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Movies about the Ad Biz
Sorry for not posting this in advance. My only excuse is I was away on business.
This week is the 50th Anniversary of the CLIO awards, the Oscars of all forms of advertising. This year the ceremony was held in Las Vegas. Good old TCM used this occasion to run several of the many feature films all about the ad biz. They ran them in order of release date, so we started with network radio and progressed to TV as it became more sophisticated. Some of these movies are hard to find except on TCM. Because of my high interest in the ad game I had recorded them from TCM previously. To me they all resonate as well today as when I first saw them in their original releases in theaters.
THE HUCKSTERS from 1947 is all about returning war hero played by Clark Gable who wants to return to an even better executive position in an ad agency. In those days it was the agencies that produced radio series. But first, to prove he still has it, he must sign the beautiful society war widow played by Deborah Kerr (in her first USA film) to endorse a brand of soap owned by a lout played by Sydney Greenstreet. It has long been felt that lout is based on the long time head of American Tobacco, familiar to MM fans. However, the rude act is commonly believed to have been done by an early head of Pepsi Cola.
CALLOWAY WENT THATAWAY from 1951 is about a tiny ad shop that bought the rights to a series of obscure Westerns and put them on early TV, despite the fact the cowboy star had dropped from sight. Fred McMurray and Dorothy McGuire own the agency. Howard Keel plays "Smoky Callaway". Jesse White (the Maytag Man) plays his former agent. Stan Freberg, not long out of high school, plays the agency office boy. Natalie Schafer, long before she was "Lovey Howell" on Gilligan's Island, plays the wife of the sponsor.
IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER from 1955 is about a slightly more sophisticated TV industry. It stars Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse as a TV executive.
A FACE IN THE CROWD from 1957 is an especial favorite of mine because it shows Patricia Neal as a lovely, lonely and sympathetic woman. While a reporter for her father's tiny radio station she discovers Andy Griffith, a jailed tramp who happens to sing and tell jokes. This was Griffith's feature debut. As his character becomes an increasing success on TV, he starts to believe his hype. Perhaps the author and director of this film were thinking of other people infamous in that time. Shall we say this situation still exists!
MM had Jimmy Barratt. Very similar.
Yes! A Face in the Crowd shows a very different side to the aw shucks Andy Taylor character - one mean sumb#tch, an early film sociopath.
Another film, not specific to advertising but one that nicely shows business in the late 50s, is a film called Executive Suite with William Holden, Barbara Stanwyck and others. Backstabbing, maneuvering for position (the company president has dropped dead late on a Friday), stock manipulation - it's got it all.
Several months ago we had an extensive discussion of EXECUTIVE SUITE from 1954. I agree that is a fascinating example of big business gone wrong. June Allyson played the loyal wife of Holden. Nina Foch played the dedicated secretary, as effective as Joan Holloway but without the sexy clothing.
I agree EXECUTIVE SUITE is a marvelous movie, but I admit being a huge fan of Barbara Stanwyck. Here she had not aged all that much from her early films such as THE LOCKED DOOR and BABYFACE. Sure, in DOUBLE INDEMNITY Stanwyck and Fred McMurray conspire to murder her husband. A few years earlier they star in REMEMBER THE NIGHT with a script by Preston Sturges. She was an experienced shoplifter, but decent in some ways. She had chemistry with McMurray. You can also see here the first draft of lines that Sturges used to even better effect in THE LADY EVE in which he also directed Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. Some of us consider that the best of the Sturges 1940s comedies.
Wow, what movies....love all those you mentioned....and caught all during your mentioned TCM's "marathon" in the last week.
I had seen both Executive Suite & A Face In The Crowd many times, and generally watch them whenever they are on, but never Callaway Went Thataway or The Hucksters ever before....enjoyed both immensely.
Wonderful movies every one.
Another Ad business movie I have always loved is "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. Cary is fantastic as an ad man trying to come up with a slogan for a Spam-type canned meat product all the while building his dream house in the country. Melvyn Douglas is also excellent as his best friend/former rival for Myrna's affections. In addition to your above mentioned movies, C Carroll, I highly recommend this one to any Cary Grant or "ad movie" fan. Also the interplay between Cary and his two daughters is hilarious. He is an actor who is very good at "saying it all" with only expressions.
Two later comedies that really skewer the ad business are "The Thrill of It All" with Doris Day and James Garner and "Lover Come Back", with Doris Day (again) and Rock Hudson (the one with "Vip").
Yes, Mambo, you and I may be the main Doris Day fans on the forum...not sure.
She always made her leading men look good, or better. She had that knack, as did Myrna Loy, I think.
This next part is off-topic but what the heck:
I am also a big James Garner fan, who is from Norman, Oklahoma. I was lucky enough to meet him once when I was visiting my Dad at the Norman Veterans Center, where he lived from 2004-2006, and Mr. Garner had a buddy there he would visit regularly. He would eat in the cafeteria, stroll the grounds with his pal, and was always gracious and kind to any fans he'd encounter....posed for pics, signed autographs, etc. smiling away and chatting. Tall and charismatic, just like on the "big screen" and in "Maverick" on TV, even in his later years. There happens to now be a statue of him as Maverick, dedicated a few years ago in Norman.
I remember once we were fishing at the gazebo/dock at the pond there and he was discussing at length the right bait to use for different kinds of fish and swapping fish stories with all the guys. If you hadn't known who he was, you'd have thought he was just one of the guys.
