Patterns (1956)

The manager (Van Heflin) of a large factory is recruited by the head (Everett Sloane) of a major Manhattan industrial empire as a junior executive. He and his wife (Beatrice Straight) are excited about the move to New York and the path his career is headed. But it isn't long before the cutthroat office politics have him questioning if he's the right man for the job. The 1950s are considered the "Golden Age" of television and the quality of dramatic work was extraordinary. Many TV dramas became films including MARTY, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT and THE CATERED AFFAIR among them. PATTERNS was written by Rod Serling and first introduced in 1955's KRAFT TELEVISION THEATER. With some minor changes, Serling adapted his teleplay for the screen and Fielder Cook repeated directorial duties. It remains a strong and solid look at integrity in the corporate world without the later cynicism of movies like WALL STREET. Serling's end shows that even righteousness has its price and we'll never know if it stands its course or will collapse in corruption. With Ed Begley, Elizabeth Wilson, Andrew Duggan and Ronnie Welsh.