Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Behind Office Doors

  • 19311931
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
487
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
95,068
23,084
Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
DramaRomance
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.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.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.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
487
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
95,068
23,084
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Melville W. Brown
    • Writers
      • Alan Schultz(Private Secretary by)
      • Carey Wilson(screenplay)
      • J. Walter Ruben(adaptation and dialogue)
    • Stars
      • Mary Astor
      • Robert Ames
      • Ricardo Cortez
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Melville W. Brown
    • Writers
      • Alan Schultz(Private Secretary by)
      • Carey Wilson(screenplay)
      • J. Walter Ruben(adaptation and dialogue)
    • Stars
      • Mary Astor
      • Robert Ames
      • Ricardo Cortez
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos15

    Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez, and Catherine Dale Owen in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor, Robert Ames, and Catherine Dale Owen in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez in Behind Office Doors (1931)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mary Astor
    Mary Astor
    • Mary Linden
    Robert Ames
    Robert Ames
    • James Duneen
    Ricardo Cortez
    Ricardo Cortez
    • Ronnie Wales
    Catherine Dale Owen
    Catherine Dale Owen
    • Ellen May Robinson
    Kitty Kelly
    Kitty Kelly
    • Delores Kogan
    Edna Murphy
    Edna Murphy
    • Daisy Presby
    Charles Sellon
    Charles Sellon
    • John Ritter
    William Morris
    William Morris
    • Charles H. Robinson - Banker
    George MacFarlane
    George MacFarlane
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    Mary Foy
    Mary Foy
    • Landlady
    • (uncredited)
    Roberta Gale
    Roberta Gale
    • Party Girl
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Granger
    Dorothy Granger
    • Girl in Duneen's Apartment
    • (uncredited)
    George Irving
    George Irving
    • Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Lon Poff
    Lon Poff
    • Mr. Burden
    • (uncredited)
    Henry Roquemore
    Henry Roquemore
    • Salesman
    • (uncredited)
    Katya Sorina
    • Party Girl
    • (uncredited)
    Monte Vandergrift
    Monte Vandergrift
    • Plainclothesman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Melville W. Brown
    • Writers
      • Alan Schultz(Private Secretary by)
      • Carey Wilson(screenplay)
      • J. Walter Ruben(adaptation and dialogue) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Goodbye Again
    6.4
    Goodbye Again
    One Way Passage
    7.5
    One Way Passage
    Guilty Hands
    6.9
    Guilty Hands
    Mandalay
    6.7
    Mandalay
    Holiday
    6.4
    Holiday
    Big City Blues
    6.1
    Big City Blues
    Gentleman Jim
    7.6
    Gentleman Jim
    The Divorcee
    6.7
    The Divorcee
    The Animal Kingdom
    6.4
    The Animal Kingdom
    The Lady Refuses
    6.0
    The Lady Refuses
    Frisco Kid
    6.2
    Frisco Kid
    Over-Exposed
    6.1
    Over-Exposed

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Duneen hires Daisy at $50/week - prompting a concerned look from Mary. She had a good reason as the average salary for all workers in 1931 was $35/week, and secretaries on average made only $20/week.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Mary Linden: Robinson of the City Trust could be sold on a proposition to buy Ritter's stock for you, and pay for it out of the profits.

      James Duneen: [grabs her cigarette and sniffs it] No, it isn't hashish.

    • Soundtracks
      Three Little Words
      (1930) (uncredited)

      Music by Harry Ruby

      Lyrics by Bert Kalmar

      Played as dance music in the nightclub

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Stand by your man movie
    In the grand tradition of stand-by-your-man films, Behind Office Doors promotes that glorious message of olden days. Mary Astor stars as a secretary in love with one of her co-workers, Robert Ames. Thanks to her intelligence and ambition, she manages to promote Robert up the corporate ladder. Mary remains his faithful secretary, while being in love with him, and Robert repays her by ignoring her and fooling around with other loose secretaries. Mary is a very good girl, in every sense of the word, and while this pre-Code drama is extremely naughty, she isn't. In one scene, Mary discusses the price of French lingerie with her fellow secretary, and in a later scene, she finds a price tag on the floor of Robert's bedroom. In the first scene, Mary attends a party and gets kissed during a game of Blind Man's Bluff, then questioned about how far she'll go during Truth. If you like pre-Code screenplays, add this one to your list.

    Mary gives a very heartfelt performance in Behind Office Doors, and while the plot and what she goes through might seem melodramatic to a modern audience, in 1931, it was serious business to be a good girl and remain so. When Ricardo Cortez offers a standing invitation to take Mary to Atlantic City, the audience knows what that means. To a modern woman, it sounds like a fun fling that can be enjoyed without any change to her reputation, but in 1931, it could be life-ruining. I do wish the end of the movie was different, but everything leading up to it was entertaining, dramatic, well-written, and well-acted. Check this movie out if you've never seen a Mary Astor movie, or if you only think of her as Marmee in Little Women. She's the lead and the star, and she holds her own as an old-fashioned girl with strong morals and a loving heart.
    helpful•3
    0
    • HotToastyRag
    • Mar 9, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 15, 1931 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Private Secretary
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.20 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Mary Astor and Robert Ames in Behind Office Doors (1931)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Behind Office Doors (1931) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.