MissSimonetta 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.

movingpicturegal A standout performance by Warren William as Anderson, the hard, uncompromising, ruthless and feared-by-most General Manager of a giant department store helps make this a really excellent and interesting film. With climbing profits over the years, the depression has hit the store with a downfall and Anderson is put in complete charge to boost up sales - and he will go so far as to ruin any man who doesn't live up to his high expectations. He likes women, but not for marriage - his motto towards females is "love 'em and leave 'em". He soon meets beautiful Loretta Young who is desperate to get a job at the store, apparently a hard nut to crack (and she, apparently, will do whatever it takes to get it as she spends the night with him at his apartment despite her indication she would like to go home). Anyway - she's hired on as a model even after she said she would like to be hired for her "brain" - okey dokey - and soon has met and married a gung-ho salesman (Wallace Ford) who has been promoted as Anderson's new assistant. Anderson believes that a man should be married to his "job" only - so the marriage is kept a secret, and the workaholic boss expects his assistant to be there by his side pretty much night and day.Okay, this is a really terrific pre-code film, entertaining through every scene, and featuring one of my thirties favorites, Warren William, who pretty much steals the film. As for the women, though Loretta Young is fine in her part here and looks really gorgeous - it is the scenes with adorable Alice White that are the most fun to watch as she plays Polly, a blonde who takes extra pay from Anderson to do his bidding seducing male employees for various purposes. A very enjoyable film and a treat to see.

DeborahPainter855 (Warning: slight spoilers)A good film with realistic acting and only a little melodrama, EMPLOYEE'S ENTRANCE is worth a look. Warren William as Kurt Anderson, manager of a huge store, uses fear tactics to try to keep his employees in line. He demands loyalty while giving none. This sort of subject matter was rare after the Code went into effect, and remains rare today. Wallace Ford as Martin West delivers a fine performance as a man who accepts an important position under Anderson in good faith, and finds that if he keeps the position he has to sacrifice all his scruples. He stops before he becomes like the bad boss, but, as so often happens in real life, his career declines as a result of defying the one in power. I found myself sympathizing a bit with Anderson, however, and I didn't dream that I would; I mean, he's awful. He treats the women in his employ as his personal toys. He's not totally amoral because of his concern for the greater good of the employees of Monroe's Department Store. Although he doesn't mind "killing off" a few employees who disagree with him, he perceives that it's the Depression, after all. If the store goes out of business because of "weakness", thousands more will go hungry. He himself is willing to take a pay decrease to keep the store solvent. Also, he freely admits to his rotten acts. He hides almost nothing, and so is unusual.The bad bosses I have met in the real world are completely self- serving and interested in power and prestige within the organization. They give lip service to teamwork, profits, productivity and employee success while their behavior they display a contempt for these values. Such bad bosses never admit to any wrongdoing, plot and scheme against members of their staff in closed door meetings, and use their influence as bosses to enlist their company personnel departments in their schemes to wound or destroy an employee's career if they seem to stand in their way toward getting more power and prestige.You will, however, like the movie. If made today it would get a PG-13 rating, I would bet.

Dr. Ed A great pre-Code comedy with Warren William at his best. He plays a ruthless store manager who manipulates everyone around him, including lovely Loretta Young and her hapless (secret) husband, Wallace Ford. This film never lets up as the manager grinds away at his employees. Definitely a product of its time, but it is thoroughly enjoyable. Also good are Alice White, Ruth Donnelly and Albert Gran.