A great guy....
Off topic again....but this is it, I promise....
Just went over to imdb.com and looked at the pics they have there of him, there's one with him in a white dinner jacket that could truly give Don Draper a run for it, let me tell you. What a handsome dude.
I always love it when "stars" turn out to be personable and appreciative of their luck. That's a bit of the reason I am such a huge Jon Hamm fan --he doesn't have the big head....yet....
Don't forget NORTH BY NORTHWEST-Cary Grant or Archibald Leach if you prefer-surely an influence on MM-wasn't he a DD type based down Madison Ave?? Help me out folks....
ps, SC, I like that Garner chappie myself-esp in 'The Great Escape' when he becomes a sort of honourary Brit.
I love James Garner, too; don't forget about him in "Rockford". It's started coming on some digital network called Retro TV that shows nothing but old tv shows. "The Thrill of It All" is one of my favorite movies; I've seen it a dozen times.
Another good movie that's sort of about advertising is "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957). Tony Curtis is a publicist for Broadway types and Burt Lancaster is a national columnist. Everybody is rotten to the core and it's great, just like MM.
Interesting; I just looked up "Sweet Smell of Success" and one of the writers is Ernest Lehman, who also wrote "North by Northwest". And, yes, English Paul, Cary Grant was an avertising exec in that.
Yessiree, EP...there's a good reason that Archie Leach and Bernie Schwartz (Tony Curtis) changed their names, isn't there???? ha
Yes, Mambo...my Dad loved "Rockford" and anything else JG was in ... when he met JG for the first time at The Norman Vets Center, he mentioned how much he enjoyed The Rockford Files -- and he got a big kick out of hearing that. You'd have thought it was the first time anyone had ever mentioned it to him.
He is just a genuine kind of guy.
There's a neat clip on YouTube of him on What's My Line (fellow Oklahoman, Tony Randall was on the panel that night) that really shows his great personality....Arlene Francis was just gushing -- and flirting away with him!
It's worth checking out.
Big hit here in the '70s. Jim Rockford-didn't he live in a caravan with his Dad?? Smashing theme tune... I'm humming it now.
I believe the term over here is "mobile home" or "trailer" EP, but, don't you all in Britain refer to those as "caravans"? Feel free to correct me at any time without hesitation....
And, yes, I do believe he did live in one of those. He was all business and no fluff, that fella was!
I enjoyed Noah Beery as his dad....always thought they looked a lot alike to not be related in reality.
LOL...funny the different terms/spellings for things in our two countries, isn't it?....another source of fascination with your country for me, I must say! I also like your use of "u"s in many words that we use only "o" in....such as "colours" and "colors" -- I like the "look" of it.
Your'e right as usual SC, my mistake, we use the word 'caravan' not mobile home or trailer.
I was in Boston a few years back (Boston Mass.- not Boston in Lincolnshire!) and people there were amused and amazed the way my son pronounced the word 'Monkey'. He pronounces it 'Munkey' which is very North of England-think the way Paul McCartney or John Lennon would have said it.
Strange, I know, because people in England (Old England, by the way!) are incredibly diverse themselves in their speech and dialects-in many ways far more than the USA. I can almost gurantee that I can travel across the whole of your country and perfectly understand most accents. I travel around my own country and can hardly understand Kent or Cornish accents. I'm sure people from those areas struggle with Liverpool, Nottingham or Newcastle accents.
Please don't feel "corrected" about the words "mobile home" and "trailer" for your word "caravan", EP... I was just guessin', I get lucky in my guesses now and again....ha
I think maybe our word "van" is derived from that word...don't know for sure, though.
BTW, never know if British folks prefer to be called "Brits" or "English" or "British" -- or if you prefer your country be referred to as "Britain", "Great Britain" or just "England".... any sound harmonious to me!
Probably like us, you'll answer to any....as in "United States", "United States of America", "USA", or just "America" or "U.S.A.".
...just don't call us "The Colonies" !!
LOL
I guess Great Britain contains Wales and Scotland in addition, right? shoulda known....heeee
as Gilda Radner would say...."Never mind!"
Cheerio English Paul. Do they still say that in your country? Thanks for the info Carrol Ad. I have never seen Calloway and only saw the Hucksters years ago. SCfan I liked your story about James G. I would love to listen to his story telling. That's what I miss about my Dad. He was so good and shooting the "Shi___) Half of it was probably made up but still entertaining.
Glad you liked the James G. stuff, Chelsea....and how is your Mom? Better, I hope.
Yes, it was really fun listening to all those guys shoot the breeze when I'd visit Dad...I even remember once James G. seeing a vet trying to get out the "automatic" door in the rec room (pool tables, juke box with all the great "old classic" music, poker tables, all kinds of fun stuff in there!) and rushing over to help him maneuver his wheel chair outside (sometimes the doors would get stuck in the stong wind)....and then asking if he'd like a push...to which the man said, "You know, Jim, I think I WOULD!" .... so he pushed him around the park area all over the "trails" and up to the fishing dock/gazebo and back...then sat talking with him on the patio awhile...he was one charismatic, just flat-out "nice guy".... always loved his acting, but it was so great to find out he was such a winner "in real life" too. He's the only "star" I have ever met, but, can't imagine a better one to be able to say I have.
SC, Like yourselves we have lots of odd names for our nation-most unprintable! Try, The UK, Britain, Great Britain, England (plus Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland) Albion, Blighty etc etc. Cheerio Chelsea!