Cash McCall (1960)

Cameron Hawley's novel about the politics inherent in corporate boardrooms became the essential business drama Executive Suite (1954). With that film's Oscar nominated cinematographer (George J. Folsey) and supporting actress (Nina Foch) as well as Dean Jagger and character actor Edgar Stehli, this one was made into a comedy featuring James Garner (in the title role) and Natalie Wood. It was adapted by Lenore J. Coffee and Marion Hargrove, and directed by Joseph Pevney.The story has enough misdirection (and at least one dead end) in it to keep it interesting, even if (at times) it gets somewhat confusing, but Garner's charm and Wood's natural beauty makes it eminently watchable.The cast also includes E.G. Marshall, Henry Jones, Otto Kruger, Roland Winters and Edward Platt as key players in the various dealings by McCall, an elusive character whose reputation is not unlike Wall Street (1987)'s Gordon Gekko.McCall wants to buy Grant Austen's (Jagger) plastics company, in part because Austen's daughter is Lory (Wood), a woman with whom he has an unrequited past. Jones (whose boss is Platt) plays McCall's associate, Marshall his lawyer and Kruger his banker. Winters and Foch (her boss is Stehli) are the foe and foil that add conflict to the initially smooth transaction and romance.

The characters are interesting and the insight into big business is as current now as then (except for salaries) I would give it two thumbs up. The movie includes bits of spice from jealousy and envy to seduction and romance. It has all the makings of a good family movie as well as strong personalities, with James Garner and Natalie Wood giving the movie much grace and charm. I am very anxious for this movie to come out as an authorized DVD that I can purchase. I have an old copy on VHS, but we have watched it so many times that it is wearing out. This movie would appeal to both men and women as it has such an active business side as well as a romance side, so it would make a great date movie and does not include any violence.

Natalie Wood drives a beautiful white, 1959 Mercury convertible with the top down and at the end of the movie, she and James Garner drive off in a more beautiful, white 1959 Lincoln Continental also with the top down. As a vintage car collector, I love spotting those beauties in those old films. Hollywood always used convertibles when they could so the actors could be seen on camera much easier without obstructions. Hollywood was also very hard on automobiles over the last 100 years. The director would say, "Ok, when we cut to the chase, I want to run the Duesenburg SJ Roadster off the cliff at the end of the scene. Don't worry, I've allotted for it in the budget." Katharine Hepburn once said, "Getting old is like driving an Edsel with a flat tire."

In many respects this looks like a 1980s film that has been moved through a hole in the time/space continuum into 1959. From a cynical 1990s perspective, much of it is probably a touch too sweet, especially the romance, but the way high-flying business is portrayed was way ahead of its time. It is very much as we would find it in mid-1980s films such as Wall Street or Other People's Money. In case some of the dialogue/monologue sounds familiar: Pretty Woman seems to have "borrowed" significant chunks.