Behind Office Doors

Rating:
Summary: A pleasent surprise!
Review: I got this dvd as a birthday gift, bought here in amazon, 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 pleasent discovery!

Rating:
Summary: Early Mary Astor in Pre-Code Vehicle
Review: This is a pretty interesting slice of Pre-Code movie-making from 1931. While there isn't anything too spicy going on by today's standards (no nudity or obvious sexual innuendo), there are highly veiled hints of naughtiness and fallen women.

Mary Astor plays Mary Linden, a secretary that helps a crass salesman named James Duneen rise up the corporate ladder until he becomes top dog of the company. She's secretly been in love with Duneen forever, and stays loving and loyal even though he likes to tramp around with all the stray alley cats he can score with. Eventually, she gets fed up with being overlooked, underappreciated, and taken advantage of. She quits, leaving the helpless Duneen to fend for himself.

The ending is rather predictable, and seemed slightly "tacked-on". Some minor comedy relief is provided by Mary's co-workers, but this is more or less an office drama. The print is remarkably clear for the age of the film. Minor blemishes and scuffs are visible throughout, but not to excess, and do not interfere with viewing.

While it wasn't groundbreaking cinema, "Behind Office Doors" was not a boring or slapdash production. It was also interesting to see a young Astor still ten years away from perhaps her most famous role, Bogart's love interest in "The Maltese Falcon".

The Roan Group has to be commended for finding such rarities as this film, and putting them on DVD.