gzorro40
I saw this film recently on Turner Classics. It was a beautiful part of the wonderful past of Hollywood. Warren's great voice still haunts me. It was, as they say "mello as a cello". Real good stuff!! I have become a Warren William fan. I looked up his bio on your WEB. He made a ton of movies with all the top stars of Tinsel Town. He also made some not so good movies, but that's par for the Hollywood story. I have ordered about ten of his movie efforts and look forward with great anticipation in seeing them. Because I was not familial with him till TCM came along and presented some of his work. Sadley he died quite young at 54. Fortunattly we still have him to enjoy with the Hollwood Classics.
marcslope
Warren William as the ruthless, reckless, unredeemable manager of Macy's called something else, vs. a board of ineffectual, status-seeking shlubs and a not completely sympathetic young couple who work for him; who's there to root for? This Warners "social realism" melodrama was made in the fascinating time just after Prohibition's repeal and just before the Production Code, so it depicts all sorts of amoral behavior (drunks, floozies, unfaithful wives, decent employees corrupted by a kill-or-be-killed work ethic). As such, it's a useful window on a turbulent time in Hollywood and American history. But as cinema, it's not particularly well-acted or consistent: Characters develop likes and dislikes for other characters to serve the plot, not the other way around, and the motivations are weak throughout. (To its credit, it does try to furnish the William character with some backstory, so that if we can't sympathize with this ghoul, at least we can understand him.) Wallace Ford hasn't the charm to pull off the regular-guy persona that would make us care (imagine Jimmy Cagney in the part, or at least Pat O'Brien); and Loretta Young's sweet, but what's she playing? She's variously manipulative, pitiable, likeable, conniving. The pre-Code honesty does allow her character to Sin and get away with it; by the following year, she'd have been struck by lightning. William's malevolent machinations are watchable, if not compelling, and the movie has small details that stick with you, like the lapdog in the wastebasket.
preppy-3
Very adult pre-Code drama of a huge department store and its tyrannical owner Kurt Anderson (Warren William). There are many subplots but the main one involves a young, loving couple (Loretta Young, Wallace Ford) and how Anderson tries to tear them apart.The movie is truly fascinating--the cruelty of Anderson is beyond belief. Half the things he says and does would never be in a film made today. William isn't a particularly good actor, but he manages to pull off the role. Ford and Young make a very attractive couple--you're rooting for both of them.The drama here certainly works but the humor doesn't (there's a running gag about the 4th floor mens lavatory always breaking down that isn't remotely funny). There's also some annoying comic relief actors.Still, this is never dull, very frank and worth catching.
Dr. Ed
A great pre-Code comedy with Warren William at his best. He plays a ruthless store manager who manipulates everyone around him, including lovely Loretta Young and her hapless (secret) husband, Wallace Ford. This film never lets up as the manager grinds away at his employees. Definitely a product of its time, but it is thoroughly enjoyable. Also good are Alice White, Ruth Donnelly and Albert Gran.
AD
