winstonchurchill-93755 Rapid fire dialog rips through this charming pre code gem so fast you'll have to put down your iPhone to enjoy. Marian Marsh shines and Warren William is offensive and hilarious.

bkoganbing Originally entitled The Church Mouse in New York, London, and Paris where it began as a play by Ladislas Fodor, Beauty And The Boss is an average comedy with a few good laughs about a wealthy man who can't decide whether he wants efficiency or eye candy as female employees. The play ran a respectable 164 performances on Broadway in the 1931-32 season for the Depression and the most prominent name in the cast was that of Ruth Gordon.Warren William is the French industrial tycoon with this terrible dilemma and when he finds he can't concentrate on his business because he finds stenographer Mary Doran too attractive he fires Doran. There won't be that problem with Marian Marsh however who dresses down and dowdy so much that she's called a church mouse. But she's set her cap for William and she'll do whatever it takes to nail him.Rounding out this European comedy of manners is David Manners as William's fun loving brother, they're much like the Larrabee brothers in Sabrina. There's also Frederic Kerr as a count with a roving eye and the ever droll Charles Butterworth who for me is always a pleasure to watch in anything. The material cast has to work with is pretty thin, but they rise to the occasion and while Beauty And The Boss will never be rated as one of the great comedies of the Thirties it will give a few good laughs to anyone who views it.

kidboots Marian Marsh had a gorgeous doll like prettiness and in at least one of her films (the terrific "Five Star Final") proved she could act if given the chance. "Beauty and the Boss" seemed to be the last movie she made under contract to Warners, which shows they didn't take much time to groom and nurture her talent. Although it could have been titles such as "Under 18", "Beauty and the Boss" and "Daring Daughters" that kept discerning picture goers away.Baron Josef Von Ulrich (Warren William) is a banker who has the perfect solution for separating business from pleasure. Whenever a secretary starts to show too much allure, he simply fires her, gives her 6 months wages then begins an affair with her. His latest conquest, Miss Frey (Mary Doran) is proving very demanding so when Ulrich hires Susie Sachs (Marian Marsh) he is delighted. She has all the attributes he is looking for - plain of face, she describes herself as "hungry and poor as a church mouse" - plus her only interest is in efficiency and hard work. Marian Marsh is just adorable as Susie the "human dynamo" who within 5 minutes organises the Baron as he has never been organised before. She also manages to keep his mistresses at bay and his mind on the job.A trip to Paris and all the hard work is undone. Susie starts to feel there is more to life than just hard work and has an encounter with Miss Frey who tries to put her wise to all the tricks needed to hook a man (which Susie tries to use in a really sweet scene with the Baron). Susie's transformation is like Cinderella, when she steps out with Paul (David Manners) and Count Von Tolheim (the always good Frederic Kerr). Marian is absolutely radiant in a shimmering gown and with her blonde hair carefully marcelled. David Manners has another of his "nothing" roles. I have read he was never too keen on film acting and you can tell as he basically walks through his role. He has one scene where he confesses his love for Susie but you just know she wants a man of flesh and blood - a man like the Baron!!!Directed by Roy Del Ruth who was Warner's work horse director. His credits were outstanding - especially to a lover of pre-coders. "Blonde Crazy", "The Maltese Falcon", "Blessed Event", "Employee's Entrance", "The Little Giant" - only a fraction of the films he directed before the production code meanies stamped out the fun. Always at his best working within the framework of a big studio, once he left Warners, he then went to MGM where he was responsible for musicals like "Born to Dance" etc.Highly Recommended.

calvinnme ...but you just can't help yourself. William is perfect here as an efficient German bank president and baron, totally consumed with business by day and with romancing the ladies -lots of them - at night. He only has problems when his two interests converge. This usually occurs because he has a beautiful secretary. His usual solution - to fire the secretary and get her out of his business life, and then make her one of his many mistresses.The baron tires of this repetitive problem, and vows that his next secretary will be a plain practical woman for whom he will have no attraction. So into his life walks Susie Sachs (Marian Marsh), "the church mouse". The cutest scene of the film is where Susie tricks her way into see the baron and tells him about the plight of her class -"the mice" - the unemployed and hungry. The baron is quite interested in her story. You see, he is not such a bad guy. It just never occurred to him that there might be a girl of her age in Germany more interested in a good meal than a diamond bracelet. He's never seen that side of life and therefore not given it much thought. He hires her, and she works out quite well for him until a business trip to Paris brings the Baron quite a few surprises.This film was really a delight with very good dialogue and animated performances. Charles Butterworth is really quite good as comic support in these early Warner Brothers talkies. He plays the baron's assistant who is constantly writing down instructions on his cuffs and seems to have no objections when he is told he will be working all night and won't be allowed time to eat. David Manners plays the baron's younger brother who sees the beauty in Susie even when she is playing the frump.