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Executive Suite ()

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When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice presidents vie to see who will replace him.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

77 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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McDonald Walling
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Mary Blemond Walling
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Julia O. Tredway
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Loren Phineas Shaw
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Frederick Y. Alderson
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Eva Bardeman
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Josiah Walter Dudley
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George Nyle Caswell
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Jesse Q. Grimm
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Erica Martin
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Mike Walling
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Bill Lundeen
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Mrs. George Nyle Caswell (as Lucille Knoch)
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Julius Steigel
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Sara Asenath Grimm
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Edith Alderson
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Ed Benedeck
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Bartender (uncredited)
Walter Bacon ...
Worker (uncredited)
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Henri - Stork Club Maître D' (uncredited)
Margaret Bert ...
Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth ...
Guest (uncredited)
Hugh Boswell ...
Guest (uncredited)
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Detective (uncredited)
Helen Brown ...
Miss Clark (uncredited)
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Stork Club Waiter (uncredited)
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Mailroom Boy (uncredited)
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Lee Ormand (uncredited)
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Toll Booth Attendant (uncredited)
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Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Officer Canady (uncredited)
Lucille Curtis ...
Maid (uncredited)
Bert Davidson ...
Salesman (uncredited)
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Newspaper Worker (uncredited)
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Guest (uncredited)
Abe Dinovitch ...
Cab Driver (uncredited)
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Detective (uncredited)
Mimi Doyle ...
Stork Club Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Darren Dublin ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Western Union Operator (uncredited)
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Jimmy Farrell (uncredited)
Tom Ferrandini ...
Bar Patron (uncredited)
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Woman at Bar (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman ...
Avery Bullard (uncredited)
Jack Gargan ...
Little League Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Faith Geer ...
Stork Club Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant ...
Salesman (uncredited)
Robert Haines ...
Businessman (uncredited)
John Hedloe ...
Reporter (uncredited)
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Nurse (uncredited)
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Sidewalk Passerby (uncredited)
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Narrator / Voice of Tredway (uncredited) (voice)
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Spectator at Game (uncredited)
Richard LaMarr ...
Worker (uncredited)
Richard Landry ...
Worker (uncredited)
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Businesswoman (uncredited)
Kay Mansfield ...
Alderson's Secretary (uncredited)
Harry Mayo ...
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
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Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
Tom McDonough ...
Factory Worker (uncredited)
John McKee ...
Umpire (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
Esther Michelson ...
Candy Store Lady (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Servant (uncredited)
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Sam Teal (uncredited)
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Housekeeper (uncredited)
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Liz (uncredited)
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City Editor (uncredited)
Carl Saxe ...
Worker (uncredited)
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Little League Baseball Fan (uncredited)
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Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
Jerry Sheldon ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
George Sherwood ...
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Bernice Simmons ...
Guest (uncredited)
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Factory Worker (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey ...
Laboratory Worker (uncredited)
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Miss Nordley (uncredited)
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Worker (uncredited)
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Luigi Cassoni (uncredited)
Wilson Wood ...
Airport Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by

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Robert Wise

Written by

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Ernest Lehman ... (screen play)
 
Cameron Hawley ... (based on the novel by)

Produced by

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John Houseman ... producer
Jud Kinberg ... associate producer

Cinematography by

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George J. Folsey ... director of photography (as George Folsey)

Editing by

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Ralph E. Winters ... film editor

Art Direction by

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Edward C. Carfagno ... (as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by

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Emile Kuri ... (set decorations)
Edwin B. Willis ... (set decorations)

Makeup Department

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Sydney Guilaroff ... hair stylist
John Truwe ... makeup artist
William Tuttle ... makeup

Production Management

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Al Shenberg ... unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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George Rhein ... assistant director

Art Department

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Mentor Huebner ... production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Douglas Shearer ... recording supervisor
Conrad Kahn ... sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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A. Arnold Gillespie ... special effects
Warren Newcombe ... special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Helen Rose ... costume designer: women
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Avery Bullard, President of the Tredway Corporation has died. But he never named a clear successor, so the Board members must choose a replacement. The most likely is Loren Shaw, a skilled businessman, but some of the others don't like his calculating ways. But to stop him, they'll have to find someone else they can back. Will it be the engineer Don Walling? That will take convincing, they don't trust his youth and idealism. And he isn't even sure he wants the job, he might be happier creating rather than politicking. Written by Ken Yousten

Plot Keywords
Taglines Behind the lighted tower windows the conflict of love and power is reckless and daring! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • La tour des ambitieux (France)
  • La torre de los ambiciosos (Spain)
  • O pyrgos ton filodoxon (Greece)
  • De toren van de eerzucht (Belgium, Flemish title)
  • Um Homem e Dez Destinos (Portugal)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 104 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,383,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia This 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. See more »
Goofs When 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. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in MGM's 30th Anniversary Tribute (1954). See more »
Soundtracks Singin' in the Rain See more »
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?
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