The Power and the Prize (1956) User Reviews

Not bad, but doesn't compare with Executive Suite

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 2 September 2005]

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.

just okay

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 23 January 2007]

Robert Taylor has to evaluate "The Power and the Prize," a 1956 film also starring Elisabeth Mueller, Burl Ives, Mary Astor and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Taylor plays Cliff Barton, second in command to George Salt (Burl Ives) - he's also engaged to marry Salt's niece. Assigned to close a difficult deal in England, Cliff is unhappy about his boss' instructions, but tries to carry them out anyway. Salt wants him to withhold part of their demands until the very end of the negotiation. He warns Salt that doing things his way will blow this important deal, but Salt insists.

While in London and checking on a charity for Mrs. Salt, Cliff meets a German refugee, Miriam Linka (Mueller). They fall in love, and Cliff wants to marry her. Meanwhile, sure enough, the deal is blown, and Salt blames Cliff. Complicating things is Cliff's cancellation of the wedding (though his bride-to-be is just as happy about it as he is) and some nasty rumors that have been circulated about Miriam. Back at the office, it appears there is going to be a power struggle.

This is a grand MGM drama about conscience and following what you know to be honest and right versus just "following orders." There are some good moments, but all in all, it's pretty routine. The character of Miriam seems off the wall, lecturing Cliff as soon as he walks into her agency. Mueller in fact gives a very hyperactive performance which isn't a good match with Taylor's deliberate, steady portrayal. For me, the best acting comes from Charles Coburn as one of the officers in Salt's company and Mary Astor as Salt's wife. Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who has such a magnificent speaking voice, is excellent but alas, it's neither a big role nor a showy one.

Certainly not a bad movie but all of these actors have appeared in better.

Wildly uneven--it was like an exceptional film combined with a dreadful romance

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 February 2009]

This was a very frustrating film to watch. On one hand, it was an exceptional film about corporate America and when it stuck to this, it was brilliant. On the other, bad casting and an incredibly horrible romance sink the film so much that you might be tempted to turn it off mid-way through the movie! My advice is to hold on--resist that urge, as the last portion of the film is marvelous.

Robert Taylor is the presumptive next in line to head a corporation run by Burl Ives. This is an odd casting choice, as in reality the two were only two years apart in age. Charles Coburn, who had a smaller role in the film, would have been much better cast in Ives' role and vice-versa. Still, this type of miscasting isn't too uncommon in Hollywood, so I suggest you don't think about it too much.

Taylor is sent to Britain to negotiate a huge business deal. Once there, the film turns into the wrong direction. Despite already being engaged, Taylor doggedly pursues and Austrian lady. To make things worse, the lady is very anti-American and seems to also possibly be a Communist--or at least a lady who hates the rich. Considering her history in the film, you can understand this but why Taylor was so instantly infatuated with her is beyond comprehension. She was just too unlikable AND his fiancée is Ives' niece--so dumping her could cost him his career as well. His motivation for doing this was confusing at best and seemed more like a plot point than something that could have happened in real life. Had they smoothed off the Austrian lady's rough edges a bit and possibly made the fiancée more unlikable, then it might have made some sense.

Once Taylor returns to America and announces his intentions to marry the new lady. This is where the film really heats up and kept my attention. The acting was great--with the tension between Ives and Taylor generating a lot of excitement. Ives is determined to destroy Taylor and the machinations of the corporate world were very interesting. Also interesting is the anti-Communist witch hunt angle, as Taylor is very loyal to his Austrian bride-to-be and resents insinuations that she might not be a loyal American. Considering how conservative Taylor was and how friendly he was to the HUAC investigations of the late 40s and early 50s, this is an interesting switch.

Overall, a very mixed bag. The corporate angle is excellent and the romance is just dopey and happens way too fast with a woman who is way too unlikable. This film could stand a remake.

Engaging Drama of Power and Love.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 25 August 2013]

The literate script is by Robert Ardrey, who had a dual career as playwright and screenwriter, and as an academic anthropologist. You have to admire people who are a success in more than one field. It's hard enough to succeed in just one. But it has been done. Goethe did it, though his Naturphilosophie is largely forgotten today. Alexander Borodin was a chemist and doctor as well as a renowned composer of romantic music and opera.

That's neither here nor there, except that the screenplay here is exceptionally thoughtful, a kind of amalgamation of issues situated in the mid-1950s: wealth, power, business practices, communism, and the aftermath of World War II.

Briefly, Robert Taylor is send by his avuncular boss, Burl Ives, to pull some shady business deal in England. He discovers that the competitor he's supposed to screw, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, is a genuinely nice and honest fellow. Taylor is remorseful, but his pain is somewhat relieved when he courts and woos Elisabeth Müller over the course of a week.

He returns to New York where he arranges for the arrival of his bride-to-be. But now everything he does is suspect because he didn't do a complete job of giving the shaft to Hardwicke. Or something. I found myself a bit lost at times, possibly because I missed the first quarter of an hour. Moreover, rumors about his girl friend have cast her (falsely) as a harlot and a Commie.

