Changes

== Plot summary ==

== Plot summary ==

Avery Bullard, President of Tredway Corporation, bids farewell to his investment banker in [[New York City]], sends a telegram to his headquarters in Millburgh, [[Pennsylvania]] calling a meeting of his executive committee, steps out onto [[Wall Street]] to hail a [[taxi]]--and then suffers a [[stroke]] and dies. From the investment banker's office, one of Tredway's directors witnesses the death and orders a massive short sale of the company's stock. In Millburgh, when the story breaks, five Vice Presidents--each of whom has his own particular ambitions and struggles--begin vying for the succession. To make matters worse, the remaining member of the board of directors--Julia O. Tredway, daughter of the late founder and companion to the now-deceased Mr. Bullard--contemplates a full liquidation of her company stake.

Avery Bullard, President of Tredway Corporation, bids farewell to his investment banker in [[New York City]], sends a telegram to his headquarters in Millburgh, [[Pennsylvania]] calling a meeting of his executive committee, steps out onto [[Wall Street]] to hail a [[taxicab|taxi]]—and then suffers a [[stroke]] and dies. From the investment banker's office, one of Tredway's directors witnesses the death and orders a massive short sale of the company's stock. In Millburgh, when the story breaks, five Vice Presidents--each of whom has his own particular ambitions and struggles--begin vying for the succession. To make matters worse, the remaining member of the board of directors--Julia O. Tredway, daughter of the late founder and companion to the now-deceased Mr. Bullard--contemplates a full liquidation of her company stake.

== Cast of characters ==

== Cast of characters ==

Don Walling came to Tredway as Bullard's chief designer—but lately Bullard has grown distant from him and has not supported him as promised against the penny-pinching policies of Loren Shaw, the company controller. Bullard's death leaves open the questions of succession, the company's future, and Don's own future with Tredway.

Don Walling came to Tredway as Bullard's chief designer—but lately Bullard has grown distant from him and has not supported him as promised against the penny-pinching policies of Loren Shaw, the company controller. Bullard's death leaves open the questions of succession, the company's future, and Don's own future with Tredway.

Julia Tredway's father committed suicide during the Depression when Tredway faced bankruptcy. Avery Bullard stepped in, saved the company, romanced Julia--and then ignored her. Now that he's dead, Julia has lost interest in the company and even contemplates following her father out of his old office window.

Julia Tredway's father committed suicide during the Depression when Tredway faced bankruptcy. Avery Bullard stepped in, saved the company, romanced Julia—and then ignored her. Now that he's dead, Julia has lost interest in the company and even contemplates following her father out of his old office window.

Fred Alderson has stayed close to Bullard for fifteen years, but only lately realizes that Bullard did not prefer him for the presidency. With Bullard dead, Alderson, a nearly broken man, scrambles to find a successor whom he can support—any successor but Shaw.

Fred Alderson has stayed close to Bullard for fifteen years, but only lately realizes that Bullard did not prefer him for the presidency. With Bullard dead, Alderson, a nearly broken man, scrambles to find a successor whom he can support—any successor but Shaw.

Loren P. Shaw, CPA (a certification he earned in night school), came to Tredway with the aid of George Caswell. He has worked himself up mostly by intrigue and personal spying. He knows ''everyone'''s secrets and weaknesses, and can play people as though they were musical instruments--except for Don Walling, whom he regards as no threat because he is "too young" for that.

Loren P. Shaw, CPA (a certification he earned in night school), came to Tredway with the aid of George Caswell. He has worked himself up mostly by intrigue and personal spying. He knows ''everyone'''s secrets and weaknesses, and can play people as though they were musical instruments—except for Don Walling, whom he regards as no threat because he is "too young" for that.

J. Walter Dudley has a wife who is bored with waiting at home, and seeks solace in the arms of his secretary. More than that, he has never fought a real battle in his life. This makes him more vulnerable to a gossip-spy like Shaw than anyone else at Tredway.

J. Walter Dudley has a wife who is bored with waiting at home, and seeks solace in the arms of his secretary. More than that, he has never fought a real battle in his life. This makes him more vulnerable to a gossip-spy like Shaw than anyone else at Tredway.

Jesse O. Grimm built the company's manufacturing base, and resents young "slide-rule experts" like Don Walling. Neither has he much use for Shaw--but he wants nothing more than to retire, and has lost interest in the company that had been his love.

Jesse O. Grimm built the company's manufacturing base, and resents young "slide-rule experts" like Don Walling. Neither has he much use for Shaw--but he wants nothing more than to retire, and has lost interest in the company that had been his love.

George Caswell is a high-liver always looking for "easy money." He makes an "insider trade" the like of which would get a man arrested today, and even in the era in which this story took place, the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] would take a dim view of his activities--a fact Shaw knows and keeps track of. Caswell crassly plays on his voting power to extort from Shaw a promise to sell him some company stock cheap so that he can cover a short sale that would otherwise spell disaster for him.

George Caswell is a high-liver always looking for "easy money." He makes an "insider trade" the like of which would get a man arrested today, and even in the era in which this story took place, the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] would take a dim view of his activities—a fact Shaw knows and keeps track of. Caswell crassly plays on his voting power to extort from Shaw a promise to sell him some company stock cheap so that he can cover a short sale that would otherwise spell disaster for him.

== Themes ==

== Themes ==

Another thing this film illustrates well is the consequences of hero worship. Avery Bullard is a hero, as the back-story shows: he saved the company from almost certain bankruptcy and dissolution after its founder committed suicide. In death he becomes an idol to many of the associates he leaves behind.

Another thing this film illustrates well is the consequences of hero worship. Avery Bullard is a hero, as the back-story shows: he saved the company from almost certain bankruptcy and dissolution after its founder committed suicide. In death he becomes an idol to many of the associates he leaves behind.

Some of those people--Don Walling, for example--must overcome their idol worship and reassess what Avery Bullard actually meant to them, if they expect to achieve their goals. That reassessment will include the realization that even their hero made mistakes--and those mistakes did not limit themselves to his expressed or implied preferences for a successor.

Some of those people—Don Walling, for example—must overcome their idol worship and reassess what Avery Bullard actually meant to them, if they expect to achieve their goals. That reassessment will include the realization that even their hero made mistakes--and those mistakes did not limit themselves to his expressed or implied preferences for a successor.

 

More than one reviewer has taken note that Don Walling is the only executive ''not'' campaigning actively for the presidency, and also the only executive who honestly has the best interests of his company and community at heart. Thus Don Walling represents a common type of the Golden Age of Hollywood: the reluctant hero/leader. In the end, he pursues a campaign for the presidency only because, in the hands of any other successor (but more particularly in the hands of the stingy Shaw or the cowardly Dudley), the company might crash and take the town with it, a thing that he cannot allow to happen.

== Background and Production ==

== Background and Production ==