Tonight's Movie: Executive Suite (1954) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I first saw EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954) in the earliest days of this blog, close to 20 years ago.

I liked the movie yet hadn't seen it again in the years since 2005...so many movies, so little time! It's just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection, and it was a great pleasure returning to it for this review. I think having watched the entire cast in so many more movies in the intervening years really sharpened my appreciation for EXECUTIVE SUITE, placing it in greater context in each of their careers.

The always-reliable director Robert Wise successfully juggles the movie's huge roster of stars in the engrossing story of a 24-hour corporate crisis.

In a creatively shot first-person opening (think LADY IN THE LAKE), Tredway Corporation president Avery Bullard (the unseen Raoul Freeman) goes down an elevator, sends a telegram, exits the building, and then keels over dead in the street.

George Nyle Caswell (Louis Calhern), observing Bullard's death from a window, immediately sells off stock as part of a plan to make some fast cash, and that's only the start of the machinations resulting from Bullard's untimely passing.

Bullard's company has no plan of succession, and various vice presidents immediately start jockeying for the top job.

Loren Shaw (Fredric March), who rushes to fill the leadership void, attempts to blackmail both Caswell and head salesman Walter Dudley (Paul Douglas) for their votes, promising to put a stop to the financial losses Caswell's unwise selloff will incur, while keeping quiet that the married Dudley has a mistress -- Dudley's secretary, Eva (Shelley Winters).

Other board members, Walling (William Holden), Alderson (Walter Pidgeon), and Grimm (Dean Jagger), are unhappy with the prospect of penny-pinching, officious Shaw in charge. Walling and Alderson toy with the idea of serving as president, with Alderson's wife (Virginia Brissac) pushing him that the role should be his. Grimm, about to retire, doesn't seem to care much one way or the other.

And the final board member, Julia Tredway (Barbara Stanwyck) -- daughter of the company founder and lover of the late Bullard -- is an enigma.

Circling among all the board members is another enigmatic woman, Bullard's executive secretary Erica Martin (Oscar-nominated Nina Foch). Erica has definite...feelings...about both her late boss and the direction of the company, but they're never directly conveyed with words.

The incisive script was by Ernest Lehman, based on a novel by Cameron Hawley. Lehman, who later wrote NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), would also collaborate with director Wise on the Oscar-winning WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).

As one might imagine, given the director, screenwriter, and cast, this is a very well-made, well-acted 104 minutes. The final boardroom debate between Holden and March is just as relevant now as it was 70 years ago.

Holden, who had a run of films in the '50s as good as any actor ever, is typically fine as the idealistic R&D man. I'm a fan of June Allyson, who plays his wife, but she was unfortunately too often stuck with not-too-smart '50s roles, though this part is at least better than her similar corporate wife in WOMAN'S WORLD (1954) the very same year.

It's remarkable to me that Pidgeon was only 55 when this was filmed in the fall of 1953; his character easily plays 15 or 20 years older. Similarly, Jagger, playing a man on the verge of retirement, was only 49 when this was filmed! It was common in this era for actors/characters to come across as "older" than they do at the same age in our era, but still, it was a bit of a shock to realize their actual ages. It's wild to compare that Tom Cruise, as one example, was past 60 when doing stunts in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING (2025).

Stanwyck, for that matter, was only 46 in EXECUTIVE SUITE, but like many actresses of the era had adopted a prematurely aging short haircut in the '50s. She and Foch's characters are similar in that they each apparently loved the late Bullard, yet their feelings are conveyed with relatively little dialogue. Julia (Stanwyck) is so overwrought by Bullard's death that she may be suicidal, while Erica forges on with her job.

When I saw the film previously I wondered if Foch was deserving of her Best Supporting Actress nomination for such a small role...but watching this time I realized that I was watching her every minute she's on camera, and surely that says something about the intensity of her performance -- especially given how much is conveyed nonverbally.

A lingering question: Was there a reason beyond preoccupation with business that Bullard hadn't married Julia? Was he perhaps also involved with Erica? We'll never know, but we can speculate.

This is as good a place as any to briefly detour and mention that Erica's distinctive pen necklace is a brilliant, memorable touch. It's both visually striking and suggestive of Erica's total dedication to her job. The great Helen Rose was the costume designer, and I'd be curious to know if she was responsible for the necklace as well.

Sometimes it feels like Winters was cast in every movie of the late '40s and '50s, but at least I've come to tolerate her more than I used to, though she'll never be a favorite. On the other hand, I always enjoy Douglas and he's good here as the likeable salesman Winters comes to realize may be a nice guy but is a dead end as far as a relationship goes.

Among the supporting cast I especially enjoyed Lucille Knox (billed Knoch). Some reviewers have referred to her as Caswell's date or girlfriend, but the end credits name her as "Mrs. George Nyle Caswell." She only has a couple of scenes with Calhern, but her looks are arresting and, like Foch, it's hard not to pay her attention.

As someone born in the city I have to mention that the airport scenes were filmed at Long Beach Airport, which was also a location for A STOLEN LIFE (1946), THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947), WALLFLOWER (1948), and several other films. (Several years ago Jacqueline Lynch wrote about the airport at Another Old Movie Blog.) I just flew out of the airport a few days ago, in fact.

The sharp-looking Blu-ray print, showing off the crisp black and white cinematography of George Folsey, is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. Sound quality is also excellent. The soundtrack omits a musical score, instead relying on street and traffic sounds, as well as a loudly gonging clock.

Disc extras consist of the trailer; the nine-minute Pete Smith Specialty short DO SOMEONE A FAVOR (1954); a Tom and Jerry cartoon, HIC-CUP PUP (1954); and an archival commentary by Oliver Stone, a holdover from the original 2007 DVD release.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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