Never got around to watching HBO’s Succession? Here’s a time-saving alternative: all the boardroom drama and backbiting condensed into one 1954 feature film. As directed by Robert Wise (The Sound of Music), the black-and-white film explores the frantic maneuvers of a corporate board of directors to select a new president from their ranks in the aftermath of the former president’s unexpected death.
Buy Executive Suite Blu-rayBased on a novel by Cameron Hawley, the story quickly identifies the leading candidates for the top spot: a penny-pinching opportunist (Fredric March) and an idealistic visionary VP (William Holden). The sniveling opportunist is quick on the draw to start consolidating his power, making alliances with other key board members in his quest to secure majority votes. Holden’s character is so pure he isn’t even sure he wants the stressful job, hemming and hawing as the votes slip between his fingers.
And then, Barbara Stanwyck arrives. As the uninvolved daughter of the company’s founder, she has never attended a board meeting even though she’s the majority stockholder. When she makes a surprise entrance to the election proceedings, the balance of power is completely thrown off its axis, with the players scrambling to find their places in the new order.
The film builds up to Holden’s impassioned, lengthy boardroom monologue where he rails against corporate mindset that would rather give shareholders short-term gains via resource cuts and inferior products than build a firm, thoughtful foundation for sustainable growth. It’s a great scene, and still insanely timely even 70 years after release, sadly bringing to mind many modern companies and our own current government.
Holden is the standout star of the film, even as he’s surrounded by an incredible roster including Stanwyck, June Allyson as his wife, Shelley Winters, and Walter Pidgeon as a senior board member. Stanwyck is great as the rogue character, although her increasingly smoke-damaged voice is distracting. Pidgeon takes the bronze thanks to his mesmerizing gravitas, ensuring that everyone in the boardroom snaps to attention when the adult arrives.
The film is presented in an irregular 1.75:1 aspect ratio, with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 sound. No restoration information is provided, but the image and sound quality are excellent with no noticeable flaws. Bonus features include a feature commentary track by Oliver Stone, a Tom & Jerry cartoon, and a Pete Smith Specialty live action short, along with the theatrical trailer.
