Cash McCall (1960)

The owner (Dean Jagger) of a plastics company decides to sell his business to a corporate raider (James Garner, who passed away this week) for two million dollars. But he doesn't tell the buyer of the possible loss of the company's biggest customer. Meanwhile the buyer has plans of his own to turn a profit with the company while romancing the owner's daughter (Natalie Wood). Based upon the novel by Cameron Hawley whose first book EXECUTIVE SUITE was turned into a successful motion picture at MGM. Although both books and films deal with the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing in the corporate business world, CASH MCCALL is more of a lightweight. It's central love story is unconvincing, possibly because Garner and Wood transmit no heat and the film's portrayal of the machinations of buying and selling are often confusing to the layman. Some of the supporting performances are good especially Henry Jones as Garner's somewhat befuddled right hand man and Nina Foch as a conniving man trap. Directed by Joseph Pevney (MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES). With E.G. Marshall, Otto Kruger, Linda Watkins, Parley Baer and Edward Platt.