weezeralfalfa Julia(Claudette Colbert)is a very competent executive secretary for her busy department store manager boss Richard Barclay(Melvyn Douglas). For 6 years they've made a great team. For 6 years, Julia has been waiting for Richard to ask her to marry him. But, he's shown zero romantic interest in this gorgeous, brainy, woman. For one thing, seems he had a very bad experience with his ex-wife, and is shy about getting into another relationship. But when Julia gets a job offer in Paris at double salary, he's finally persuaded to marry her (with no wedding party frills) to avoid losing her help at the office. But, Julia has other ideas about what kind of life she wants as a married woman. She wants to be a pampered 'stay-at-home' wife and mother rather than continue the hectic life of a career woman.. At first, Richard argues against her idea. But when she's about to run off with a business associate, he gets drunk(along with the butler), and tells her she's going for a little ride(said with the suggestion of an ominous outcome). The drunk butler/chauffeur weaves through city traffic to a destination where they pick up a few bricks. She suggests they are going to weigh her down in a river drowning. Actually, they have another purpose for the bricks in the whirlwind finish, which I will let you find out for yourself. The majority of the humor relates to Richard's bratty half-grown daughter Annabel(Edith Fellows). At first, she hates Judith and her unfamiliar ways. But, eventually, she comes to love her, and cries when she says she's running off with another man who treats her more like a woman than a work associate. If you remember "Bright Eyes", with Shirley Temple, you will remember Jane Withers playing Shirley's very bratty playmate as being very similar to Annabel. However, Annabel has no playmate to vent her anger and tricks on, except her cute little dog, Fluffy. Richard's spinster sister, Gertrude(Katharine Alexander), who has been taking care of the house and Annabel has to get used to being second in command in the household. As an example of their sometimes conflicts, Gertrude pulls the drapes closed by day so the sun doesn't fade the carpets. Julia then opens the drapes, saying people need some sunshine, and drapes can eventually be replaced. It's clear that both Gertrude and Richard have been too soft on Annabel, and have no idea how to play with her to make her happy. Gertrude says she hopes the marriage will fail, as it leaves no role for her if Julia doesn't work outside the home.Raymond Walburn, the butler/chauffeur, usually played somewhat comical characters, his 'bug eyes' facilitating his often bumbling mannerisms.....Jean Dixon plays Julia's scheming friend.... It's a rare film including Claudette that I don't take a liking to. This one is not her best, but it's not bad. See it on YouTube. in B&W, of course.

kidboots The strongest female stars with the longest careers were those who combined dramatic roles with comedy or screwball ones. Irene Dunne managed it as did Claudette Colbert. For every "Imitation of Life" or "Private Worlds" there was a "It Happened One Night" or "The Gilded Lily". 1935 was a successful year for Claudette - she made the Motion Picture Herald's "Top 10 Money Makers of the Year" list and usurped Kay Francis' position as the best dressed actress in Hollywood.Julia Scott (Colbert) is a busy executive at the Barclay's Department Store. Being so efficient she runs the whole department without causing a kink in her permanent wave but most of her time is devoted to keeping her boss, Richard Barclay's (Melvyn Douglas) home running smoothly - even though she has never been there!! She gets her chance when she is asked to work overtime and realises the whole house is held to ransom by Annabelle (Edith Fellows), Richard's bratty (that's too mild a word) little daughter. Julia asks for complete authority for a couple of hours and at the end she has fired the servants, spanked Annabelle and made a friend of Parsons (Clara Kimball Young) the nanny.Then "she married her boss" and the comedy gets a bit more conventional as Julia has already put Robert's home life in order before they were married!!! The problem is Robert marries her thinking that she is not like other women - that she is efficient and practical, not womanly and needing love. But she has been secretly in love with him from the start and is dismayed that he wants her to continue in her executive position at the office when all she wants is to be a wife.Edith Fellows definitely showed that movie brats had more fun and for the first half hour she did - throwing major tantrums, going on a hunger strike and just being obnoxious but after Rita took to her with a hair brush, she suddenly became another movie darling - singing, reciting poems, with even a crying scene at the end!!! The movie was extremely fortuitous for Melvyn Douglas, whose career before this was at a low ebb. Columbia was finding it difficult to get a big enough star to bask in Claudette's shadow. Douglas brought to the role his quirky humor and Columbia was so pleased that they offered him a seven year contract and gave his career another kick start.

Neil Doyle Terribly uneven mix of comedy and romantic drama, the script of SHE MARRIED HER BOSS is unworthy of the talents assembled to interpret it. The always reliable Claudette Colbert has to contend with lines like: "Marriage is a woman's real career," as a woman secretly in love with her boss for six years. MELVYN DOUGLAS is the boss, but his part his so poorly written that you have to wonder what Colbert ever sees in him. Nevertheless, he plays it with a flair for this sort of inane comedy.JEAN DIXON as Colbert's friend and KATHERINE Alexander as Douglas' snooty sister are just cardboard cutouts. And poor EDITH FELLOWS has to play the most insufferable brat since Bonita Granville's turn in THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.There are various lapses of taste throughout (from today's viewpoint), and the costumes are really the most unflattering female designs ever worn by Colbert in any of her early films. You have to yearn for the Colbert of the '40s (so smartly sophisticated) because she looks downright dowdy in most of her odd wardrobe choices. As I say above, dated in more ways than one.Not recommended.

edwagreen Wonderful movie with great chemistry between Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas. She portrays his executive secretary who has other designs when it comes to her boss.Ready to leave for another position in Paris, Douglas realizes that he can't do without her and so they wed. Of course, his idea of marriage is for a strictly business relationship and hers of course is for love.Colbert has plenty on her plate as Douglas has an unhappy, miserable young daughter from his unsuccessful marriage and a sister, Gertrude, who is nasty, obnoxious and will do anything to break up the marriage so as to keep her place in the household.Colbert is wonderful as the career secretary who is able to balance bringing stability into the family and Douglas is great as the hard-nosed business man.Of course, there are complications which threaten their liaison and even with a madcap ending, the film is most satisfying.