This is a lovely romance, surprisingly coming from Warner Brothers who were more renowned for hard hitting social dramas. On the strength of "The Office Wife" beautiful Dorothy Mackaill was given a Warners contract but the studio did little to keep her at the top. She had been a top player all through the twenties and moved with ease into the talkies. Apparently, the story goes, the only time she ever got angry with Warners was after "The Office Wife" - she knew it was a good movie but Warners then gave her a second rate assignment. She went on suspension but had scarcely arrived in England when the cables started arriving. The movie was a big hit and Warners wanted to give her a new contract - she was then kept busy over the next few years co-starring with up and coming actors like Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable.
Editor Laurence Fellows (Lewis Stone) and his top selling contributor Kate Halsey discuss the pros and cons of a perfect secretary - the office wife - he wants her to write a serial about it. This idea peters out but Blanche Frederici creates a sensational first impression in her "mannish" attire. When love sick secretary (Dale Fuller) finds out her boss Laurence Fellows is getting married, she resigns, paving the way for efficient Ann Murdock's (Dorothy Mackaill) promotion. Ann has her own ideas about life - she wants to work hard and get ahead and not finish up like Miss Andrews. She wants to make a favourable impression but gets off to a rocky start - personal calls on the boss's line, broken pencils and a lighter that doesn't light. As time goes on she becomes indispensable to him and, unknown to her, his marriage to Linda begins to crack. Because Linda is played by Natalie Moorehead, you just know there is another man or three waiting in the background, but they are both civil about it. Fellows knows he has been neglectful and wants to make another go of it but Linda wants to begin again on her own. Ann's boyfriend is no prize either and when his conversation about fresh air and woollen underwear ends you wonder how she could go out with him, let alone consent to marry him. All's well that ends well and it is up to fast talking Catherine to bring Fellows and Ann together.
I thought the movie was excellent, although I didn't find the chemistry between Lewis Stone and Mackaill particularly over powering. The scene stealer in the movie was definitely Joan Blondell, as Ann's sister Catherine, and her wisecracks were a real highlight. "I hope I stay dumb - one sap in the Murdock family is enough". "Ted wants a parking space for a couple of babies and free laundry". "It's one o'clock - what's this fellow Fellows think he's doing - I don't know, but I bet he's good at it" - are just a couple. Lloyd Bacon got his big break with "The Office Wife" as well. Before this his claim to fame had been directing Al Jolson's "The Singing Fool" but his future held "42nd Street" (1932), "Footlight Parade" (1933), "Brother Orchid" (1940) and many others.
Highly Recommended.
Editor Laurence Fellows (Lewis Stone) and his top selling contributor Kate Halsey discuss the pros and cons of a perfect secretary - the office wife - he wants her to write a serial about it. This idea peters out but Blanche Frederici creates a sensational first impression in her "mannish" attire. When love sick secretary (Dale Fuller) finds out her boss Laurence Fellows is getting married, she resigns, paving the way for efficient Ann Murdock's (Dorothy Mackaill) promotion. Ann has her own ideas about life - she wants to work hard and get ahead and not finish up like Miss Andrews. She wants to make a favourable impression but gets off to a rocky start - personal calls on the boss's line, broken pencils and a lighter that doesn't light. As time goes on she becomes indispensable to him and, unknown to her, his marriage to Linda begins to crack. Because Linda is played by Natalie Moorehead, you just know there is another man or three waiting in the background, but they are both civil about it. Fellows knows he has been neglectful and wants to make another go of it but Linda wants to begin again on her own. Ann's boyfriend is no prize either and when his conversation about fresh air and woollen underwear ends you wonder how she could go out with him, let alone consent to marry him. All's well that ends well and it is up to fast talking Catherine to bring Fellows and Ann together.
I thought the movie was excellent, although I didn't find the chemistry between Lewis Stone and Mackaill particularly over powering. The scene stealer in the movie was definitely Joan Blondell, as Ann's sister Catherine, and her wisecracks were a real highlight. "I hope I stay dumb - one sap in the Murdock family is enough". "Ted wants a parking space for a couple of babies and free laundry". "It's one o'clock - what's this fellow Fellows think he's doing - I don't know, but I bet he's good at it" - are just a couple. Lloyd Bacon got his big break with "The Office Wife" as well. Before this his claim to fame had been directing Al Jolson's "The Singing Fool" but his future held "42nd Street" (1932), "Footlight Parade" (1933), "Brother Orchid" (1940) and many others.
Highly Recommended.