THE GIRLS IN THE OFFICE

US, 1980, 96 minutes, Colour.
Susan Saint James, Tony Roberts, David Wayne, Barbara Eden, Robyn Douglass, Joe Penny.
Directed by Ted Post.

The Girls At The Office is a pleasant, entertaining slice-of-life TV melodrama. It is set in Houston, Texas and focuses on a department store with tradition moving to new premises. The manager of the store is highlighted and played with sentiment by David Wayne. Tony Roberts is his assistant. Three girls are interviewed and obtain jobs in this transition period. They portray the variety of working girls. The girl from the country with a sense of integrity, the young foolish girl who is made to stand on her own feet, the ambitious girl who is un
scrupulous, even to back-stabbing. Susan St. James is quite effective as this last girl - she has moved into a career in telemovies such as Desperate Women and features such as Outlaw Blues and Love At First Bite after her stint in McMillan? and Wife. The film stays generally on a surface level but indicates for a wide audience the issues facing girls at work, career, ambitions, personal relationships. Direction is by Ted Post, a frequent director of telemovies and of competent cinema movies.

1. An entertaining film, the background of soap opera, television series, bestsellers? The point in portraying these three girls and the background of the department store?

2. The atmosphere of Houston, Texas, the city, department stores, apartments? The glossy presentation? The strength of the cast? Musical score?

3. The emphasis on tradition: How department stores used to be? How America used to be? People's behaviour, relationships? The tradition of this kind of business film? Audiences observing the situation, the girls? Identifying with them? Judging them?

4. The film's creating the atmosphere of the store - the opening sale, the Closing down, the tradition of Nayfak's in Houston? The owner and his pride? The ambitions in moving shop, the twelve month preparation for opening? The ethos of department stores and their place in the American way of life? The personnel, the interviews, the girls wanting a job, anxious to get whatever they could?

5. The one year span, the frequent indications of the time lessening? Nayfak and his attitude towards the store, towards Michael and his succeeding him, words of advice to the girls, management of board meetings? His dying? The funeral? The atmosphere of realism about the store - the various managers, their competence and incompetence, the stabbing in the back? The final opening of the store?

6. The presentation of the interviews - the varying styles, the way of introducing the girls, the variety of attitudes and backgrounds, personalities? The judgments- on the girls and interest in their future?

7. Rita as the focus of the film? Tough, her work as secretary, her offering herself for promotion? Her ability to get advantage over Prager? Cool control? Low self-image? The relationship with Michael, her throwing herself at him, the later liaison? Her taking Rena's job away from her? The possibility of rising in the store, of people trying to bring her down? Her friendship with the girls, sharing flats, giving advice? Her loneliness? Her final stand in support of Michael at the end? Joining the girls for the finale? A portrait of an ambitious girl?

8. The contrast with Karen - the nice girl, her refusal to bow to manipulation and cover-up in finance, her encounter with Nayfak and his advice and support for her?

9. Tracy and her bringing in the coffee, her being joked about, awkwardness, Rita telling her off, her final self-assertion?

10. The men as being portrayed in a hard light, rivalries, incompetence, betrayals? Prager and his inefficiency? Karen's boss and the cover-up? The rivalry with Michael? Michael as the most sympathetic - his work in the shop, loyalty to Nayfak, his reaction to Rita’s proposal., the sentiment of the affair, his becoming Nayfak's successor and his decision about the opening of the shop? Not doing deals?

11. The sub-plot of Rena and Beau: the age difference, the initial clashes, falling in love, the possibility of hurt? Rena and her being passed over? Her decision to stop being ambitious and the fulfilment of the relationship with Beau?

12. A satisfying ending - for the television audience, the comparison of experiences.. the interest in the work situation? The effectiveness of communicating the point?