It's one of Robert Taylor's better roles. He was no longer the pretty boy of the 30s. Although it seems to pain him to incarnate the gay warmth that love can bring, he gets the job done. It must have been a challenge. His later roles as a villain fit that scowl better. But I doubt that he's ever been given more thoughtful dialog than he has here.

Elisabeth Müller is very attractive but I'm uncertain about her acting skills. She was born in Switzerland and her native language is German. Maybe the difficulty and anxiety involved in working with an unfamiliar language affected her performance because in every scene both her lines and her demeanor seem overcooked. When she kisses Taylor, she doesn't just kiss Taylor. She hurls herself at him. Lucky Taylor.

It's fairly complex morally and otherwise. Burl Ives is displaced by a younger, less thumotic subordinate, but he's not a bad guy. When he's not being ruthless and demanding, he's rather pathetic.

I dislike Big Business, probably for the same reason I avoid clowns. They frighten me because I don't understand them. But this movie goes down fairly easily, just challenging enough to keep you securely engaged.

A Movie of the 1950s

[judithh-1 · 8/10 · 6 July 2012]

"The Power and the Prize" is very much a movie of its time. Released in 1956, it reflects both the international situation of the mid fifties and the changing power structure at M-G-M.

Amalgamated World Metals is, on the surface, the perfect liberal paradigm for America. It is a huge international corporation run by unscrupulous men whose only interests are power and wealth. The Chairman, George Salt (of the earth? Burl Ives) is determined on destroying a small English metals company by forcing it into a disadvantageous deal. He sends Cliff Barton, the Vice-Chairman (Robert Taylor) to London negotiate the deal by pulling a fast one on the Brits.

Taylor, however, is to be the exception to the American-power-lust stereotype. When we meet him he seems pleasant but weak, going along with his boss's plans, even planning to marry the boss's niece. In London he meets a young woman (Elisabeth Mueller) who is administering a refugee agency for displaced artists. Since the agency is financed by Mrs. Salt, Barton is asked to verify its integrity while he is in London.

Mueller is emotional, almost hysterical, most of the time. She is artsy, hates Americans, hates businessmen, hates everything Barton stands for. Of course they fall in love. And, of course, Barton finds his true self by being exposed to her noble European sensibility. Within a week he turns his life around.

"Power and the Prize" was released in September 1956, two years after the notorious Army-McCarthy hearings into communism in America. The film emphasizes the "red scare" culture of the times, with various people inquiring into Mrs. Linka's (Mueller's) possible "commie" background.

M-G-M was undergoing significant changes at this time. In 1951 Dore Schary had maneuvered the legendary Louis B. Mayer out of the company. Mayer's last production was "Quo Vadis," representing the grand vision of quality entertainment that he had pursued for decades. Schary, while not rejecting entertainment, believed that movies should have a message. His films were tougher, grittier and didn't always have a happy ending. Schary himself left the studio in 1956.

Robert Taylor worked for M-G-M longer than any other top ranked player. He had a relationship with Mayer that was close to that of a father and son. Mayer looked after his protégé while exploiting him at the same time. Robert Taylor and Cliff Barton have similar histories—both men who worked loyally for a large company and prospered by doing so. While Taylor and Schary weren't close, the studio continued to support him while it dropped many others. Barton and Taylor are also decent, honorable men who can, with a little nudging in Barton's case, be counted on to do the right thing.

The anti-communism theme is also relevant to the actor. In October of 1947, Taylor testified, albeit under duress, before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He did not call anyone a communist but made his opposition to communism in general very clear. The film even refers specifically to testifying before a congressional committee.

"The Power and the Prize," is, then, a movie with layers. It is well acted by all of the principals. Sir Cedric Hardwicke is particularly effective as the beleaguered head of the British company that Amalgamated tries to con. Burl Ives blusters and bullies with gusto. Mueller throws herself into her part and has good chemistry with Taylor. Taylor, as always, brings a combination of restraint, glamor and goodness to his character. The other characters bounce off him like waves on a rock.

For some reason the film was filmed in black and white and in Cinemascope, which seems a waste. It would have been better in color or not in Cinemascope since it is essentially an interior oriented drama. Nonetheless it is visually sumptuous with a sort of East coast "Dallas" ambiance. Well worth a look.

Not much of a prize...

[jbacks3-1 · 23 February 2004]

"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.

The Power and the Prize is Weak and No Bargain **

[edwagreen · 4/10 · 2 May 2010]

What's the deal all about that hot-shot Mr. Slick (Robert Taylor) has to negotiate? Why did it all apart? The answer is thanks to the shoddy writing by all concerned.

This is a first class stinker with veteran Mary Aster going way over the top in her one big acting scene.

Burl Ives was probably preparing for a less subdued Fat Daddy in '58's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Mixing business with pleasure really never worked in films and this one is no exception. How Ives' niece, engaged to marry Taylor, can say that she really didn't want to marry him after he finds love in a whirlwind romance is beyond comprehension.

The picture is choppy at best. Charles Coburn sits there like a mannequin throughout the film before he finally opens up his mouth near the very end. Coburn would have been better in the Burl Ives part.

Whatever happened to Elizabeth Mueller? The woman had some potential, but not for this film.

