THIS REVIEW CONTAINS GENERAL SPOILERS
A wonderful pre-Code comedy, this is the kind of movie you can't help but watch with a delighted smile the whole way through. The under-known Warren William as usual plays the head of a large corporation, this time in Vienna. Also as usual, he is demanding, domineering, aggressive, and chauvanistic. He's an operator, and his success in charming women would make James Bond envious! The problem is, his secretary is so attractive he is unable to concentrate on his work. So he fires her and hires a plain-Jane to be his secretary instead (Marian Marsh). But the ploy backfires when Marsh blossoms into a beautiful, desirable woman.
Her transformation and William's softening make up the bulk of the picture, and it is just a delight to behold. At one point the action shifts to Paris, and even though we stay in studio sets, the idea of Paris -- its feel, its magic, its charm -- has a palpable emotional effect on Marian Marsh, and on us. It's amazing how much you can feel Paris in this movie even though we never really see it! It comes through in the performances -- the way they talk about being there, the expressions of their faces in their reaction shots.
BEAUTY AND THE BOSS (one of the great movie titles!) is based on a play yet feels cinematic and flowing. The story is very much an old-world story yet it hasn't really dated because the actors are so genuine. All in all, it's an excellent romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud.
A wonderful pre-Code comedy, this is the kind of movie you can't help but watch with a delighted smile the whole way through. The under-known Warren William as usual plays the head of a large corporation, this time in Vienna. Also as usual, he is demanding, domineering, aggressive, and chauvanistic. He's an operator, and his success in charming women would make James Bond envious! The problem is, his secretary is so attractive he is unable to concentrate on his work. So he fires her and hires a plain-Jane to be his secretary instead (Marian Marsh). But the ploy backfires when Marsh blossoms into a beautiful, desirable woman.
Her transformation and William's softening make up the bulk of the picture, and it is just a delight to behold. At one point the action shifts to Paris, and even though we stay in studio sets, the idea of Paris -- its feel, its magic, its charm -- has a palpable emotional effect on Marian Marsh, and on us. It's amazing how much you can feel Paris in this movie even though we never really see it! It comes through in the performances -- the way they talk about being there, the expressions of their faces in their reaction shots.
BEAUTY AND THE BOSS (one of the great movie titles!) is based on a play yet feels cinematic and flowing. The story is very much an old-world story yet it hasn't really dated because the actors are so genuine. All in all, it's an excellent romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud.