There's something off-putting about the way that leading lady Renate Müller expresses her joy and sorrow, overly happy and thus pesky and annoying, or staring off into the abyss and blinking constantly while sad. Certainly, she has reason for both moods, as a young German girl who has moved to Vienna to find work, she finds that the bosses she works for aren't always as nice. Certainly lovely in an early 30's marcel waved way, she looks like dozens of other starlets who came and went, and unfortunately, her ending was truly sad. But the shrill singing voice has dated her, so it's up to the supporting men to save the day, and her from a very lecherous boss who would be out on his ear under other circumstances.
This is a bit of a Cinderella Story with the office building doorman taking Müller under his wing as any fairy godfather would. Jack Hulbert is basically playing A variation of all those characters that George Arliss was playing in Hollywood at the time, aiding lovers in getting together in spite of the obstacles. Owen Nares is the big boss, pretending to be a clerk so he can romance her and find out if she likes him for him. When she meets him as Herr Director, she doesn't recognize him simply because he has glasses on and is acting very imperious.
Morris Harvey is the equivalent of General Prsying of "Grand Hotel" (then a Broadway play), a real sleaze, and it's fun to look forward to him getting his comeuppance. The songs in this operetta aren't at all memorable (and thus forgotten), but Hulbert has a few good moments singing and dancing, surprisingly well for an older man even though he is completely over the top. I also found the excessive giggling to be quite annoying, nearly headache inducing. I'm glad I found this for a one time doing, but it's not even one I'd pass on to other movie musical fans. Still in spite of its excessive cheeriness, appropriate for depression era audiences, but cloying now. Well worth at least a glimpse for the unique opening credits.
This is a bit of a Cinderella Story with the office building doorman taking Müller under his wing as any fairy godfather would. Jack Hulbert is basically playing A variation of all those characters that George Arliss was playing in Hollywood at the time, aiding lovers in getting together in spite of the obstacles. Owen Nares is the big boss, pretending to be a clerk so he can romance her and find out if she likes him for him. When she meets him as Herr Director, she doesn't recognize him simply because he has glasses on and is acting very imperious.
Morris Harvey is the equivalent of General Prsying of "Grand Hotel" (then a Broadway play), a real sleaze, and it's fun to look forward to him getting his comeuppance. The songs in this operetta aren't at all memorable (and thus forgotten), but Hulbert has a few good moments singing and dancing, surprisingly well for an older man even though he is completely over the top. I also found the excessive giggling to be quite annoying, nearly headache inducing. I'm glad I found this for a one time doing, but it's not even one I'd pass on to other movie musical fans. Still in spite of its excessive cheeriness, appropriate for depression era audiences, but cloying now. Well worth at least a glimpse for the unique opening credits.