Big Business Girl (1931)

Thanks to her ability and her legs, Claire McIntyre rises in the business world.

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Patricia Reilly (story), H.N. Swanson (story)

Stars:

Loretta Young, Frank Albertson, Ricardo Cortez

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Loretta Young	...	Claire 'Mac' McIntyre
Frank Albertson	...	Johnny Saunders
Ricardo Cortez	...	Robert J. Clayton
Joan Blondell	...	Pearl
Frank Darien	...	Luke C. Winters (as Frank Darion)
Dorothy Christy	...	Mrs. Emery
Oscar Apfel	...	Walter T. Morley
Judith Barrett	...	Sarah Ellen (as Nancy Dover)
Mickey Bennett	...	Joe

Storyline

College graduate Claire McIntyre plans to conquer the business world, while her dropout boyfriend Johnny takes his swing band to Paris. Eventually, Claire catches the eye (in more ways than one) of ad executive Robert Clayton. Between her ability and her legs, she soon rises in the hierarchy. But the unexpected return of Johnny brings on an era of romantic misunderstandings. Will Clayton on one side and an obliging blonde on the other succeed in parting Claire and Johnny?

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Plot Keywords:

secretary | 

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Genres:

Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor mio tradiscimi!

Filming Locations:

Glendale Amtrak Station - 400 W. Cerritos Avenue, Glendale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Waiter turns away from Clair and Johnny's table twice at the club.

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Quotes

Robert Clayton: [after dinner party for a client] What an orgy! I'm certainly glad they're gone.
Claire 'Mac' McIntyre: I'll get a taxi - and exit laughing before you begin thinking that way about me.

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Connections

Featured in Complicated Women (2003)

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Soundtracks

Lady, Play Your Mandolin
(uncredited)
Music by Oscar Levant
Played when Mrs. Emery stops by the table

User Reviews

This one moves rather slow for a precode...

... and especially for a Warner Brothers precode. The theme of the story is pretty familiar - boy (Frank Albertson) and girl (Loretta Young) are tight in college but get separated by more than physical distance after graduation, despite their best intentions. Meanwhile, in each case, more worldly people of the opposite sex (Ricardo Cortez and Dorothy Christy) move in and wreak havoc on the relationship, helped along by a generous helping of pride on the part of both boy and girl.

As expected Loretta is lovely, Ricardo is a rat, and that saucy tart Joan Blondell makes the last 10 minutes worth the wait. I know she didn't write those lines, but only she could deliver them so memorably. Best precode scene (non-Blondell that is) - Loretta Young being surprised by boyfriend Johnny's return from Paris while running around her apartment in her underwear. They carry on a casual conversation - she's still in her underwear - as she puts on her makeup and he buffs her bare back with a powder puff. Only in the precode era! The final scene with Blondell is somewhat annoying for reasons that the director could not have been aware of without a crystal ball. As a nervous Frank Albertson talks to card-carrying correspondent (as in divorce) Joan Blondell, the camera spends much of its time focused on Frank Albertson even when Joan is talking. Hard to believe, but for the brief sliver of time in which this film was made, Frank Albertson was a leading man and Joan Blondell was still only a supporting player, so at the time this cinematography actually made sense. Today, the whole thing is like having a billboard blocking a beautiful view.

I'd recommend this one for fans of precode and especially fans of Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, or Joan Blondell.