Mary Linden is the secretary who is the unheralded power behind successful executive James Duneen. He takes her for granted until rival Wales tries to take her away from him.
Christian Bale is a bonafide A-list star, but he missed out on plenty of huge roles along the way. So what were they?
Related News
-
Cortez Part III: From Latin Lover to Multiethnic Heel
07 July 2017 | Alt Film Guide -
After Valentino and Before Bogart There Was Cortez: 'The Magnificent Heel' and the Movies' Original Sam Spade
07 July 2017 | Alt Film Guide
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Behind Office Doors (1931)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Animal Kingdom
(1932)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Romance
Directors:
Edward H. Griffith,
George Cukor
Stars:
Ann Harding,
Leslie Howard,
Myrna Loy
Kept Husbands
(1931)
Certificate: Passed
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Lloyd Bacon
Stars:
Clara Kimball Young,
Joel McCrea,
Dorothy Mackaill
Millie
(1931)
Certificate: Passed
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
John Francis Dillon
Stars:
Helen Twelvetrees,
Lilyan Tashman,
Robert Ames
Ten Cents a Dance
(1931)
Drama
|
Romance
Directors:
Lionel Barrymore,
Edward Buzzell
Stars:
Barbara Stanwyck,
Ricardo Cortez,
Monroe Owsley
Svengali
(1931)
Drama
|
Horror
|
Romance
Director:
Archie Mayo
Stars:
John Barrymore,
Marian Marsh,
Donald Crisp
Drama
|
Horror
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
John S. Robertson
Stars:
John Barrymore,
Martha Mansfield,
Brandon Hurst
Crime
|
Drama
|
Mystery
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Stars:
June Tripp,
Ivor Novello,
Marie Ault
Night Nurse
(1931)
Comedy
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
William A. Wellman
Stars:
Barbara Stanwyck,
Ben Lyon,
Joan Blondell
Glorifying the American Girl
(1929)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Musical
Director:
Millard Webb
Stars:
Mary Eaton,
Eddie Cantor,
Helen Morgan
Christmas Holiday
(1944)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Film-Noir
Director:
Robert Siodmak
Stars:
Deanna Durbin,
Gene Kelly,
Richard Whorf
The Inner Circle
(1946)
Film-Noir
|
Mystery
Director:
Philip Ford
Stars:
Adele Mara,
Warren Douglas,
William Frawley
Other Men's Women
(1931)
Certificate: Passed
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
William A. Wellman
Stars:
Grant Withers,
Mary Astor,
Regis Toomey
Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Mary Astor | ... | Mary Linden | |
| Robert Ames | ... | James Duneen | |
| Ricardo Cortez | ... | Ronnie Wales | |
| Catherine Dale Owen | ... | Ellen May Robinson | |
| Kitty Kelly | ... | Delores Kogan | |
| Edna Murphy | ... | Daisy Presby | |
| Charles Sellon | ... | John Ritter | |
| William Morris | ... | Banker Charles H. Robinson | |
| George MacFarlane | ... | (scenes deleted) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (25) »
Storyline
Mary Linden is the secretary who is the unheralded power behind successful executive James Duneen. He takes her for granted until rival Wales tries to take her away from him.
Plot Keywords:
secretary | unrequited love | male female relationship | telephone operator | soap opera |Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 March 1931 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Private Secretary See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Mary Linden: What I wear next to my lily white body is, strange as it may seem, nobody's business.
See more »
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Ruby
Lyrics by Bert Kalmar
Played as dance music in the nightclub
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
RKO Radio Pictures production number 531. See more »Goofs
When Duneen stands up from sitting on the edge of his desk and moves forward and off camera to the right, his mouth moves as if saying something, but no words are heard. See more »Quotes
Daisy Presby: Oh, don't tell me you wear french lingerie beneath that flour sack.Mary Linden: What I wear next to my lily white body is, strange as it may seem, nobody's business.
See more »
Soundtracks
Three Little Words(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Ruby
Lyrics by Bert Kalmar
Played as dance music in the nightclub
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Watch Hollywood hits and TV favorites for free with IMDb Freedive. Start streaming on IMDb and Fire TV devices today!
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
This is a pretty clever, well-acted version of the "modern" 30s woman's fairytale romance. In this case, she helps the man she loves become head of the company while serving as his secretary and eventually wins his love from a scheming social butterfly. Interestingly, her business sense is shown as subtly parallel to her homemaking prowess, and the ladies of the office are depicted as the "powers behind the throne." Lifted way above the average by Mrs. Astor's intelligent performance.