You get a glittery new promotion into the heights of corporate capitalism, only to discover that your good fortune spells doom for a principled, old-school colleague in the C-suite.
Such is the predicament of Fred Staples (Van Hefflin), fresh in to Manhattan from success in the smaller pond of Ohio. Appalled at the humiliation of sixtyish vice president Bill Briggs (Ed Begley) --"In the old days, things were simpler" -- Staples gives as good as he gets to ruthless company boss Staples (Everett Sloane), setting a stunning example of integrity in the face of expedience and prostration to the bottom line.
The exchanges in this film are fascinating to watch and psychologically astute. The black-and-white production, written by Rod Serling before his "Twilight Zone" franchise, is also intriguing for its strong, astute women, including Beatrice Straight as Staples's wife and Elizabeth Wilson as his secretary.
This is a compelling indictment of the trashing of timeless ethics and morals. Do we care where this will lead?
Such is the predicament of Fred Staples (Van Hefflin), fresh in to Manhattan from success in the smaller pond of Ohio. Appalled at the humiliation of sixtyish vice president Bill Briggs (Ed Begley) --"In the old days, things were simpler" -- Staples gives as good as he gets to ruthless company boss Staples (Everett Sloane), setting a stunning example of integrity in the face of expedience and prostration to the bottom line.
The exchanges in this film are fascinating to watch and psychologically astute. The black-and-white production, written by Rod Serling before his "Twilight Zone" franchise, is also intriguing for its strong, astute women, including Beatrice Straight as Staples's wife and Elizabeth Wilson as his secretary.
This is a compelling indictment of the trashing of timeless ethics and morals. Do we care where this will lead?