When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice presidents vie to see who will replace him.When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice presidents vie to see who will replace him.When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice presidents vie to see who will replace him.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 3 wins & 9 nominations total
- Mrs. George Nyle Caswell
- (as Lucille Knoch)
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was one of the few Hollywood films of the era not to have a musical score. The opening credits are shown to the accompaniment of traffic noises and the tolling of a bell.
- GoofsWhen Don tries to delay the start of the meeting, Shaw states that five members are sufficient for a quorum -- the four men present plus Julia Tredway's proxy (and later, Julia in person). But all Don had to do to hold up the meeting was to walk out, thereby depriving it of the necessary quorum.
- Quotes
McDonald Walling: The force behind a great company has to be more than the pride of one man; it has to be the pride of thousands. You can't make men work for money alone - you starve their souls when you try it, and you can starve a company to death the same way.
McDonald Walling: [picking up a small, flimsy table] And that's when we started doing things like this: the KF line. Walt, are your boys proud when they go out and sell this stuff? When they know the finish is going to crack, the veneer split off and the legs come loose?
Loren Phineas Shaw: Wait a minute, wait a minute. That's priced merchandise - it serves a definite purpose in the profit structure of this company. We're not cheating anyone.
McDonald Walling: Ourselves!
Loren Phineas Shaw: At that price, the customer knows exactly what he is going to get.
McDonald Walling: This!
[flips the table over, and easily tears off one of its legs]
McDonald Walling: This is what Tredway has come to mean!
[violently throws the leg against the wall]
McDonald Walling: And what do you suppose the people think of us when they buy it? How do you suppose the men in the factories feel when they make it? What must they think of a management that is willing to stoop to selling this kind of junk in order to add a dime a year to the dividend?
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Ed Sullivan Show: MGM's 30th Anniversary Tribute (1954)
- SoundtracksSingin' in the Rain
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Hummed by Tim Considine
Fredric March comes on strong as the most ambitious candidate while Dean Jagger underplays as the weakest. Another who is remarkable in showing restraint for a change is Shelley Winters as Douglas' girlfriend who wishes he had more backbone. Barbara Stanwyck does some fireworks in a strong scene with William Holden but does a restrained piece of acting at the final board scene where she sits and listens as Holden takes command of the situation. Here she reveals without saying a word what a fine actress she is.
While most of it is given the glossy MGM treatment, the settings look realistic and there are some real shots of busy Manhattan streets and buildings. One MGM factor is missing--there is no background music, not even under the credits--remarkable for a film of this period. Somehow, it doesn't matter--and the film hasn't dated much at all. What it has to say about big business still holds true.
Nina Foch is excellent as an executive secretary and fully deserved her Academy Award nomination.
- Doylenf
- Aug 31, 2003
- How long is Executive Suite?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,383,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
Contribute to this page
![Executive Suite (1954)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTk3MTc4NmYtM2JhNy00OGEyLTgyMTUtNDEwOWU4NzcxYzg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjE5MjUyOTM@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)