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Admirable film.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The acting in this movie is really good.

A number of Characters Ride the Elevators and Walk the Art-Deco Corridors and Inhabit various Offices in this deep Pre-Code Soaper from MGM before the Studio got Haughty and Prissy. It is Adultery and Greed at the Forefront of this one where the Emphasis is Divided between Making Money and Making Whoopee. It has Some Striking Moments from both angles. But the Film almost Collapses Under the Strain of a Grating and Irritating Love Affair between Maureen O' Sullivan and Norman Foster.Warren William typical Womanizer and general Cad is once again the Center of this Whirlwind of Womanizing, Drinking, Greed, and Generally it is a look at Humanity doing its Worst. O'Sullivan is so Giddy and Immature, She Changes Allegiances so Many Times and Ends Up with Little Sympathy Warranted. It must also be mentioned that the Skyscraper itself is a Character. Those Towering Monuments to Man's Ego and Virility were Truly a Marvel of Modern Times. In Fact William is in Love With His Building and that Fact is Given Many Words in a Number of Scenes.Overall, an Above Average Pre-Code Movie with distinctly Adult Themes, some Lingerie Shots, some Racy Dialog, Depression Era Behavior among the Upper and Middle Class, and is an Attractive Picture with the Buildings Interiors a Highlight.

This Depression-era melodrama from MGM in the '30s contains several strong performances and interesting plot elements that place it among the better "big business" stories that Hollywood loves to make about ethics and morality. It's a forerunner of other such films, such as "Executive Suite" but has even more bite despite some of the dated elements of the story.WARREN WILLIAM is convincing as the owner of the world's tallest building who will stoop to anything to keep control of his luxurious hi-rise, which includes a swanky bachelor pad for his affair with his personal assistant (VERREE TEASDALE).A subplot involves the affair between MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN and a man in hot pursuit (NORMAN FOSTER), a bank teller who has trouble keeping her to himself once she is noticed by the wealthy William. It's one of O'Sullivan's best early roles (before she became Tarzan's Jane), and she does extremely well in it except for the way she jabs away at the keyboard as an office typist, which is almost laughable.Several strands of plot are smoothly entwined and lead toward a very melodramatic ending involving Warren William and his mistress. HEDDA HOPPER pops in once in awhile as William's wife who is always looking for a handout so she can keep a villa in Italy.After a shocking conclusion, there's a bittersweet ending for O'Sullivan and Foster. His extroverted character is a bit annoying at times but he certainly is a lively presence during the proceedings.This is an undiscovered gem worth seeking out if you're a fan of stories about big business. It's a sort of "Grand Hotel" in its own way.

Skyscraper Souls (1932) *** (out of 4) Pre-code drama in the same vein as GRAND HOTEL, which was also produced by MGM. This time out the story centers on an entrepreneur (Warren William) who will stop at nothing to own a 100-story building that he helped create. While William tries to take over the building, he also sets his eyes on a virginal woman (Maureen O'Sullivan) who is also being looked at by a poor bank clerk (Norman Foster). This is a much talked about film because of all the pre-code nature, which includes William trying to sleep with every female in the film and other goodies such as murder and suicide. Quite a bit of bad stuff happens in this film and that certainly makes it stand apart from other movies of the decade but there's no denying a stronger story would have made the movie even better. I think the by the numbers story is the main weak link because while watching the thing you can't help but already know what's going to happen and how it's going to play out. This familiar territory is a weak point but it doesn't take away from the fun. William is devilishly good in his role and you can't help but believe his character who is evil enough to not let anyone stand in his way. O'Sullivan, right off TARZAN THE APE MAN, does a great job as well and really sells the innocence of her character. Foster, Anita Page, Gregory Ratoff and Wallace Ford also turn in nice supporting performances. Fans of this film will also want to catch EMPLOYEE'S ENTRANCE, which features Williams in the same type of role and co-stars Loretta Young and Ford.

Will innocent young Lynn Harding (O'Sullivan) give in to rich man Dave Dwight's (William) predatory advances or will she settle for working-man Tom Shepherd's (Foster) marriage proposal. This is the height of the Depression (1932), so maybe being a toy for a rich man is better than barely hanging on in a house with kids. But then, Dwight is one ruthless conniver. We see how he's topped the business pile through heartless double-cross and market manipulation. But he's also charming, handsome, and very persuasive. It's a tough situation for the fetching young Lynn to find herself in.The movie itself would not work so well without the commanding presence of William who dominates even down to the sub-plots. It's his magnetism that keeps those rather weak sub-plots (Hersholt, Ratoff, Ford) from limping away from the core. Too bad that this fine actor died fairly young and is now largely forgotten. The cuddly O'Sullivan, too, shines in her role as the ingénue, showing how she could be both tough and winsome. No wonder Tarzan wanted her for a mate.The plot resembles Employee's Entrance (1933), where William played a department store tycoon as unsympathetic as his role here. Skyscraper's high point comes when the supremely self-assured Dwight lords his triumph over business rivals in a startling 3-minute soliloquy to superior ruthlessness. Business has no ethics or rules, he asserts. Thus, he won the battle for the skyscraper's ownership by playing the game more ruthlessly and cleverly than his opponents. So instead of complaining, they should learn the hard lesson he has taught them if they want to succeed in the world of high finance. It's as clear a statement of Darwinist principles as any movie of the day, and likely confirmed audience suspicions on the nature of the economic crisis then threatening them. Just as in Employee's Entrance, I expect the audience comes to grudgingly admire William's clarity at the same time he's feared and loathed. Perhaps there's also insight into the odd mass appeal of those political strong men like Hitler and Mussolini then on the rise.This is another of those pre-Code gems that deserves the kind of resurrection cable TV can give them. Note how casually marriage is treated by the upper echelon, especially by Dwight's little lesson on how physical separation guarantees a lasting partnership. Also, note how casually the innuendo drifts by, especially how a "Mrs. Kind", no less, has injured poor old Charlie Norton's back the night before. Then too, Dwight may be one heartless businessman, but he also pensions off ex-mistresses in pretty generous fashion. Unfortunately, honesty of this sort would soon disappear from the screen for decades courtesy the Motion Picture Code's effort at reinforcing the non-sexual and non-political in the face of increasingly restive Depression-era audiences.Nonetheless, this is a movie to catch up with, along with the equally revealing Employee's Entrance from the same period. It's also a good window into one of the finest neglected performers of his time and before he got trapped into too many lightweight vehicles, the compelling Warren William.