Executive Suite (1954)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screen play)
Cameron Hawley (novel)

Release Date:

9 September 1954 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice-presidents vie to see who will replace him.

Plot Keywords:

Vice President | Businessman | Reference To Houdini | Pay Phone | Candidate

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 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 Y. 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 (as Lucille Knoch)
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 / Voice of Tredway (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)
Bernice Simmons	...	Guest (uncredited)
Ann Tyrrell	...	Miss Nordley (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Luigi Cassoni (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Airport Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Ernest Lehman		(screen play)
Cameron Hawley		(novel)

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

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(director of photography) (as George Folsey)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters		(film editor)

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

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri		(set decorations)
Edwin B. Willis		(set decorations)

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

Production Management
Al Shenberg	....	unit manager (uncredited)

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

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Conrad Kahn	....	sound (uncredited)

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

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Rose	....	costume designer: women

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (produced by) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (USA) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS) (Included with "How to Figure Your Income Tax")
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16711) | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:PG (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

According to Oliver Stone, who did the commentary on the DVD for this film, the beginning was narrated by Edward R. Murrow.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fred Alderson and Don Walling are standing by a fence at the United Airlines gate at the airport discussing who should be the new President of the company, Mr. Alderson changes position between shots.

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)

Soundtrack:

Singin' in the Rain

Corporate maneuvers

Herbert Lehman, the adapter of the novel that serves as the basis for this corporate drama makes a tremendous contribution with his screen play. Little seems to have changed in the way corporate America did business then, which it still holds true today. The film, as directed by Robert Wise, keeps us involved in the maneuvers the executives of the company do behind the scenes when the head of the company dies suddenly.

We are given a gripping drama as to what goes on among all the possible candidates to take the helm of the business. There will only be a winner, but who can be the most qualified person to take the company to do better than it had performed under the dead man? Would it be the ambitious Loren Shaw, a man with facts and figures at the tip of his fingers? Would it be Frederich Alderan, the man who has dedicated almost 30 years of his life to the business? Or would it be McDonald Walling, the younger man who knows what's wrong with the way the company has been turning inferior products to its customers?

The all star cast assembled for the film do an outstanding job guided by Mr. Wise, the director. William Holden plays Walling, the youngest of all the executives. Mr. Holden gave an inspired performance as the man who knows where the focus of the company should be, and he is decent enough not to want to be seen as pushing to get the CEO's job.

Fredric March, one of the best actors of his generation, is one of the best things in the film. His ambitious Loren Shaw, clearly, the man who makes no bones about his aspirations, is one of the best roles he played for the screen. Mr. March's portrayal of the ruthless Shaw gives us an idea of how driven some people in those high places will react knowing the power they'll yield, not caring how they will affect the lives of those under them.

The rest of the players are good. Barbara Stanwyck has a small part as the daughter of the man that created Treadway. Walter Pigeon is Fred, the man who has given his life to this company. Paul Douglas is Walter, the straying man having an illicit relation with his secretary. Louis Calhern is the reptilian Casswell, who stands to make a lot of money out of his gamble to back up Shaw. Nina Foch, the executive secretary Erica, does a fine job in projecting the sadness of a lonely woman who has probably loved the dead man Bullard. Shelley Winters only has a couple of scenes as Eva, the secretary that suddenly sees the light in her situation with Walter.

The film offers a good look at the financial district of New York as it looked in those years. It's sad to realize what the recent events have done to that part of Manhattan and how different it looks today!