Beauty and the Boss
           
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Year: 1932
Rating: 7.0
An irrepressibly delightful Warner's comedy in which the dialogue comes at you faster than a Lear jet. It is a wonderful script, perfectly delivered and doesn't outstay its welcome at 66 minutes. This was Warner's trademark in the early 1930s with their stable of actors who brought an energy level not seen since. Cagney, Blondell, Powell, Bogart, Robinson, Rogers, Raft, Farrell and the urbane sarcasm of Warren William. I am a huge fan of Warren who can make every script sound smarter than it is. Here he doesn't have to worry about it. It's funny and clever and this being pre-code just a little bit naughty. Besides William, there are a few other fine performances from actors that I am not very familiar with. They seem to be in a talk-a-thon contest of wit and speed.

 



William is as usual a boss running a bank with certain views on women. The opening scene sets up the mood of the film. William or The Baron is giving dictation to his secretary Miss Frey (Mary Doran). "Baron, you are dictating too fast", "I do everything rapidly". "Ok oh Baron" with a look of the cat that got the cream. Later she complains again that he is dictating too quickly and he has complained about her dress rising above her knees; "You dictate too fast, I don't know where my skirt is". He fires her for being too distracting with her skirts rising and perfume, but as soon as he does, he tells her as you are no longer an employee, how about we get together after work. And tells his assistant, the droll Charles Butterworth, that no pretty women should be working in the bank. Doran gives a very sexy and cute performance throughout the film.

 

Within minutes, the news is in the grapevine that a job is available and this is the Depression. Losing a job can be a tragedy and getting a good job is a lifeline. Susie (Marian Marsh) walks into his office with a tray of plates and begins to sell herself to him - like a bolt of lightning. After seeing how efficient she is and how drab she looks and dresses, he hires her. When he dictates now, she keeps yelling at him faster, no faster, come on faster. I will leave that to your imagination. He gives her the highest compliment he can "You work like a man".  Then one night she is going out and dresses to the nines and turns into a dream. March and Doran are splendid and have a few catty scenes together that are as close to a motorway race as you can get. It's funny and clever and obviously very sexist by today's standards. Directed by Roy Del Ruth based on a Viennese play.