After Office Hours *** (1935, Clark Gable, Constance Bennett, Stuart Erwin, Billie Burke) – Classic Movie Review 11,569

Robert Z Leonard directs the satisfyingly complicated 1935 MGM crime thriller After Office Hours. Clark Gable and Constance Bennett carry a sharply penned piece from the writer of Citizen Kane.

King of Hollywood Clark Gable and glamorous comedienne Constance Bennett carry a sharply penned piece of copy from one of the writers of Citizen Kane (Herman J Mankiewicz).

It is based on a story by Laurence Stallings and Dale Van Every about newspaper managing editor Jim Branch (Gable) and his reporter Sharon Norwood (Bennett) on the trail of the shooting murder of millionaire Mr Patterson (Hale Hamilton)’s wife Julia (Katharine Alexander) by her lover Tommy Bannister (Harvey Stephens), who is also Bennett’s boyfriend, during an argument.

Jim fires wealthy socialite Sharon as a reporter but falls for her on the way to solving the murder mystery.

Robert Z Leonard directs the satisfyingly complicated little 1935 MGM black and white crime thriller After Office Hours at a quick lick, and there is a fine cast of character actors, but it is the star pair that makes it a little winner.

Clark Gable (with Joan Crawford).

Also in the cast are Stuart Erwin as Hank Parr, Billie Burke as Mrs Norwood, Harvey Stephens as Tommy Bannister, Katharine Alexander as Julia Patterson, Hale Hamilton as Henry King Patterson, Henry Travers as Cap, Henry Armetta as Italian diner owner, Charles Richman as Jordan, Herbert Bunston as Norwood’s butler Barlow, Margaret Dumont as Mrs Murchison, and William Demarest as police detective, and Rita La Roy as Branch’s society girlfriend.

The budget was $366,000, and the box office was $1,281,000, resulting in a profit of $492,000. Given that the film was a hit at the box office, it is surprising that it is only screen pairing of MGM stars Bennett and Gable, though Gable has a support role in Bennett’s The Easiest Way (1931).

After Office Hours is directed by Robert Z Leonard, runs 72 minutes, is made by MGM, is released by Loew’s Inc, is written by Herman J Mankiewicz, from a story by Laurence Stallings and Dale Van Every, is shot in black and white by Charles Rosher, is produced by Robert Z Leonard and Bernard H Hyman, and designed by Cedric Gibbons, with gowns by Adrian.

There is no original score but Edward Ward composes music for the trailer.

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,569

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