The Office Wife (1930) *** (out of 4) Highly entertaining pre-code about Larry Fellowes (Lewis Stone), a publishing company owner who gets a new secretary (Dorothy Mackaill) and it doesn't take long for the two to fall for one another. THE OFFICE WIFE is certainly a naughty little film and especially when you compare it to some of the other pre-codes of this era. The film kicks off with Stone talking to a writer saying that the bond between a businessman and his secretary is stronger than the bond he has with his wife. From this point on we're given a film with several characters doing morally questionable things, which would certainly hit the editing room floor in a few years once the Hayes Office put a stop to this sort of thing. I really thought the film was incredibly entertaining because of its rather frank dialogue, which often time hinted at some sexual stuff. Mackaill, whose career was hot during this era but quickly faded, is wonderful in her role and I think she did an extremely good job at making the viewer feel sorry for her and begin to care for her. I also thought her comic timing during certain scenes were flawless and especially during one where she's "preparing" herself to flirt with the boss. Stone is always watchable and that's true here as he gives another strong performance. Walter Merrill is good in his supporting role as the wannabe boyfriend. The major scene-stealer is Joan Blondell who plays Mackaill's saucy sister. Whenever she's on the screen she's usually slipping in or out of clothes and the camera certainly loves to follow her legs around. If you're a leg man then you're going to be in heaven here as both ladies constantly have the camera highlighting their legs. Again, morality was a big issue back during this era and it's pretty shocking to see how THE OFFICE WIFE ends. I'm not going to ruin anything but it's pretty refreshing to see.

Larry (Lewis Stone) has a wife Linda (Natalie Moorhead) but the appointment of a new secretary Anne (Dorothy Mackaill) throws a spanner in the works. Larry and Anne fall in love with each other while Linda drifts away from him. It is up to Katherine (Joan Blondell) to let Larry know what the real deal is.The acting is sometimes stilted and the basic idea of Larry and Anne getting together is utterly ludicrous. He is more like her grandfather, ie, they are 2 generations apart. Set against this there are positives such as the roles played by Joan Blondell and Blanche Friderici as "Kate". Friderici is the best lesbian I have seen and I was quite surprised to see that women could be so outwardly gay in 1930. She smokes a cigar and dresses like a man but there is absolutely no attempt to feminize the look as there was with Dietrich. This girl is all man! And it's brilliant.The film is OK, nothing more, and it's interesting to see that the women of the time seemed to favour that short haircut which makes them look a bit severe. Joan Blondell's hair is the nicest coz it looks the most fluffy.

This is a lovely romance, surprisingly coming from Warner Brothers who were more renowned for hard hitting social dramas. On the strength of "The Office Wife" beautiful Dorothy Mackaill was given a Warners contract but the studio did little to keep her at the top. She had been a top player all through the twenties and moved with ease into the talkies. Apparently, the story goes, the only time she ever got angry with Warners was after "The Office Wife" - she knew it was a good movie but Warners then gave her a second rate assignment. She went on suspension but had scarcely arrived in England when the cables started arriving. The movie was a big hit and Warners wanted to give her a new contract - she was then kept busy over the next few years co-starring with up and coming actors like Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable. Editor Laurence Fellows (Lewis Stone) and his top selling contributor Kate Halsey discuss the pros and cons of a perfect secretary - the office wife - he wants her to write a serial about it. This idea peters out but Blanche Frederici creates a sensational first impression in her "mannish" attire. When love sick secretary (Dale Fuller) finds out her boss Laurence Fellows is getting married, she resigns, paving the way for efficient Ann Murdock's (Dorothy Mackaill) promotion. Ann has her own ideas about life - she wants to work hard and get ahead and not finish up like Miss Andrews. She wants to make a favourable impression but gets off to a rocky start - personal calls on the boss's line, broken pencils and a lighter that doesn't light. As time goes on she becomes indispensable to him and, unknown to her, his marriage to Linda begins to crack. Because Linda is played by Natalie Moorehead, you just know there is another man or three waiting in the background, but they are both civil about it. Fellows knows he has been neglectful and wants to make another go of it but Linda wants to begin again on her own. Ann's boyfriend is no prize either and when his conversation about fresh air and woollen underwear ends you wonder how she could go out with him, let alone consent to marry him. All's well that ends well and it is up to fast talking Catherine to bring Fellows and Ann together.I thought the movie was excellent, although I didn't find the chemistry between Lewis Stone and Mackaill particularly over powering. The scene stealer in the movie was definitely Joan Blondell, as Ann's sister Catherine, and her wisecracks were a real highlight. "I hope I stay dumb - one sap in the Murdock family is enough". "Ted wants a parking space for a couple of babies and free laundry". "It's one o'clock - what's this fellow Fellows think he's doing - I don't know, but I bet he's good at it" - are just a couple. Lloyd Bacon got his big break with "The Office Wife" as well. Before this his claim to fame had been directing Al Jolson's "The Singing Fool" but his future held "42nd Street" (1932), "Footlight Parade" (1933), "Brother Orchid" (1940) and many others.Highly Recommended.

This is a very good film for 1930, as the sound quality is excellent--something that CAN'T be said of all American films of the time. Plus, while the film generally takes place in an office, it doesn't have that "stagey" feel many early sound films have. Additionally, there's a gorgeous moonlight beach scene and so much of the camera-work was stellar--and the use of special lenses and filters made the lead look luminous. So, technically speaking, this is a very good film for the time.The film begins with the owner of a publishing house talking with a very masculine female writer about writing a book about office romances. This very manly lady seems to be a stereotype, of sorts, for writers--sort of like a variation on Gertrude Stein. Well, this character is only used as a sort of introduction--the rest of the film revolves around the boss (Lewis Stone) and his new secretary, Dorothy Mackaill. While she is quite efficient, she also has designs on her boss--even though he recently married a lovely young lady. Over time, the workaholic boss does find himself falling for Mackaill, though her "sleep her way to the top" ideas lose out to her sense of decency--setting up a rather predictable but satisfying conclusion. Being a Pre-Code film, this adultery is all worked out to everyone's satisfaction and the film ends with everyone (or practically everyone) living happily ever after.The film is actually pretty good apart from its technical merits. While the story was a tad predictable at times, the story was pretty adult and interesting. While titillating, it also had quite a bit of depth and is well worth a look.By the way, in one of her earliest films, Joan Blondell plays the role of Mackaill's sister. Oddly, and true to the Pre-Code ideals, she spends almost all the film either in her underwear or naked in the tub. While they don't show anything that explicit, her scenes are quite steamy!