Rank "Big Business Girl" right in there with "The Hucksters" and "A Face in the Crowd" as inspirational material for "Mad Men".
What attracted me to search until I could see this movie on TCM were the best remembered stars Loretta Young and Joan Blondell, in addition to Ricardo Cortez, Oscar Apfel and Dorothy Christy. These were major Warner Bros contract players of the early 1930s. It is hard to believe in those Pre Code days without restrictions on minors playing adults on screen, at 17 Loretta Young is cast as a university graduate, deep in student loans, willing to do what it takes to get ahead in the New York City business world. There is even a skyscraper model that looks like the one in "Baby Face" from 1933.
Honestly, I was never a fan of Loretta Young after her movie career ended circa 1951. Good for her that she was a hit on TV, but not with me. However, as I started collecting Pre Code film, I was entranced by Loretta in "Employees' Entrance" filmed when she was 19.
Ricardo Cortez played "Sam Spade" in the 1931 version of "The Maltese Falcon" which ended production just weeks before "Big Business Girl" started production. Seeing him as the ad agency owner "Robert Clayton" he is a role model for "Roger Sterling" and "Don Draper" on "Mad Men".
That would make Loretta as "Claire 'Mac' McIntyre" a cross between "Peggy Olson" and "Megan Calvet" on "Mad Men".
The plot is that "Mac" is hired suddenly as secretary to "Clayton" who does not know she is secretly married to her university boyfriend "Johnny" who was in Paris with his band. Somehow "Mac" starts writing outstanding ad copy selling the autos made by "Walter Morley". "Clayton" promotes her to copywriter with her own office, as much for her legs and face as talent. "Clayton" is so infatuated with "Mac" he wants to marry her. Then "Johnny" returns to NYC. "Mac" sets him up was a radio star for the auto company. He is attracted to beautiful "Mrs. Emerson". After a night flight in heavy rain in a Ford Tri-Motor, "Mac" re-unites with "Johnny". Un resolved is the question of "Mac" remaining as copywriter for "Clayton" and "Johnny" as the auto company radio band leader. Of yes, Joan Blondell plays "Pearl" a professional "divorce co-respondent".
I enjoyed this film and all performances except Frank Albertson as "Johnny Saunders". If he could not appear romantically interested in Loretta Young then, he must have been half dead. Perhaps all the other male juveniles under WB contract were making other films then. A year later WB might have used Dick Powell or George Brent as "Johnny".
Still, "Big Business Girl" is only 75 minutes long and seems to run faster. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoy it.
What attracted me to search until I could see this movie on TCM were the best remembered stars Loretta Young and Joan Blondell, in addition to Ricardo Cortez, Oscar Apfel and Dorothy Christy. These were major Warner Bros contract players of the early 1930s. It is hard to believe in those Pre Code days without restrictions on minors playing adults on screen, at 17 Loretta Young is cast as a university graduate, deep in student loans, willing to do what it takes to get ahead in the New York City business world. There is even a skyscraper model that looks like the one in "Baby Face" from 1933.
Honestly, I was never a fan of Loretta Young after her movie career ended circa 1951. Good for her that she was a hit on TV, but not with me. However, as I started collecting Pre Code film, I was entranced by Loretta in "Employees' Entrance" filmed when she was 19.
Ricardo Cortez played "Sam Spade" in the 1931 version of "The Maltese Falcon" which ended production just weeks before "Big Business Girl" started production. Seeing him as the ad agency owner "Robert Clayton" he is a role model for "Roger Sterling" and "Don Draper" on "Mad Men".
That would make Loretta as "Claire 'Mac' McIntyre" a cross between "Peggy Olson" and "Megan Calvet" on "Mad Men".
The plot is that "Mac" is hired suddenly as secretary to "Clayton" who does not know she is secretly married to her university boyfriend "Johnny" who was in Paris with his band. Somehow "Mac" starts writing outstanding ad copy selling the autos made by "Walter Morley". "Clayton" promotes her to copywriter with her own office, as much for her legs and face as talent. "Clayton" is so infatuated with "Mac" he wants to marry her. Then "Johnny" returns to NYC. "Mac" sets him up was a radio star for the auto company. He is attracted to beautiful "Mrs. Emerson". After a night flight in heavy rain in a Ford Tri-Motor, "Mac" re-unites with "Johnny". Un resolved is the question of "Mac" remaining as copywriter for "Clayton" and "Johnny" as the auto company radio band leader. Of yes, Joan Blondell plays "Pearl" a professional "divorce co-respondent".
I enjoyed this film and all performances except Frank Albertson as "Johnny Saunders". If he could not appear romantically interested in Loretta Young then, he must have been half dead. Perhaps all the other male juveniles under WB contract were making other films then. A year later WB might have used Dick Powell or George Brent as "Johnny".
Still, "Big Business Girl" is only 75 minutes long and seems to run faster. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoy it.