After Office Hours (1935)

Release Date: February 22, 1935
Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard
Studio: MGM

Costarring:
Constance Bennett
Billie Burke
Harvey Stephens

Available on DVD through the Warner Brothers Archive Collection

DearMrGable.com’s Movie of the Month, March 2013

Nutshell Review, February 2014

Gable is fast-talking, take-no-prisoners-newspaper editor Jim Branch, who is determined to dig up a juicy story on a corrupt millionaire. He starts sucking up to the newspaper’s music reviewer, wealthy socialite Sharon Norwood (Bennett), when he discovers she is close to the impending story. After the millionaire’s wife turns up dead, Sharon and Jim disagree on the culprit. Jim becomes determined to crack the case and reunite with Sharon, whom he has now fallen in love with.

Reviews

Hollywood magazine, May 1935:

***Clark outshines Connie this time

An ear-catching title, plus an eye-catching production, almost–but not quite–disguise the weaknesses of the story of this picture co-starring Clark Gable and Constance Bennett. The first time they ever played together Gable was an “extra,” this time he carries most of the load of the entertainment, with Connie more decorative than animated. He is a hard-boiled newspaper editor (why are they boys always pictured as ten-minute eggs?); she is a society girl who thinks she wants to be a reporter. Through her, he uncovers an upper-crust scandal before he decides that he loves the gal.

It rates *** because, in spite of the triteness of its plot, it has smart conversation (almost too much of it), smart settings, smart clothes, and a smart performance by the unfailing Gable.

Movie Mirror magazine, June 1935:

*A newspaper story in which Clark Gable is the editor who hires and fires Constance Bennett while trying to solve a murder. A trite story, but Gable will make the feminine hearts flutter, as usual.

Quote-able Gable

“No, no, no, no! No longer news when every blonde dame between the ages of  fifteen and forty who gets herself arrested for shoplifting turns out to be an ex-Follies girl. That story you had in the early run is just about good enough for the dummy edition!” first lines

“Four days Brooklyn? Whatcha trying to do, set a record?”

“A newspaper should print any news that can be found, stolen or bought to print!”

“I am what I am , just a newspaperman. Not more and I hope nothing less.”

“You know, you’re lovely when you smile. Ever laugh?”

“They tell me there are liars in Europe who have forgotten more than I’ll ever know.”

“You know, it doesn’t seem possible this river could have been here for centuries just as a background for you on the night of August the eighteenth.  But that’s the way it seems to have worked out.”

“It’s no secret–I love her!”

“You mean I’ve got to get out and walk home–like a girl?”

“Best idea I ever had.” last line

Behind the Scenes

Constance Bennett was quite flirty with Gable during filming. He ignored her for the most part, thinking her a prima donna. He had not forgotten how poorly she had treated him when he was a bit player and she was the star in The Easiest Way.

While in development, the original title of the film was “Town Talk.”