Behind Office Doors

Terrific little film that stars Mary Astor as a go-getter who works her way up as a struggling paper company, but when the owner has to sell for health reasons, she comes up with a scheme for the employees to buy the company with a jerk salesman (Robert Ames) as the "front" even though she is the brains.

Of course he becomes a big success and she becomes his executive secretary, basically still running everything and teaching him class. She loves the dope, but he never catches on as he fools around with a string of bimbos. She is chased by a married but separated man, Ricardo Cortez, who isn't free. But when a society gal catches Ames, everything goes to hell.

Astor is just wonderful as the too-smart woman who almost makes a huge mistake after she loses her man. Ames is good as the jerk (but what does she see in him?), and Cortez is good but doesn't have much to do. Kitty Kelly is good as the sidekick, Dolores. Charles Sellon is the original owner, Cather Dale Owen is the society babe, and Edna Murphy is funny as Daisy.

Worth a look.

I know I have seen this film before or at least one very, very similar to this. However, for once, IMDb is of no help at all using its keywords and it shows nothing in regard to movie connections. If you know what the remake for this was titled, let me know.

For those who don't know what the term "Pre-Code" refers to, this is a film made mostly in the early 1930s--up to 1934. While there was a Production Code that supposedly controlled inappropriate content in American films, it was rarely enforced and the films of this era were occasionally very risqué--even by today's standards. While the films following the adoption of a strengthened Code in 1934 were quite tame, pre-code films had some shocking moments such as nudity (yes, Grandpa and Grandma were NOT as prudish as you'd imagine), adultery, homosexuality and cursing. And, occasionally sin was not just condoned but was rewarded by the end of the film! "Behind Office Doors" is clearly a pre-code film in its sensibilities--though it's not as shocking as "Red-Headed Woman" (but what is?!). The film features some adulterous situations, 'free love', a man smacking a woman on the rear (plus she isn't his wife), sexy lingerie, a smart and conniving career girl who smokes and drinks and likes men (Mary Astor), references to hashish, wild parties and lots of sexually-charged banter! However, and this is very odd, but midway through the film the pre-code trashy elements mostly disappear. The resulting film is very good but had one glaring problem that irritated me a tiny bit.

The film begins with Astor meeting a handsome guy (Ricardo Cortez). He is instantly smitten with her, but her mind is focused on an executive at work (Robert Ames). Plus, she learns that Cortez is already married. For much of the movie, Mary works to make the man she's infatuated with (Ames) and pulls strings to make him successful. Oddly, despite being successful, Ames is a bit of an idiot. First, he doesn't recognize all the times Astor manipulates him to make him a success. Second, she's pretty and devoted--but the fool doesn't appreciate her or recognize that she loves him. In many ways, Astor is quite the sap and Ames clearly doesn't deserve her. Even when it's obvious Ames is chasing other women, Astor hold out hope that somehow he'll recognize her and marry her. In fact, I had a hard time loving the film because Ames just wasn't worth it--I wanted to see her find someone other than him or Cortez! The film truly is the ultimate in self-sacrifice and as a result Astor is a human doormat--too much so. Still, despite this, the film is well made, entertaining and worth seeing--I just wished they'd made the relationship between Ames and Astor less one-sided and ridiculous.

By the way, my favorite line in the film was "You don't love me for my body alone...". Now THAT'S pre-code!

I got this movie on dvd format recently, and although much of the movies from this period are static antiques, due to sound problems and lack of camera movements, this early talkie is not that static and I had fun watching it! Mary Astor's screen presence is strong, Robert Ames' acting is good, and the rest of the cast is uniformly o.k. The plot has neither got big surprises or mysteries, nor is it too sophisticated (let's say it's no Lubitsch), but this modest picture is sincere and definitely deserves a watch. The quality of the image is great, considering it's a 1931 feature. Also note the pre-code "daring" (for then) aspects of the film, compared to movies made in Hollywood from 1934 onwards. A discovery!

This pre-code film is not quite as daring as other precode Hollywood movies, but it holds up very well today and is quite enjoyable.

Mary Astor plays a receptionsit at a paper mill company. She has her eye on Robert Ames, a young salesman with the company. When the boss is forced to retire, Mary Astor pushes for Robert Ames to take the job, and when he does, Mary is promoted to being his secretary. She is secretly in love with him, only he never seems to notice. As he rises in the company Mary Astor is constantly by his side, giving good business advice as well as advice in his personal life. When Ames marries someone else, Astor is so upset he quits, and the company begins to fall apart.

Mary Astor, I feel, has never quite gotten her due in film history. She is a wonderful actress, and watching her in a film role, you are assured you will get a natural performance that will hold up as well as if it had been shot yesterday.

Robert Ames, a former stage actor, is quite good in the role. Ames died shortly after this film. His death was thought at first to have been caused by foul play, but it was determined he had died from too much drinking.

This film features Mary Astor as the brains behind a NYC paper company, manipulating the personal life and business affairs of her boss, Robert Ames, who seems oblivious of her charms and too witless, frankly, to be a captain of industry. Ricardo Cortez is her long-suffering married would-be lover (did they ever consummate their relationship in Atlantic City?).

Never a Mary Astor fan, I found her performance in this film to be outstanding. She carries the movie all by herself and exhibits a wide range of emotions without once overacting, which would have been a great temptation in a film of this type. The film itself is marred by an inferior supporting cast, especially Robert Ames, and a too-hurried wrap up at the end.