Is Poor as a Church Mouse (1931) actually any good? My honest take.

You should probably watch this today if you have a soft spot for 1930s office dramas where everyone talks slightly too fast.

It is perfect for people who like a scrappy underdog story. 🐭

But if you hate those old movies where the 'romance' feels like a boss just bothering his employee, you’ll probably find this one a bit annoying.

The movie starts with General Director von Ulrich being a total jerk about what he calls the "American working pace."

He wants everything to move at light speed, which is funny because 1931 'fast' looks pretty slow to us now. 💨

He fires his old secretary just for being 'normal' and not a machine.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Poor as a Church Mouse (1931) through its definitive frames.

Then we meet Susie Sachs, played by Grete Mosheim, and she is easily the best part of the whole thing.

She is genuinely *poor as a church mouse* and you can see the desperation in the way she holds her purse.

The scene where she practically forces her way into the office to get the job is great. It's high energy and feels real.

I loved the way the office looks—all those massive wooden desks and those clunky black telephones that look heavy enough to kill someone.

It reminded me a bit of the vibe in The Dream Doll, though this is much more grounded in reality.

The movie shifts gears when they eventually head to Paris for business. 🗼

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Poor as a Church Mouse (1931) through its definitive frames.

I usually love a Paris sequence, but here it felt like the movie lost some of that frantic 'office pressure' energy that made the start fun.

The romance feels... well, it feels like it happens because the script says it has to.

Von Ulrich is so stiff for the first hour that when he starts catching feelings, it’s almost confusing. 👔

There is a moment on the train where he looks at Susie and you can almost see him trying to remember how to be a human being.

The side characters, like the ones played by Fritz Grünbaum or Paul Hörbiger, definitely help keep things from getting too dry.

Hörbiger has a face that just looks like he’s always about to tell a joke that only he finds funny.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Poor as a Church Mouse (1931) through its definitive frames.

Small things I noticed:

• The sound of the typewriters is weirdly loud, almost like a drum beat in the background.
• Susie’s coat looks so thin you can almost feel the Berlin winter through the screen.
• The way they talk about "American work" like it’s some kind of mystical, holy religion.
• A random reaction shot of a waiter in Paris that lasts about four seconds too long. 😂

It’s not a perfect movie, and the ending feels a bit rushed, like they ran out of film or something.

The pacing gets wonky in the last twenty minutes, and I’m not sure I totally buy the transition from 'scary boss' to 'romantic lead.'

If you liked the humor in Ja, ja, die Frauen sind meine schwache Seite, you will probably enjoy the banter here.

Just don’t expect some deep social commentary on poverty. It’s mostly just a rom-com at heart.

I honestly think I liked looking at the 1930s office furniture more than the actual plot. Is that weird? 🏢

Anyway, it’s a solid watch if you can find it. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🎬