Main Cast: Warren William, Maureen O'Sullivan, Gregory Ratoff, Anita Page, Veree Teasdale, Jean Hersholt
Release Year: 1932
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
Produced by William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Production for MGM, this well made Grand Hotel clone was based on a 1931 novel by Faith Baldwin. Warren William stars as David Dwight, a building and bank magnate who not only attempts to double-cross his backers but is two-timing both his wife (Hedda Hopper) and devoted secretary/mistress (Verree Teasdale). Threatened with losing his conglomeration in general and the 100 stories Dwight Building in particular to Hamilton (Arnold Lucy), David's cynical manipulations end up backfiring with unforeseen tragedy. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Glacial Verree Teasdale finally gets her comeuppance in Skyscraper Souls but, for once, doesn't necessarily deserve her tragic fate. Ever the clotheshorse, Teasdale remains the best thing about this financial melodrama but there are also good performances from the devilishly suave Warren William, bright-eyed ingénue Maureen O'Sullivan ("I never had champagne before -- ooh, the bubbles ran up my nose!") and the usually neglected Anita Page. The latter at one point admits to belonging to a "very old profession," a blunt pre-production code statement that is more mindful of devil-may-care Warner Bros. than posh Metro. While no Grand Hotel (and certainly no Dinner at Eight), Skyscraper Souls makes for an entertaining piece of depression era entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The film depicts the aspirations and lives of several people in the Seacoast National Bank Building. Among them is David Dwight, the womanizing bank owner who keeps his estranged wife happy by paying her bills. His secretary Sarah wants him to get a divorce so they can marry.
