Executive Suite (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Director Robert Wise's Academy Award-nominated 1954 NYC-based drama stars Barbara Stanwyck as Julia O. Tredway, who oversees the candidates for new board president when her ex-lover, 56 yr.old Avery Bullard, the Pres. of the Tredway Corp. furniture manufacturing business dies from a sudden stroke. The great William Holden co-stars as Jr. Executive McDonald 'Don' Walling, a decent family man & the only candidate who is not overtly angling for the job as he is more concerned about his wholesome wife Mary (June Allyson) & Little League-playing son Mike (Tim Considine).
Fredric March plays highly skilled, but highly shrewd, money-pinching businessman Loren Shaw, the most-likely successor ... but some want to prevent him from gaining the presidency. The board members have a tricky task in choosing a replacement for Avery Bullard as they don't like scheming, ruthless Loren Shaw and don't necessarily trust the young idealistic Don Walling, either. Other men in the running for the presidency include: Josiah Walter (Paul Doulgas), who doesn't like making waves, & who is having an affair with his secretary, Eva (Shelley Winters); George Caswell (Louis Calhern), who is beholden to Loren Shaw for a selling of stocks snafu; Frederick Alderson (Walter Pidgeon) is the sr. vice-president who was Bullard's best friend, but simply doesn't have 'the stuff' to lead; & Jesse Grimm (Dean Jagger) is the cranky old-fashioned production head who is about to retire, anyway.
Julia (Stanwyck) has a big decision ahead and is conflicted as to what to do, at all. She can't reconcile that even after Bullard saved the company after her father's untimely death, that he couldn't fully devote himself to her needs -- so she is almost indifferent, at this point. To be Co. President, one needs 4 votes from these 7 board members. Erica (Nina Foch) is the loyal Exec. Secretary to Bullard, who counts the ballots carefully & shows the greatest grief over her bosses death more than anyone else. Can Don (Holden) sway votes away from Shaw (March) & get Julia to care about the outcome again?
So even though this genre of film {with big business intrigue, back-stabbing executives, jockeying for power in the boardroom} is typically NOT my thing, the quality of everything in 'Executive Suite' is just so stellar that I was able to enjoy this slickly made drama despite my reservations. Robert Wise {who'd later helm West Side Story & The Sound of Music} directs with aplomb, the writing is crisp & the film looks great - thanks to Oscar-nominated cinematography by George J. Folsey, sets by Cedric Gibbons & co., and costumes by Helen Rose. But it really is the cast that makes or breaks this tense story; which is simple, but effective.
William Holden is great as the genius engineer with a moral compass, and Fredric March is AS effective as the smarmy corporate shark. Other impactful performances come from the always superb Barbara Stanwyck, Shelley Winters, & the gaggle of other male actors making up the boardroom. Nina Foch was singled out by the Academy for a Supporting Actress nod; and rightfully so. Watching these power struggles ensue after Pres. Bullard dies is pretty riveting, I must say. 'Executive Suite' is a quintessential 1950s drama, and ruthlessly exposes the machinations of big business. Good film.
Fredric March plays highly skilled, but highly shrewd, money-pinching businessman Loren Shaw, the most-likely successor ... but some want to prevent him from gaining the presidency. The board members have a tricky task in choosing a replacement for Avery Bullard as they don't like scheming, ruthless Loren Shaw and don't necessarily trust the young idealistic Don Walling, either. Other men in the running for the presidency include: Josiah Walter (Paul Doulgas), who doesn't like making waves, & who is having an affair with his secretary, Eva (Shelley Winters); George Caswell (Louis Calhern), who is beholden to Loren Shaw for a selling of stocks snafu; Frederick Alderson (Walter Pidgeon) is the sr. vice-president who was Bullard's best friend, but simply doesn't have 'the stuff' to lead; & Jesse Grimm (Dean Jagger) is the cranky old-fashioned production head who is about to retire, anyway.
Julia (Stanwyck) has a big decision ahead and is conflicted as to what to do, at all. She can't reconcile that even after Bullard saved the company after her father's untimely death, that he couldn't fully devote himself to her needs -- so she is almost indifferent, at this point. To be Co. President, one needs 4 votes from these 7 board members. Erica (Nina Foch) is the loyal Exec. Secretary to Bullard, who counts the ballots carefully & shows the greatest grief over her bosses death more than anyone else. Can Don (Holden) sway votes away from Shaw (March) & get Julia to care about the outcome again?
So even though this genre of film {with big business intrigue, back-stabbing executives, jockeying for power in the boardroom} is typically NOT my thing, the quality of everything in 'Executive Suite' is just so stellar that I was able to enjoy this slickly made drama despite my reservations. Robert Wise {who'd later helm West Side Story & The Sound of Music} directs with aplomb, the writing is crisp & the film looks great - thanks to Oscar-nominated cinematography by George J. Folsey, sets by Cedric Gibbons & co., and costumes by Helen Rose. But it really is the cast that makes or breaks this tense story; which is simple, but effective.
William Holden is great as the genius engineer with a moral compass, and Fredric March is AS effective as the smarmy corporate shark. Other impactful performances come from the always superb Barbara Stanwyck, Shelley Winters, & the gaggle of other male actors making up the boardroom. Nina Foch was singled out by the Academy for a Supporting Actress nod; and rightfully so. Watching these power struggles ensue after Pres. Bullard dies is pretty riveting, I must say. 'Executive Suite' is a quintessential 1950s drama, and ruthlessly exposes the machinations of big business. Good film.