Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Mary Linden, a receptionist at a paper milling company, is secretly in love with salesman James Duneen. When her boss, John Ritter, is forced to retire for health reasons, she uses her influence to help Duneen earn a promotion to company president and stays by his side as his indispensable private secretary. However, despite everything she does for him, Duneen doesn't share her romantic feelings and even forces her to hire one of his lovers as her assistant. Things come to a head when Duneen becomes engaged to Ritter's daughter and his jealous fiancée forces Mary to quit. Who's in it? The movie stars Mary Astor , Robert Ames, Ricardo Cortez , Catherine Dale Owen and Kitty Kelly . Review: I added Behind Office Doors to my library after reading a Mary Astor biography and deciding I should try to watch more of her films. Based on the description, I wasn't sure if it was a movie I would enjoy and, after watching the first few minutes this morning, was still u...

Synopsis: After being raised by parents who stole from her and becoming a widow at 24, Hollywood star Mary Astor was involved in relationships with multiple men, including playwright George S. Kaufman, while she was married to Dr. Franklyn Thorpe and wrote about her affairs in her diary. In 1936, after agreeing to give Thorpe both a divorce and custody of their daughter, Marylyn because he possessed her diary and threatened to use it to derail her career, Astor took her ex-husband to court to contest the custody arrangement, putting Hollywood on high alert as the case threatened to expose the details of her private journal, including the famous stars she slept with. This non-fiction book gives a play-by-play detail of the trial, the events leading up to it and the aftermath. Review: As a classic movie fan, I am familiar with Mary Astor's work and knew enough about her history to be familiar with her infamous "Purple Diaries," named after the color ink she used to write...

Synopsis: Agitated by a lack of sleep from his neighbor's howling dog, Arthur Cartwright pays Perry Mason $10,000 to represent him against Clinton Foley. A day later, he sends Mason a letter both changing his will to leave Bessie Foley all his assets and instructing the attorney to represent her instead. When Cartwright apparently runs off with Clinton Foley's mistress (Cartwright's wife, who Foley was having an affair with) and Foley is found murdered, all evidence points to Bessie as the killer. Who's in it? The movie stars Warren William , Mary Astor , Allen Jenkins , Dorothy Tree and Helen Trenholme. Review: I've enjoyed other movies starring Warren William as Perry Mason and, since I had some free time this evening while staying in a hotel, decided to finally get around to watching this movie (which I held off on watching until I couldn't remember how the book turned out). Overall, I have to say I was pleased with it. I think the mystery in this one is...