Beauty and the Boss: A Messy Pre-Code Office Comedy

Is it worth a watch?

If you like those old movies where everyone talks like they are racing to catch a train, you should give this a look. It is only about an hour long, so it doesn't overstay its welcome. 🎬

People who love 1930s style and seeing how offices used to work (or how movies thought they worked) will probably have a good time. If you hate predictable plots or the 'plain girl gets a makeover' trope, you will probably want to skip this one.

Warren William plays Baron von Ullrich. He is this high-powered banker who thinks women are just a distraction from his spreadsheets and money. He’s kind of a jerk, but in that charming way only 1930s actors could pull off. 💼

The Baron decides he is done with pretty secretaries. He thinks they spend too much time looking in mirrors. So he hires Susie, played by Marian Marsh, because she looks 'mousy' and wears these giant glasses. 👓

Marian Marsh is actually pretty great here. She plays the role with this jittery, nervous energy that feels real. When she first gets the job, she is so excited she can barely stand still. It is kind of adorable, actually.

The office she works in is absolutely massive. It looks more like a ballroom than a place where people do taxes. I kept wondering why there was so much empty space between the desks. It felt a bit lonely, to be honest.

The Typewriter Attack

There is a scene early on where Susie has to prove she can type. She doesn't just type; she attacks that machine. It’s loud and aggressive and vaguely terrifying. ⌨️

The sound design in these early talkies is always a bit crunchy. You can hear every click and clack like it's happening inside your own head. It made me realize how quiet our modern keyboards are. We’ve lost something there, I think.

Charles Butterworth shows up as a guy named Ludwig. He is basically there to be the funny sidekick. He has this deadpan way of speaking that always makes me chuckle. He just sort of wanders into scenes, says something weird, and leaves. 🚶‍♂️

I feel like I’ve seen this kind of character in All of a Sudden Norma or maybe Small Timers. It’s that classic 'confused best friend' vibe that worked so well back then.

The Transformation Thing

The movie really leans into the idea that Susie is 'ugly' just because she has a lumpy coat and messy hair. It’s the classic movie lie. We all know she’s going to take the glasses off and suddenly be a supermodel. 💄

When the change finally happens, it feels a bit rushed. One minute she’s a nervous wreck, and the next she’s this sophisticated lady of mystery. It didn't feel like a natural growth, just a plot requirement.

The Baron’s reaction is also kind of funny. He goes from barely noticing she exists to being completely obsessed. It makes you realize how shallow the character actually is, even if the movie tries to make it romantic.

There is a lot of drinking. Like, a lot of drinking for an office environment. They have champagne for breakfast. It makes the whole movie feel like one long party that just happens to take place near a bank vault. 🥂

Small Things I Noticed

• The way Warren William holds a telephone is very dramatic. He grips it like he’s trying to crush it.
• There is a scene with a revolving door that goes on just a few seconds too long. It starts to feel like a slapstick bit that didn't quite land.
• Susie’s apartment is surprisingly nice for someone who was supposedly starving at the start. Movie logic, I guess.
• The lighting in the final scene is really soft, almost blurry. It’s like the camera operator got tired.

The script is based on a play, and you can really tell. Most of the action happens in just a couple of rooms. It feels a bit claustrophobic at times, but that also makes the office feel more like a pressure cooker. 🔥

I wouldn't say this is a masterpiece. It isn't as gritty as Scrap Iron or as grand as some of the other big hits from that year. It’s just a solid, slightly messy comedy about people who work too hard and fall in love too fast.

The ending is very abrupt. They basically just decide to be together and the screen fades to black. I wanted a little more closure, but I guess they had to keep the runtime under 70 minutes. ⏱️

"A man in love is a man who has lost his head, but a man in business is a man who has found his pocketbook."

That quote isn't actually in the movie, but it feels like it should be. The whole film is a tug-of-war between making money and catching feelings. Usually, the money wins for the first forty minutes, and then the feelings take over.

The costumes are incredible, though. Even the 'plain' outfits Susie wears at the start have this weird charm to them. The hats in this movie are next level. They look like architectural projects sitting on people's heads. 👒

If you’re looking for something deep or life-changing, look elsewhere. But if you want to see a tiny woman yell at a typewriter and a tall man look confused in a tuxedo, this is your movie.

It’s a bit like Whatever She Wants but with more banking jargon. I enjoyed it for what it was—a fast, slightly silly distraction from the real world. 🌟