Themes: Office Politics, Work Ethics, Crisis of Conscience
Main Cast: Van Heflin, Ed Begley, Sr., Everett Sloane, Beatrice Straight, Elizabeth Wilson
Release Year: 1956
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
Plot
Rod Serling's incisive "gray flannel suit" TV drama created such a sensation when Kraft Television Theatre first aired it live on January 11, 1955 that, in an unprecedented move, it was repeated four weeks later, on February 9, again live. Richard Kiley starred as Fred Staples, a bright young man from Cincinnati brought into the executive pool at a top New York firm by ruthless CEO Ramsey (Everett Sloane). Staples doesn't know it at first, but he was recruited as the potential replacement for Andy Sloane (Ed Begley), an ailing exec whom Ramsey is easing out in a most unsubtle fashion. Staples takes a liking to Sloane and despises Ramsey's tactics; the question is: does he despise them enough to throw away the biggest opportunity in his life? Director Fielder Cook, who helmed both TV versions of Patterns, also did the same for the 1956 film version. While Everett Sloane and Ed Begley were carried over from TV, the more "bankable" Van Heflin replaced Kiley as Staples. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The film version of the television play that garnered writer Rod Serling his initial acclaim, it's a forceful drama of office politics with a somewhat ambiguous ending. Although Serling's portrait of Machiavellian behavior in corporate suites can hardly have the impact it did in the '50s, when the uglier aspects of capitalism rarely made an appearance in popular media, his insights into the painful dynamics of a common dilemma remain compelling. Perhaps more about the anxieties of ambition and success than the inevitability of waning power, the film evinces Serling's particular brand of liberalism, as the rising young executive (Van Heflin) agonizes about the fate of the older man (Ed Begley) he must displace. The coldly efficient CEO, (Everett Sloane) a composite of Serling's wartime commanding officer and CBS president William Paley among others, has verbally hammered Begley so relentlessly in an effort to force his retirement, that the dazed and battered man conjures the punch-drunk fighter of Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962). Despite the all-consuming nature of a job that's damaged his family life, he's still unable to let go. When Heflin challenges Sloane's repellent inhumanity, the magnate makes an apologia for capitalist ruthlessness worthy of Milton Friedman. Whether or not the equivocal and somewhat surprising ending can be interpreted as a victory or defeat for Heflin is very much in the eye of the beholder. Sloane gives the best performance of his career as the driven CEO and Heflin and Begley are also superb. Boris Kaufman, the legendary cinematographer of films such as Zero de Conduite and On the Waterfront makes the dark, tunnel-like office corridors look like something from Kafka. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Joanna Roos - Miss Lanier; Shirley Standlee - Miss Hill; Ronnie Welsh, Jr. - Paul Briggs; Sally Gracie - Ann; Michael Dreyfuss - Billy; Adrienne Moore - First Secretary; Elaine Kaye - Second Secretary; Andrew Duggan; Elene Kiamos - Sylvia Trammel; Rod Serling
Credit
Richard Sylbert - Art Director, Mary Merrill - Costume Designer, Fielder Cook - Director, Carl Lerner - Editor, Dave Kummins - Editor, Boris Kaufman - Cinematographer, Michael Myerberg - Producer, Rod Serling - Screenwriter, Rod Serling - Play Author
Patterns is a feature film starring Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, and Ed Begley. Directed by Fielder Cook, the film was released March 27, 1956. The screenplay by Rod Serling was an adaptation of his teleplay Patterns originally telecast January 12, 1955 on the Kraft Television Theatre, with Sloane, Begley and Richard Kiley. Apart from establishing shots on New York City streets, the film's screenplay has no major changes from the teleplay (in the film, however, "Andy Sloan"'s name was altered to "Bill Briggs"). While Sloane and Begley reprised their roles, Heflin replaced Kiley in the role of up-and-coming executive Fred Staples.
Plot
Most of the scenes are set in the corporate boardroom and surrounding offices of Ramsey & Co., a Manhattan industrial empire headed by the ruthless Walter Ramsey. He recruits youthful industrial engineer Fred Staples, grooming him to replace the aging Bill Briggs as the second in command at the company. Though Ramsey will not fire Briggs outright, he does everything in his power to sabotage and humiliate his subordinate into resigning, but the old man stubbornly refuses to give in. Staples has mixed feelings about the messy situation, ambition conflicting with sympathy for Briggs.
In the end, the stress gets to Briggs. He collapses and later dies in the hospital. This causes a heated showdown between Ramsey and Staples. In the end, Staples decides to take the job, promising never to back down from his boss, who is delighted.
