Patterns – Review

Busy New York City streets bustle with citizens as the busy Ramsey & Company is at work in a large skyscraper. Miss Margaret Lanier (Roos) heads to the 40^th floor executive level, as she is secretary to one Mr. Walter Ramsey (Sloane) himself. Today is Fred Staples’ (Helfin) first day of work here. He joins other top company execs like Bill Briggs (Begley) and Harvey Jameson (Duggan).

Staples is awed by the large building and the city hustle, which is much more than Mansfield, Ohio, his home town. He zips up to the 40^th via the tower elevator, and gets a quick tour by miss Lanier. His lavish office is extravagant, and much more than he is used to, and he even gets his own seasoned secretary, Marge Flemming (Wilson). She is a bit perturbed however, as she worked with Mr. Briggs for seven years, and he is a good man.

Fred himself was head of a company with Ramsey & Co bought and took over, so he was bumped up to this exec level. After his office introduction, it is time for a meeting. They talk over stock purchases and equipment maintenance.

Things quickly turn contentious as Mr. Briggs worries about 900 men in a small town, as Mr. Ramsey wants to close the plant for six months. Briggs is upset about cutting payroll, but he is berated by Ramsey who gives no shits as it will generate half a million in cost savings. He figures they can reinvest it back into the company, and even double the amount of workers eventually while producing even more goods.

Staples is unsure about the entire situation that has been introduced, but eventually he finds his groove at the office. There are deals to be made, and plants that need adjustments. Eventually, Ramsey’s plan for Fred gets clearer. Will Staples accept the steps ahead of him, or will his conscious get in the way?

Patterns is a very interesting look at business in the 1950s, and mirrors executive board problems that are still prevalent today. In a cutthroat world of money and profit margins, people typically fall along the wayside and there is no room for ethics. This film is well written and acted, with a short runtime that covers plenty of business dilemmas. While it is dialogue driven, it is never boring and gives a lot to think about. The more things change, the more they stay the same.