An all-star cast, including a batch of Oscar winners, was the obvious draw for this movie set in the cut-throat world of big business. Without them, I doubt if would be half as entertaining as it is. The overly familiar plot has a certain Mr Bullard, President of a large corporation, dropping dead outside his office and the squabbles that ensue amongst those subordinates who want to step into his shoes. It's a very glossy soap opera, adapted by Ernest Lehman from Cameron Hawley's novel and directed by Robert Wise, so you know it's going to get a very professional job of work.
You also know it's going to be well acted and for the most part it is. There's William Holden, (the decent one), Fredric March, (the nasty one), Barbara Stanwyck, (the hysterical mistress), Walter Pidgeon, (the very decent one), Louis Calhern, (the skunk), Dean Jagger, (the lazy one), Paul Douglas, (the cheating one), as well as June Allyson, (the loyal wife), Shelley Winters, (the disloyal secretary) and Nina Foch, Oscar-nominated, as the loyal secretary. Unfortunately none of them can make the material sexy; stocks and shares and who runs what department are hardly likely to get your blood up. Still, it did get four Oscar nominations and it does have its followers and finally it just has about the right number of knives in the right number of backs to give it a much needed boost.
You also know it's going to be well acted and for the most part it is. There's William Holden, (the decent one), Fredric March, (the nasty one), Barbara Stanwyck, (the hysterical mistress), Walter Pidgeon, (the very decent one), Louis Calhern, (the skunk), Dean Jagger, (the lazy one), Paul Douglas, (the cheating one), as well as June Allyson, (the loyal wife), Shelley Winters, (the disloyal secretary) and Nina Foch, Oscar-nominated, as the loyal secretary. Unfortunately none of them can make the material sexy; stocks and shares and who runs what department are hardly likely to get your blood up. Still, it did get four Oscar nominations and it does have its followers and finally it just has about the right number of knives in the right number of backs to give it a much needed boost.