Employees' Entrance is a drama about keeping a business afloat during the Great Depression. The business is a large department store called Monroe's and the owner Hale Hamilton is said to be a descendant of both James Monroe and Benjamin Franklin. But while this worthless heir enjoys his yacht, Warren William is doing whatever it takes and doing it ruthlessly to keep the store afloat.There won't be too many people in mourning when William shuffles off the mortal coil. But that's all right by him. Every fiber of his being is devoted to his job. He's quite the user of people and one of them he spots a possible protege, Wallace Ford. He likes single men with no families working for him. But William doesn't know that Ford is secretly married to a young model William has hired, Loretta Young. That's going to present problems.A lot of similar theme are present here as in Billy Wilder's classic The Apartment. No romantic angle like in The Apartment for William however, he's 100% business. However Young and Ford reach the same conclusions that Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine do in The Apartment.A few familiar faces from Warner Brothers stock company are present like Ruth Donnelly and Allen Jenkins. Stealing every scene she's in is man trap Alice White. William has her on special assignment.Employees' Entrance holds up well though this is a film firmly set in the time of The Great Depression.

Employees' Entrance (1933) is a film with manifold virtues, but the greatest of all of them is Warren William as the villainous Kurt Anderson. For this cinephile, old Kurt ranks up there with Darth Vader and the Wicked Witch of the West as one of the greatest bad guys in American film.William's villain is truly nuanced. He's a heartless, lecherous monster, yet there is also something admirable about his respect for those willing to stand up to him. The scene where one of Kurt's embittered employees tells him he plans to claw his way to the top of the business world and take vengeance on him ends with Kurt impressed and ready to fund the fellow's future business!Loretta Young gives the other standout performance as the working girl Kurt continually takes advantage of and whose marriage he unwittingly sabotages. Young makes her pain and distress all too poignant.This is an amazing film all around. The cinematography is solid and the screenplay sizzles. One can imagine how closely the Depression-era audience must have related to its working-class heroes.

Warren William, who made a living playing unscrupulous businessmen in the Pre-Code days, excels in this film about back door goings-on at a major department store.William stars as Kurt Anderson, the manager of a big-city store who will let nothing and no one stand between him and success. His motto is "Smash or be smashed!" and he really means it. Anderson bullies and stomps on everyone--the store's staff, the store owner, vendors, and even the Board of Directors! He shamelessly manipulates the lives of everyone he deals with, and has no qualms about driving a long-time employee to suicide.The movie begins with Anderson demanding (and receiving) a 100% salary raise from the Board. Anderson then has a love affair with Madeline (Loretta Young), a store employee who is married to Martin (Wallace Ford). He tries to break up the marriage in a number of ways. Anderson also flirts with Polly (Alice White), the store's resident airhead. The store's Board attempts to fire Anderson, but he pulls a fast one with some proxy votes and continues as the store's absolute monarch.William, as usual, really delivers in a very unsympathetic role. Loretta Young is great (and very lovely) as the innocent Madeline, and Alice White is very convincing. Ford could be better, but he's not bad. The venerable Charles Lane has a brief role as a shoe clerk. A visual delight for Pre-Code fans.Best line--Anderson (to Polly): "I didn't recognize you with your clothes on!"

A very watchable pre-code film - not so only it's risque elements but for acting (particularly Warren William), plot, comedy and fast pace. One of my favorites of the era.It's very interesting how Warren William - who treats women like objects, tries to break up a budding romance (by seducing and sleeping with Loretta Young, not once but twice!!), indirectly leads to a employees' suicide, etc - manages to "win" in the end. For the most part, the is the "bad guy" in the story...although he has a few redeeming characteristics.It's worth owning the video.