Patterns (12 Jan. 1955)
"Kraft Television Theatre" Patterns (original title)

Fred Staples is the newest executive in a large firm. He strikes up a friendship with Andy Sloane, the Vice President to whom he nominally reports. Staples is good at his job and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Fielder Cook

Writer:

Rod Serling

Stars:

Jack Arthur, Sybil Baker, Ed Begley

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Jack Arthur	...	Starter
Sybil Baker	...	Telephone Operator
Ed Begley	...	Andy Sloane
June Dayton	...	Fran Staples
Victor Harrison
Richard Kiley	...	Fred Staples
Hanna Landy	...	Dolores
Jack Livesey	...	Mr. Jameson
Joseph Macauley
Elizabeth Montgomery	...	Ann Evans
Theodore Newton	...	Mr. Gordon
Joanna Roos	...	Miss Lanier
Douglas Rutherford
Everett Sloane	...	Walter Ramsey
Shirley Standlee	...	Miss Hill

Storyline

Fred Staples is the newest executive in a large firm. He strikes up a friendship with Andy Sloane, the Vice President to whom he nominally reports. Staples is good at his job and the company's hard-nosed president, Walter Ramsey, is pleased with his choice. Staples has a crisis of conscience when Ramsey tells him that he's been recruited to replace Sloane, someone who has devoted his entire life to the company at the expense of his family. Sloane knows what Ramsey is up to but digs in his heels and refuses to quit. Tragedy ensues forcing Staples to make a choice.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1955 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

J. Walter Thompson Agency

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to PBS's American Master's series web site, this drama was so popular that it became the first live drama in television history to be broadcast twice due to popularity. The drama was broadcast as both episodes 16 and 20 of season 8.

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Connections

Remade as Patterns (1956)

User Reviews

Patterns

An interesting story about the cutthroat world of big business. I definitely enjoyed the nuances of the script, which seems to be defining heroes and villains at the start but evolves into something more complex. It's not merely anti-corporate soapbox rhetoric. The performances are quite good, including frequent noir actors Everett Sloane, Ed Begley and Richard Kiley. But although I appreciate the skill and effort required to produce these plays as live television, it's not a form that excites me. It all comes off a bit flat, even in the most tense moments.

7 out of 10