Patterns (sometimes referred to as Patterns of Power) is a 1956 American "boardroom drama" film directed by Fielder Cook, and starring Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight, and Elizabeth Wilson. The screenplay was adapted by Rod Serling from his 1955 teleplay of the same name, which was originally broadcast January 12, 1955, on the Kraft Television Theatre with several of the same actors (including Sloane, Begley, and Wilson), though Richard Kiley, who had played the lead role of Fred Staples in the TV version, was replaced by Heflin for the film. Wilson's performance in the 1956 theatrical release earned her a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film.

Added Schwartz:

:"It's a forceful melodrama, that takes the viewer into the pits of a big corporation's board room politics, backstabbing, and the tough way of doing business. Things have changed since the 1950s which make some things outdated, but the film still has its finger on the savage nature of the business world. Even when a company is not as corrupt as an Enron, people are still perceived as secondary to making a profit no matter what."

See also

  • List of American films of 1956

References

  • Patterns at AllMovie
  • Patterns at the TCM Movie Database
  • Patterns plot summary at Classic Film Guide