The Power and the Prize

"Executive Suite" this ain't. THE POWER AND THE PRIZE falls short on several counts already mentioned in previous critiques (I fully agree with the somewhat poorly acted female leads, but they are severely hampered by weakly written characters, especially Taylor's young fiancee; look at her disappointment at her wedding being delayed and compare that to being dumped). The one mildly interesting twist is the the concern over the vague political past of Taylor's new love interest. The fact that she's a concentration camp survivor is of little empathy compared to the doubts various people have of whether she's a commie! Given Robert Taylor's known ultra-conservative bent, it's strange to see him act sympathetic and even unconcerned about her politics. Fact is, Taylor seems to be sleepwalking through this one--- and despite only being in his mid-40's he looks old. The final confrontation between Ives (a part that begs for real-life proto-fascist Adolph Menjou) and Taylor is anti-climatic, lacking any real tension or drama (unlike EXECUTIVE SUITE'S boffo final board meeting). All the production values are present, it's just the script should have been sent back for a re-write. A 3/10--- interesting only as a snapshot at what our priorities were 47 years ago.

Hollywood put a great cast of veteran actors into this film, everyone of them performed to perfection and lets remember, it was made in 1956, and many of these actors were under contract to the studio to perform in certain films. Most of these actors were getting old and even Robert Taylor, (Cliff Barton),"D-Day the Sixth of June",'56 was 44 years of age appearing with a new star, Elisabeth Muller,(Miriam Linka) and had intentions in the film to marry her. Elisabeth Muller made this film her Swan Song and never appeared in an American film after this film. Burl Ives,(George Salt),"Ensign Pulver",'64, was the CEO of a company in New York and considered Cliff Barton his son and planned on him to carry out a great business deal in England. Charles Coburn, (Guy Eliot),"Town on Trial", Cedric Hardwicke, (Mr. Careu),"The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel",'51, and Mary Astor,(Mrs. George Salt),"The Maltese Falcon",'41 gave great supporting roles. This is a rather interesting film about big business years ago and still seems to apply in the business world today, ONLY WORSE. If you love great veteran actors and love the many films they performed in over the years, this is the film for you.

This is a very "glossy" film in some ways, but it is also filled with well-developed characters. And because they are all well-acted and clearly presented in a dual-stranded storyline, they become very contexted and hard-to-forget. The script is by Robert Ardrey adapted from Howard Swiggett's fine novel. This is a another postwar film like many others that talks about values, and the sort of place the US needs to become--or unfortunately seemed to be becoming. The main characters in this plot are involved with a major international firm; the head of this firm, ably played by Burl Ives, is trying to consummate a deal with a British firm's leaders headed by Cedric Hardwicke. He also has a scheme in mind to cheat his partners, which finally does not sit well with his heir-apparent, played quite intelligently and straightforwardly by Robert Taylor. Complicating the plot for Taylor is his growing regard for a refugee played beautifully by Elisabeth Mueller. An act of courage by Taylor finally resolves the plot nicely; the moral crisis of the film becomes its climax, which gives it unusual power. The cast is very good indeed, with Mueller, Hardwicke, Ben Wright, Richard Erdmann and others also turning in very fine work. The film is B/W as a drama should be, and its values are very fine, thanks to work by MGM's best--Edwin Willis, Sidney Guilaroof and costumer Helen Rose. Music is by Bronislau Kaper with the director, Henry Koster, doing a first-rate job in a film featuring many interior-scenes and little outdoor work. Films about business are one way thinkers have of examining what is right and wrong with the United States' citizens approaches to making their constitutional ideas about individualism work; this work, except for the religious connections of Taylor's father, in my judgment a needless addition, is honest. I cannot recommend this unexpected little gem too highly.

Before filming The Power and the Prize, MGM had two years before done another and better film on the corporate business culture with Executive Suite. It's not that The Power and the Prize is a bad film, but Executive Suite was better and surely had more star quality.

In Executive Suite the head of a corporation that manufactures furniture dies suddenly with no groomed successor to move in. The whole film is about the struggle for power to succeed.

The Power and the Prize has the head very much alive in Burl Ives and he's got a successor in mind in Robert Taylor. Taylor is also the fiancé of Ives's niece so real control won't be leaving his hands. He's given Taylor an assignment in Great Britain to complete a merger of a British firm with their's. And he's to do it on Ives's terms which means total control.

Mrs. Ives, who's played by Mary Astor, gives Taylor an additional assignment to check out some charities she's been contributing to in Europe.

Taylor develops a conscience about what he's doing and additionally falls in love with Elizabeth Mueller who works for the charity. He breaks it off with the niece and fails in the assignment.

The rest of the film is a struggle between the bitterly disappointed Ives and Taylor who Ives tries to destroy.

Taylor, no longer the callow matinée idol of the thirties, really developed into a fine player and some of his best performances on screen are in the fifties. Ives's part is a pre-cursor of his Big Daddy role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof without the southern ambiance.

It's a good film, but I think the issues were far better done by MGM in Executive Suite.

I notice that THIS time when asked if he knew of any Commies Rat Fink Bob said "no". Guess art does not imitate life, huh? Then again, at no point should this dull, talky, ploddingly directed film be confused with art.