a beautiful secretary. His usual solution - to fire the secretary and get her out of his business life, and then make her one of his many mistresses.

The baron tires of this repetitive problem, and vows that his next secretary will be a plain practical woman for whom he will have no attraction. So into his life walks Susie Sachs (Marian Marsh), "the church mouse". The cutest scene of the film is where Susie tricks her way into see the baron and tells him about the plight of her class -"the mice" - the unemployed and hungry. The baron is quite interested in her story. You see, he is not such a bad guy. It just never occurred to him that there might be a girl of her age in Germany more interested in a good meal than a diamond bracelet. He's never seen that side of life and therefore not given it much thought. He hires her, and she works out quite well for him until a business trip to Paris brings the Baron quite a few surprises.

This film was really a delight with very good dialogue and animated performances. Charles Butterworth is really quite good as comic support in these early Warner Brothers talkies. He plays the baron's assistant who is constantly writing down instructions on his cuffs and seems to have no objections when he is told he will be working all night and won't be allowed time to eat. David Manners plays the baron's younger brother who sees the beauty in Susie even when she is playing the frump.

Warren William and Marian Marsh sparkle in this delicious Vitaphone production. Ms. Marsh handles the role of a dowdy but wise secretary with great aplomb, she's delightful! William (the star with two first names) is charming as the playboy baron with an amorous secretary on every phone line. Charles Butterworth adds to the fun with his usual hijinks. This one's a keeper!