I had never heard of this film before and picked up the video only because it had Clifton Webb. I have really loved him in the few films he made and thought I'd give this one a shot. To my surprise, it was not only a good film, but a very, very good film--so why isn't it a more famous film? The film has an excellent cast of mostly second-tier stars from the mid-1950s and I liked this because they all were extremely capable actors and actresses. Fred MacMurray (no longer the big-name star he was in the 1930s and 40s), Lauren Bacall, June Allyson, Cornell Wilde Van Heflin and Arlene Dahl all play husbands and wives who come to New York for a big meeting with the CEO (Webb) of a fictional car company (like Cadillac or Ford). Each of the men are up for the newly vacated position as number two in the company and their wives were asked to come along by Webb so he can not only look over the men but their wives to see if they were "#2 material". In many ways, this film seemed a little like a soap opera, as the personal lives and weaknesses or strengths of the marriages were explored as the film unfolded. However, unlike the stereotypical soaper, the film seemed more true to the characters and less salacious. The strength of the marriage and its secrets became a huge theme of the film--and was NOT jam-packed with affairs or crises.
There was really nothing I didn't like about the film. The plot was super-original, there many wonderful moments and performances and the production values of the film were just great. In fact, some of the stars gave real stand-out performances--such as June Allyson and Arlene Dahl. See this film if you want an intelligently written film with a superb ending. You most likely will not be disappointed.
There was really nothing I didn't like about the film. The plot was super-original, there many wonderful moments and performances and the production values of the film were just great. In fact, some of the stars gave real stand-out performances--such as June Allyson and Arlene Dahl. See this film if you want an intelligently written film with a superb ending. You most likely will not be disappointed.