Executive Suite (1954)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Cameron Hawley (novel)
Ernest Lehman (writer)

Release Date:

17 September 1954 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Behind the lighted tower windows the conflict of love and power is reckless and daring!

Plot:

Avery Bullard, President of the Tredway Corporation has died. But he never named a clear successor, so the Board members must choose a replacement...

Plot Keywords:

Boardroom | Business Ethics | Daughter | Candidate | Business

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	McDonald Walling
June Allyson	...	Mary Blemond Walling
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Julia O. Tredway
Fredric March	...	Loren Phineas Shaw
Walter Pidgeon	...	Frederick W. Alderson
Shelley Winters	...	Eva Bardeman
Paul Douglas	...	Josiah Walter Dudley
Louis Calhern	...	George Nyle Caswell
Dean Jagger	...	Jesse Q. Grimm
Nina Foch	...	Erica Martin
Tim Considine	...	Mike Walling
William Phipps	...	Bill Lundeen
Lucy Knoch	...	Mrs. George Nyle Caswell
Edgar Stehli	...	Julius Steigel
Mary Adams	...	Sara Asenath Grimm
Virginia Brissac	...	Edith Alderson
Harry Shannon	...	Ed Benedeck
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Banner	...	Henri (Stork Club Maître D') (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	Guest (uncredited)
Hugh Boswell	...	Guest (uncredited)
Willis Bouchey	...	Detective (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Miss Clark (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Stork Club Waiter (uncredited)
Hamilton Camp	...	Mailroom Boy (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Lee Ormand (uncredited)
Phil Chambers	...	Toll Booth Attendant (uncredited)
Gene Coogan	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jonathan Cott	...	Officer Canady (uncredited)
Lucille Curtis	...	Maid (uncredited)
Bert Davidson	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Guest (uncredited)
Abe Dinovitch	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
John Doucette	...	Detective (uncredited)
Mimi Doyle	...	Stork Club Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Darren Dublin	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Virginia Eiler	...	Western Union Operator (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Jimmy Farrell (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Woman at Alderson Home (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman	...	Avery Bullard (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Faith Geer	...	Stork Club Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant	...	Salesman (uncredited)
John Hedloe	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Chet Huntley	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Spectator at Game (uncredited)
Richard Landry	...	Worker (uncredited)
Kay Mansfield	...	Alderson's Secretary (uncredited)
May McAvoy	...	Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
Tom McDonough	...	Factory Worker (uncredited)
John McKee	...	Umpire (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Esther Michelson	...	Candy Store Lady (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Matt Moore	...	Servant (uncredited)
Burt Mustin	...	Sam Teal (uncredited)
Maidie Norman	...	Housekeeper (uncredited)
Kasia Orzazewski	...	Liz (uncredited)
Dan Riss	...	City Editor (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	...	Worker (uncredited)
Gus Schilling	...	Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
Jerry Sheldon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Ann Tyrrell	...	Miss Nordley (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Luigi Cassoni (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Airport Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Cameron Hawley		(novel "Executive Suite")
Ernest Lehman		(writer)

Produced by
John Houseman	....	producer
Jud Kinberg	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(as George Folsey)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose		(costumes: women)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Rhein	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16711)

Filming Locations:

Long Beach Airport - 4101 E. Donald Douglas Drive, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This was one of the few Hollywood films of the era not to have a musical score. The opening credits are shown to the accompaniment of traffic noises and the tolling of a bell.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alderson walks over to meet Dudley as he's coming off the plane, the long shot shows Dudley walking amid a group of people, including a stewardess. A moment later, when Alderson reaches Dudley in close-up, all the surrounding people have vanished.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[pre-opening-credits sequence; views of skyscrapers]
Narrator: It is always up there, close to the clouds, on the topmost floors of the sky-reaching towers of big business. And because it is high in the sky, you may think that those who work there are somehow above and beyond the tensions and temptations of the lower floors. This is to say that it isn't so.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon (1994) (V)

How Well do You Know Your Company?

A rare look into the business of running a business - a corporation - this is surprisingly entertaining, for adults, I would gather. In the first few minutes, we observe the death of the President of this company, from his p.o.v.-an artful beginning from director Wise. There are 5 Vice Presidents, all of equal rank. One of them will be the new Prez. The selection procedure is pretty simple. The Board, comprised of 7 members (2 other stockholders besides the 5 V.P.'s) votes yes or no on whomever is nominated. 4 'yes' votes or more gets the job.

The cast is superb, really first rate, but the one to watch, for me, was Fredric March as Shaw, the V.P./Controller, whose sole criteria for success is the bottom line. He's smooth, too smooth, and sweats a bit too much. You'll note that nothing is ever seen of his private life, unlike the others. All his energy is geared around the company, but ultimately for his own benefit, even if he doesn't see it that way. All the actors are very articulate, delivering their lines with impressive precision. The maneuvering done by each of the 5 V.P.'s is something to see; one front-runner (Pidgeon) for the top job seems a shoo-in, but just as quickly this sense evaporates. Any of the 5 appears to be the man for the job at one point or another - the decision and vote needs to be reached quickly, before the company starts to suffer, so we add tension to the plot.

This picture has not really dated 50 years later, as much of the sensibilities and office politics remain unchanged today. There may be more sleaziness and unscrupulous behavior nowadays, but even this is presented in the form of one of the board members (Calhern), a sneak who sees the death of the President as just another way to make some money in stocks. After checking this out, you may want to catch the documentary "The Corporation" to get a little more insight into such an entity.