Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

I was glad to catch this movie today on the Turner Classic Movies channel; it is amazing how these lost gems are hidden away and then just pop up in the middle of the day or night on this channel. The first part of the movie leaves us in suspense as the viewer awaits a hastily called Friday night meeting but the CEO does not arrive. His sudden death sets up a battle for control of the company. Grief soon gives way to infighting among the rivals. I was pleased with the quality of the cast in the movie, although some of them did not get a lot of time on the set. Nevertheless, it is a movie in the Frank Capra style with the board of a large furniture company divided against itself. The battle is not only over the next CEO but also the direction the company will take. William Holden and Fredric March are the main protagonists and March appears to be the heir apparent but his lust for making money loses him the support of key people on the board of directors. Holden, youthful, ambitious and idealistic, and Walter Pidgeon, who is the epitome of the elder statesman and mentor, are both superb. In an unusual role for him, Frederic March is outstanding as the ambitious and scheming Vice President with his cost analysis sheets and charts. Barbara Stanwyck is Miss Treadway, the daughter of the deceased CEO. I liked her performance as a bitter and disappointed young woman who experienced a change of heart. Dean Jagger, Paul Douglas and Louis Calhern rounded out the cast of share holders. Calhern personifies the Wall St. profiteer who sees an opportunity to profit from the company's misfortune when the stock price drops on the news of the CEO's death. Nina Foch as the executive assistant Erica Martin was a model of decorum and efficiency. June Allyson played Wm. Holden's wife. A great story that held my interest throughout, I would gladly see it again.

You talk about an All-Star cast. This casting was right out of the former and present day stars of it's time. An absolute home run all the way.A president of a moderately successful furniture company dies and his minion's all scramble to see who's gonna be the new president. With this happening we realize that 2 main people up for the job are on 2 different wavelength's. One wants to keep the stockholders happy and trim the fat. Keep churning out crappy, poorly made but profitable products. The other wants to return back to the days when they're product line was innovative and was quality by industry standard. The penny pincher is a Night school educated book worm who's more interested in controlling people than anything else. He knows everyone's personal business and he tries to use it against them to gain their vote at the end of the day. He's a weaselly little guy. You know the type, picked on in school and would like to get back at anyone the best way...worming his way to the top. The other is a chemist at their plant that creates new finishes/varnishes for their products. He wants quality products and wants to return to the old way the company was run but at that day and time...is it the bottom line that matters most?I don't think I've seen a better film with this kinda star power. From Walter Pidgeon to Barbara Stanwyck to William Holden to Fredric March. If you don't know your film history, these people are towering figures in acting and they all shine in this ruthless look at the back-biting that goes on behind closed doors at corporations. Fredric March is dead perfect at playing the weaselly little controller/comptroller of the company. William Holden plays the perfect hero with the perfect speech at the end. Walter Pidgeon plays the elder statesman like he always does. Barbara Stanwyck plays the "hidden" love interest of the previous president who died. She doesn't have a lot of scenes or lines but she's effective.Just watch this and see how relevant it is today. If you've seen this and then read this review you'll think, "this is about 2 guys vying for the presidency". Think about it. It's really about 2 different ways of thinking in the corporate world. How much quality do we actually put out in today's world? How many pieces of electronics do you return because of shoddy quality control? See this film and see why so many CEO jobs change hands these days. It's about the bottom line... and not the product.

After a Manhattan-based cooperate president suddenly dies, his "Executive Suite" workers jockey for the leadership position. Within twenty-four hours, the seven-member "Tredway" furniture company board members will vote for a new leader. Your first bet may be William Holden (as McDonald "Don" Walling), who represents his company and country perfectly; he comes with ideal wife June Allyson (as Mary) and wholesome baseball-playing son Tim Considine (as Mike). But, Mr. Holden is no shoe-in...The leadership position is also desired by sneaky and manipulative Fredric March (as Loren Phineas Shaw), who has some powerful strings to pull. Mr. March wants gutless Paul Douglas (as Josiah Walter "Walt" Dudley) to vote for him, or he will reveal Mr. Douglas is having extra-marital sex with Shelley Winters (as Eva Bardeman). The next-in-line seems to be vice-president Walter Pidgeon (as Frederick "Fred" Alderson), but he suggests Mr. Douglas should be the new president...Also watch out for wheeler-dealer Louis Calhern (as George Nyle Caswell) and retiring Dean Jagger (as Jesse Grimm) to be tied-up in the machinations. The seventh vote belongs to high-strung Barbara Stanwyck (as Julia Tredway), who was the dead president's former lover; her father founded the company, and she is the company's biggest stockholder. Ethical secretary Nina Foch (as Erica Martin) collects all of the votes and most of the acting awards. A great cast keeps it interesting.******** Executive Suite (4/15/54) Robert Wise ~ William Holden, Fredric March, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck

This is a story of a fictional corporation that makes furniture. It's apparently a huge one--with enormous sales. That's why when the president of the company dies that the board of directors is in a tizzy. Various men want to control the company and to do so, they need to create alliances and connive to get the majority of the board members to vote for them. However, despite the conniving and maneuvering, the film ends with a few surprises.This is a highly unusual film. The biggest difference is that it's an "actor's film" with little of the adornment you'd find in other films--forcing the writers and actors to carry the entire film. The first way you realize it's this sort of film is that the film is missing a sound track! Yes, when the opening credits roll and there is no music whatsoever, you know this is NOT your typical film! And, when you see the wonderful cast of leading men and women as well as noted supporting actors, you also know it's a film built around people--not action. Imagine being a director who's given the likes of Fredric March, Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Paul Douglas, Louis Calhern, and the rest as a cast! The only film that immediately comes to mind with less adornment and an even better cast is "12 Angry Men"...and that's a truly great film.Overall, I liked this film a lot but also think that some may not appreciate all the machinations and the cerebral plot. If you want explosions, romance or comedy, this film certainly is not for you!