Patterns (1956)

Ramsey & Co., a Manhattan industrial empire headed by the ruthless Walter Ramsey. He brings youthful industrial engineer Fred Staples, whose performance at a company Ramsey has recently acquired has impressed him, to do a top executive job at the head office. Ramsey is grooming Staples to replace the aging Bill Briggs as the second in command at the company.

Briggs has been with the firm for decades, having worked for and admired the company's founder, Ramsey's father. His concern for the employees clashes repeatedly with Ramsey's ruthless methods. Ramsey will not fire Briggs outright but does everything in his power to sabotage and humiliate his subordinate into resigning. The old man stubbornly refuses to give in. Staples has mixed feelings about the messy situation, his ambition conflicting with his sympathy for Briggs.

The stress gets to Briggs, who collapses after a confrontation with Ramsey and later dies. This causes a heated showdown between Ramsey and Staples, in which Staples announces he is quitting and Ramsey says that only high performers have any right to leading posts. In the end, Ramsey persuades him to stay, telling him that he is the only one who can function at Briggs's level and that he would not be able to reach his full potential anywhere else. Staples accepts a promotion with double his salary and stock options but warns Ramsey that he will actively work to replace him in the company. Staples also tells Ramsey of Briggs' "one pitiful little dream" of someday walking in and breaking Ramsey's jaw. He now reserves that dream for himself. Ramsey says he'll have it written into the contract agreement and will attach a special rider giving him the same privilege. Ramsey notes that Briggs' son will be "taken care of" and Staples asks if that will let him sleep better tonight. Ramsey smiles and says, "It begins."

Cast

Van Heflin as Fred Staples
Everett Sloane as Walter Ramsey
Ed Begley as William Briggs
Beatrice Straight as Nancy Staples, Fred's wife
Elizabeth Wilson as Marge Fleming, Briggs' loyal secretary, who is reassigned to Staples
Joanna Roos as Miss Margaret Lanier, Ramsey's secretary
Valerie Cossart as Miss Stevens
Eleni Kiamos as Sylvia Trammel
Ronnie Welsh as Paul Briggs, William's teenage son
Shirley Standlee as Miss Hill
Andrew Duggan as Mr. Jameson
Jack Livesey as Mr. Vanderventer
John Seymour as Mr. Gordon
James Kelly as Mr. Latham
John Shelly as Mr. Grannigan

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