SimonJack
A tremendous cast populates this film about big business and the lives of people at the top. Although set in 1952, the story may be as real well into the 21st century. "Executive Suite" is one of the first and best films to show all aspects of business people at the top of the heap in corporate America and the world. Ambition, power, greed, pride and ego, are here, along with conflict between highest earnings and quality of products and services. Company stability, employee security and workers' pride and loyalty are here too. So, too, are marriage breakups, family discord and alienation, infidelity, hurt and sorrow. And there's still more in physical wellbeing and mental health. This film touches on many of those and skirts some. The story is based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Cameron Hawley. When the 56-year-old president of the Tredway Company dies of a stroke on the streets of New York, the drama intensifies at the company's tower in Millburgh, Pennsylvania. Just a few months before, the company's executive vice president had died in his early 50s of a heart attack. The seat has been vacant while the president scouts for the right man for the post. But now, with both posts empty, the scramble is on. The cast includes several big names from the silver screen. All have considerable roles and give good performances. The paragon of ambition and power seeking in this film is Loren Shaw, played superbly by Fredric March. A serious and seemingly calm and collected person on the outside, Shaw Is anything but that inside. He has sweaty hands - a usual sign of anxiety, disquiet and often high blood pressure. He frequently takes his suit coat handkerchief and wipes his hands with it. He fidgets with his shirtsleeves and cuff links to look proper. He's anything but the self-assured person he pretends to be. Each of the others has his own characteristics. Some have secrets and most have weaknesses. William Holden is McDonald Walling, Walter Pidgeon is Frederick Alderson, Paul Douglas is Josiah Dudley, and Dean Jagger is Jesse Grimm. Louis Calhern plays George Caswell, an outsider whom the last president put on the board, and who looks to make a quick fortune by the death of the president. Several women play important parts as wives, secretaries, and stockholders. Barbara Stanwyck is Julia Tredway, whose father started the company. June Allyson is May Walling, wife of McDonald who is vice president for research and development. Shelley Winters is Eva Bardeman, secretary to Dudley and his girlfriend on the sly when he fakes out of town trips to escape his wife. Nina Foch is Erica Martin, the executive secretary who has been the right hand of the deceased president. Others play fine supporting roles. Most of these people have a sense of loyalty and deep respect for the late president, Avery Bullard. But now, who will lead the third largest furniture manufacturing company in the future?
An odd thing in the movie is the short door between Bullard's office and the boardroom. It is a very low and oddly small door compared to regular doors and the large double doors that open to the boardroom off the main hall. When Walter Pidgeon's Frederick Alderson goes through the door, he has to bow his head and stoop to go through. June Allyson shows her athleticism when she plays baseball catcher to their son, Jimmy. She has a good arm as well in throwing the ball back to him. Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.Julius Steigel, "I'm an old man, Mr. Caswell. My eyes don't see easy money so good anymore."McDonald Walling, "We were hating him and all the time he was laying there, dead."McDonald Walling, of Avery Bullard, "The greatest man I've ever known."McDonald Walling, "In your own words, Shaw, I have only one interest around here - the good of this company. Mary Walling, "If I marry you, will you tell me what's going on?Mary Walling, "Don, there's still a chance in there? Nothing's impossible, remember?" McDonald Walling, "You're funny." Mary, "Am I?"
nomoons11
You talk about an All-Star cast. This casting was right out of the former and present day stars of it's time. An absolute home run all the way.A president of a moderately successful furniture company dies and his minion's all scramble to see who's gonna be the new president. With this happening we realize that 2 main people up for the job are on 2 different wavelength's. One wants to keep the stockholders happy and trim the fat. Keep churning out crappy, poorly made but profitable products. The other wants to return back to the days when they're product line was innovative and was quality by industry standard. The penny pincher is a Night school educated book worm who's more interested in controlling people than anything else. He knows everyone's personal business and he tries to use it against them to gain their vote at the end of the day. He's a weaselly little guy. You know the type, picked on in school and would like to get back at anyone the best way...worming his way to the top. The other is a chemist at their plant that creates new finishes/varnishes for their products. He wants quality products and wants to return to the old way the company was run but at that day and time...is it the bottom line that matters most?I don't think I've seen a better film with this kinda star power. From Walter Pidgeon to Barbara Stanwyck to William Holden to Fredric March. If you don't know your film history, these people are towering figures in acting and they all shine in this ruthless look at the back-biting that goes on behind closed doors at corporations. Fredric March is dead perfect at playing the weaselly little controller/comptroller of the company. William Holden plays the perfect hero with the perfect speech at the end. Walter Pidgeon plays the elder statesman like he always does. Barbara Stanwyck plays the "hidden" love interest of the previous president who died. She doesn't have a lot of scenes or lines but she's effective.Just watch this and see how relevant it is today. If you've seen this and then read this review you'll think, "this is about 2 guys vying for the presidency". Think about it. It's really about 2 different ways of thinking in the corporate world. How much quality do we actually put out in today's world? How many pieces of electronics do you return because of shoddy quality control? See this film and see why so many CEO jobs change hands these days. It's about the bottom line... and not the product.
thinker1691
During the 1950's an established model of what America and Americans were becoming could be seen everywhere. Proper rules of social behavior were surfacing and nearly all levels of our economic strata were fitting neatly into place. There were few places where this new hierarchy could not be seen and a few places where this mode was especially evident. Among them was the corporate ladder and that is the take of this film called " Executive Suite. " The novel written by Cameron Hawley, is directed by Robert Wise and is perhaps the main reason why the movie has received so much praise. Taken from the Corporate world, it tells the story of the Tredway company and it's top executives who learn that the company president has died suddenly, leaving the rest of the board to began jocking for position to replace him. William Holden plays McDonald Walling one of vice presidents who believes the company needs a new man at the helm, but also doubts his own abilities to fill that slot. Fredric March is Loren Shaw, the ambitious financial executive who believes in reaching for and obtaining the Almighty dollar at the expense of its workers. Others on the board include Walter Pidgeon, Paul Douglas, Louis Calhern and Dean Jagger. Each creates a reason for their department but have little else to win the Presidency. In the end it's the women like June Allyson, Shelly Winters and Barbara Stanwyck who will tip the scales one way or another. Consequently, the entire staff is marvelous in their roles and give the audience a solid performance which established the foundation of this Black and White Classic. Well done. ****
