The schemers
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The schemers |
| Original title | Executive suite |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1954 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Wise |
| script | Ernest Lehman |
| production | John Houseman |
| camera | George J. Folsey |
| cut | Ralph E. Winters |
| occupation | |
| |
The schemers is an American film from 1954. The film was based on the novel Executive Suite by Cameron Hawley .
action
The furniture company Tredway Corporation is facing difficult times. The longtime president of Avery Bullard is dead. In the years of his tenure, he missed renewing the company. It has lost touch with the competition and is therefore under economic pressure. Likewise, during his lifetime he had not made sure to position a successor in time. After his death, the board of directors now faces the difficult task of choosing a successor.
The ambitious Loren Shaw sees himself as the favorite to succeed him in the executive chair. As a controller, he is more interested in the profitability and shareholder value of the company than in the renewal of the group. However, he is sure of the support of the main shareholder Julia Tredway. Julia Tredway was also closely related to Avery Bullard. The only serious competitor is the chief designer Don Walling, who is not sure if he even wants this position. Walling's lifelong dream is to design innovative furniture, and his wife Mary doesn't want him to trade this dream for the more administrative executive chair. However, he has the support of Frederick Alderson. Alderson was a close friend of the late Bullard and the company's chief financial officer. He is convinced that Walling would give the group a fresh coat of paint. At the same time, however, he has doubts as he is keeping him too young for a few years.
In the background, Caswell tries with the help of Shaw, who in turn expects Caswell to vote in the election, to save a failed stock trade. Sales manager Dudley is blackmailed by Shaw over a love affair. The battle for the position of president ends with the decisive election. Julia Tredway finally lets herself be infected by the enthusiasm of the young designer Don Walling. In the end, she was won over by his future visions for the company. The other members of the board are convinced by her and are now also voting for Don Walling as the new president of the group.
background
The film is one of the few Hollywood films of this time that managed entirely without film music . It starts with a subjective camera that represents the eyes of Avery Bullard, the company boss, who leaves a skyscraper and then collapses and dies on the street.
Reviews
"Artfully dramatized drama carried by outstanding actors with a precise milieu drawing that only falls away through the moralizing, implausible ending."
Awards
The film took part in the competition at the Venice International Film Festival in 1954 and was awarded the jury's special prize for acting ensemble performance. At the Academy Awards in 1955 , the film was nominated in four categories, but came away empty-handed. The National Board of Review recorded Nina Foch as best supporting actress.
Web links
- The schemers in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The schemers. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 27, 2017 .