BEHIND OFFICE DOORS (1931) Mary Astor, Robert Ames & Ricardo Cortez | Comedy, Drama | B&W

Behind Office Doors is a 1931 pre-Code American drama film directed by Melville W. Brown, from a screenplay by Carey Wilson and J. Walter Ruben, based on Alan Schultz's 1929 novel, Private Secretary. It starred Mary Astor, Robert Ames and Ricardo Cortez, and revolved around the premise of "the woman behind the man". While not well received by critics, it did well at the box office.

SYNOPSIS
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 (Mary Astor) is a receptionist at a paper milling company, who is secretly in love with one of the salesmen, James Duneen (Robert Ames). Her extensive knowledge of the paper industry, the mill and its clients allows her to have input in company operations far outweighing her job title. As the president of the company, Ritter (Charles Sellon), approaches retirement, Mary uses her skill in company politics to enable James to make some important sales coups, after which she begins a fifth-column attempt to get him named as the next president. James, for his part, is grateful to her for her help, but is completely oblivious to her romantic interest in him, preferring more the party girl type.

When Ritter does retire, James wins the position, and Mary is promoted to be his personal secretary. Still unaware of her feelings, he hires his latest party girl, Daisy (Edna Murphy), to work in the office, and report to Mary. Mary is upset by this turn of events, but remains faithful to James, assisting him with running the company. In fact, it is her knowledge and acumen which makes the company successful. Mary even spurns the advances of several men, including the wealthy Ronnie Wales (Ricardo Cortez), who, although married, is estranged from his wife and wishes to pursue an affair with Mary.

However, when James becomes engaged to the daughter of a wealthy banker, Ellen May Robinson (Catherine Dale Owen), that is the straw which breaks Mary's resolve. She resigns from the company, and eventually agrees to go away with Ronnie for an assignation in Atlantic City. The paper mill suffers terribly from a lack of good management, since most of James' success was due to Mary's guidance. James tracks her down before she can give in to the advances of Ronnie, and begs Mary to return. She is reluctant, until she discovers that James has broken off his engagement with Ellen, and upon her return to the company she is not only met with a job offer, but also a marriage proposal from him.

CAST & CREW
Mary Astor as Mary Linden
Robert Ames as James Duneen
Ricardo Cortez as Ronnie Wales
Catherine Dale Owen as Ellen May Robinson
Kitty Kelly as Delores Kogan
Edna Murphy as Daisy Presby
Charles Sellon as John Ritter
William Morris as Banker Charles H. Robinson

Directed by Melville W. Brown
Written by Carey Wilson (screenplay), J. Walter Ruben (adaptation and dialogue)
Based on Private Secretary 1929 novel by Alan Schultz
Produced by William LeBaron
Cinematography J. Roy Hunt
Edited by Archie Marshek, Rose Loewinger
Music by Max Steiner
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date July 5, 1931 (US)
Running time 82 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
While the public seemed to like the film, critics like Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times were less kind, stating that the film "is a witless and interminably dull exhibition on which three capable players, Mary Astor, Robert Ames and Ricardo Cortez, have been sacrifi[c]ed to very little purpose.

In 1959, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.

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