Executive Suite (1954)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It seems Hollywood seldom makes films about business leaders, and in the ones it does make the executives are invariably portrayed as greedy, short-sighted, and tyrannical. (Quick: name me a film where a businessman is favorably portrayed by using less of society's resources in producing a product than the value placed on that product by customers reflected in the price they're willing to pay in a competitive market, thus earning a well-deserved profit.) Anyway, Executive Suite offers the drama of an executive succession struggle in a large furniture company after the long-time CEO drops dead on the street. I can't recall many films on what may be viewed as the prosaic issue of "executive succession" even though much "drama" can be milked from such an issue, as in this film, since the future course of a company and what it wants to be in the marketplace can be determined by the next CEO. I can recall, however, "Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers", a 1976 TV Mini-Series, where Kirk Douglas (the prudent "good" banker) and Christopher Plummer (the aggressive, bend-the-rules "bad" banker) were competing to succeed the dying CEO of a major bank. In "Executive Suite" we have multiple contenders for the top job but eventually the "tired" Treasurer drops out, the glad-handing chief of sales is viewed as too "weak", and the struggle boils down to the boss of Design and Engineering and the Controller.The conflict they express in their different visions for the company mirrors conflicts we have today in Corporate America between the production and expansion people and the finance folks who are stewards for the company's resources and speak for its shareholders. (See the recently published "Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business" by Rana Foroohar for this on-going conflict where the "Makers" -- engineers, production people -- are extolled and the finance people who favor share buybacks rather than reinvestment are severely criticized.) Similarly, ES has the chief engineer, played by William Holden, passionately argue for superior product quality and growth while the finance-oriented Controller (ably played by Fredric March) argues for control of costs, the maintenance of profits, and the payment of secure dividends. I think you know who Hollywood has win this argument, but it's worthwhile to note that neither of these positions in intrinsically superior, and that they depend on company circumstances and marketplace realities. In any event, the clichéd "bean counter" aids in securities fraud to help and thus win the support of a speculation-minded board member (greasily played by Louis Calhern similar to his character in "The Asphalt Jungle") while our production / engineering chief breaks company-made, inexpensive furniture in the boardroom to show its shoddy character (to which the Controller responds that it's one of our inexpensive product lines that "we're phasing out") and argues for a return to superior product quality. Who can be against product quality?!

I was glad to catch this movie today on the Turner Classic Movies channel; it is amazing how these lost gems are hidden away and then just pop up in the middle of the day or night on this channel. The first part of the movie leaves us in suspense as the viewer awaits a hastily called Friday night meeting but the CEO does not arrive. His sudden death sets up a battle for control of the company. Grief soon gives way to infighting among the rivals. I was pleased with the quality of the cast in the movie, although some of them did not get a lot of time on the set. Nevertheless, it is a movie in the Frank Capra style with the board of a large furniture company divided against itself. The battle is not only over the next CEO but also the direction the company will take. William Holden and Fredric March are the main protagonists and March appears to be the heir apparent but his lust for making money loses him the support of key people on the board of directors. Holden, youthful, ambitious and idealistic, and Walter Pidgeon, who is the epitome of the elder statesman and mentor, are both superb. In an unusual role for him, Frederic March is outstanding as the ambitious and scheming Vice President with his cost analysis sheets and charts. Barbara Stanwyck is Miss Treadway, the daughter of the deceased CEO. I liked her performance as a bitter and disappointed young woman who experienced a change of heart. Dean Jagger, Paul Douglas and Louis Calhern rounded out the cast of share holders. Calhern personifies the Wall St. profiteer who sees an opportunity to profit from the company's misfortune when the stock price drops on the news of the CEO's death. Nina Foch as the executive assistant Erica Martin was a model of decorum and efficiency. June Allyson played Wm. Holden's wife. A great story that held my interest throughout, I would gladly see it again.

Just enjoy this movie. And/or use it for a great teaching lesson. On great drama, On great classic actors, On maybe moral concerns facing all corporations!All fine actors... The devious guys can out Gecko - Gecko (of "Wall Street" fame).The good guy speaks at the meeting...better watch out for flying furniture...as he makes his point.Let's see ...Insider trading (not even sure if it was illegal back then) will destroy someone...Corporate Backstabbing...Power Plays...Lobbying Committee Votes... Trying to sway the company heiress...Quality products made versus...bigger profits. The business suit-clad vultures start circling minutes after the Big Exec is dead!!!Executive Suite could be a good film for your high school (or home school) business class. But if you just want a quality drama...just watch and enjoy!

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.