A Superior Film of Ideas From MGM; a Very Capable Drama

[silverscreen888 · 8/10 · 20 June 2005]

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.

power/prize

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 6 February 2022]

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.

Great Cast of Veteran Star Actors

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 2 September 2005]

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.

Dynamic Interplay of Characters

[robertlynch-81023 · 8/10 · 22 January 2022]

While there are some flaws in this movie, it has held up well over the years.

The plot inter-weaves a love story with a morality allegory -- no easy task. This movie does a credible job at both.

Miriam Linka, played by Elisabeth Mueller, is convincing and charming as she evolves from a frightened but strong concentration camp refugee torn between anger, hate, and disillusionment with an inner desire to love and be loved, while at the same time striving to maintain an inner idealism.

I suspect there were significant cuts in the story line between Mueller & Taylor that makes some of the scenes a bit jittery as Mueller moves from anger, bitterness, and hostility emerging from baseless prejudices to an almost adolescent romanticism. Maybe a bit over the top, but that's also a fallibility of the directing and screen writing. Still, her performance, in a difficult role, is laudable.

Sadly, Hollywood didn't call upon Mueller's charming and energetic talents after this movie.

Does this movie meet some important criteria for success?

It has aged well. It is reasonably well-written. It has credible characters that we can love or hate (or both simultaneously). The casting is well orchestrated. There is a dynamic tension between conflicting characters. There are no dull moments -- the story doesn't drag. There are sufficient plot twists to keep the viewer curious for the denouement. There are several very memorable lines worth quoting. It's worth seeing twice to capture its nuances.

small plot summary

[starsofheaven-dow · 10/10 · 28 June 2013]

An executive goes to Europe to "buy" rights to a company. Forcing the company to sell low is the goal. While in Europe this enterprising chap looks in on a employment agency own by his company, several times removed, rumored to have a prostitution ring. The orders are to close it down if rumors are true. He meets the young lady who works there and finds out the rumors where only half true. no not organized ring but some of the women working out of agency did when the work was slow and they felt it was the only way to eat.

the power to control companies but helpless to help people because it takes so much time and effort to keep control. The lady at the agency didn't like that people gave money to ease their minds. Throw money at the problem ease my mind and hope it goes away. Never really solving the issue that created the problem in the first place.

The lady wanting to improve the lives of her fellow man. The executive will he get away from two plus two equals four long enough to realize companies are people not just numbers. thank you all for your time

Nate Dow

Corporate melodrama about a society of power

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 3 April 2024]

"I am a creature of power. I pursue it totally, and I obey it totally. You pursue it partially, and so you fail." Says Burl Ives' corporate titan to his underling Robert Taylor, whom he's been grooming for the top spot upon his retirement...but now, he is going to demand a resignation, since he feels Taylor has besmirched the name of Amalgamated World Metals. The film is full of standoffs and surprising reversals not too different from MGM's previous corporate melodrama EXECUTIVE SUITE.

The film moves slowly, methodically, towards an inevitable showdown between Ives and Taylor. We find out in the beginning that Ives has long taken pride in nurturing Taylor along in business, but when he sends Taylor to London to finalize a deal with another metals company owned by Cedric Hardwicke, he is disappointed that Taylor is not as ruthless as he expects him to be. In fact, Taylor softens considerably when he's in London, falling in love with a European refugee (Swiss actress Elisabeth Mueller making her Hollywood debut).

Not only is Ives irate about the bungled merger, he's also upset that Taylor won't be able to marry another woman whom Ives handpicked for him. Yes, Ives' character has a god complex in the worst way. Any other method actor would have had trouble reigning in the scenery chewing, but Ives to his credit, manages to be both larger than life and adversarial, as well as subdued when necessary.

Helping to balance out the scenes between Taylor & Ives are several notable supporting players. We have Hardwicke, of course, who provides some integrity in the negotiations...as well as some key domestic moments with Mary Astor as Ives' wife. Also, Charles Coburn is on hand as a board member with sway. We're never told much about the background of Coburn's character, how he made his money, what his exact connection is with Ives. But he is an important presence. He spends much of the film looking on, until he must take decisive action for the good of the company.

The film's director, Henry Koster, does a good job eliciting strong performances from the entire cast, including Taylor who is better than usual. In some ways, the cast has its work cut out for itself, since the studio decided to photograph this one in CinemaScope, which means there is a lack of intimacy, as the emphasis is on spatial compositions stretched across a wide screen. There is a lack of much-needed close-ups which would have made the story resonate more, especially the scenes where Taylor and Muller first meet and fall in love.

Interestingly, there is plenty of political discussion woven into the story. Mainly because Mueller's character is a foreigner during the cold war, and in xenophobic U. S. A., she is automatically suspected of being a communist.

Taylor is afraid to have Mueller investigated, so that task falls to Coburn. But Taylor must be willing to confront the truth, whatever it may be, if he is to hold on to any power of his own. Of course, we know Mueller is innocent, and her reputation is being trashed by Taylor's business enemies. A good deal of the plot has been set up to lead us into a boardroom meeting where Taylor will ultimately triumph in matters of industry and in matters of the heart.