"When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice-presidents vie to see who will replace him."
William Holden
as McDonald Walling
June Allyson
as Mary Blemond Walling
Barbara Stanwyck
as Julia O. Tredway
Fredric March
as Loren Phineas Shaw
Walter Pidgeon
as Frederick Y. Alderson
Shelley Winters
as Eva Bardeman
Paul Douglas
as Josiah Walter Dudley
Louis Calhern
as George Nyle Caswell
Dean Jagger
as Jesse Q. Grimm
Nina Foch
as Erica Martin
Tim Considine
as Mike Walling
William Phipps
as Bill Lundeen
Lucy Knoch
as Mrs. George Nyle Caswell
Edgar Stehli
as Julius Steigel
Mary Adams
as Sara Asenath Grimm
Virginia Brissac
as Edith Alderson
Harry Shannon
as Ed Benedeck
Maidie Norman
as Housekeeper (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman
as Avery Bullard (uncredited)
Leon Alton
as Bartender (uncredited)
Walter Bacon
as Worker (uncredited)
John Banner
as Henri - Stork Club Maître D' (uncredited)
Margaret Bert
as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth
as Guest (uncredited)
Hugh Boswell
Willis Bouchey
as Detective (uncredited)
Helen Brown
as Miss Clark (uncredited)
Paul Bryar
as Stork Club Waiter (uncredited)
Hamilton Camp
as Mailroom Boy (uncredited)
Robert Carson
as Lee Ormand (uncredited)
Phil Chambers
as Toll Booth Attendant (uncredited)
Gene Coogan
as Secondary Role (uncredited)
Jonathan Cott
as Officer Canady (uncredited)
Lucille Curtis
as Maid (uncredited)
Bert Davidson
as Salesman (uncredited)
George DeNormand
as Newspaper Worker (uncredited)
Helen Dickson
Abe Dinovitch
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
John Doucette
Mimi Doyle
as Stork Club Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Darren Dublin
Virginia Eiler
as Western Union Operator (uncredited)
Roy Engel
as Jimmy Farrell (uncredited)
Tom Ferrandini
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
as Woman at Bar (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
as Little League Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Faith Geer
as Stork Club Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant
Robert Haines
as Businessman (uncredited)
John Hedloe
as Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson
as Nurse (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
as Sidewalk Passerby (uncredited)
Chet Huntley
as Narrator / Voice of Tredway (voice) (uncredited)
Mike Lally
as Spectator at Game (uncredited)
Richard LaMarr
Richard Landry
Leota Lorraine
as Businesswoman (uncredited)
Kay Mansfield
as Alderson's Secretary (uncredited)
Harry Mayo
as Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
May McAvoy
Tom McDonough
as Factory Worker (uncredited)
John McKee
as Umpire (uncredited)
David McMahon
Esther Michelson
as Candy Store Lady (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery
Matt Moore
as Servant (uncredited)
Burt Mustin
as Sam Teal (uncredited)
Kasia Orzazewski
as Liz (uncredited)
Dan Riss
as City Editor (uncredited)
Carl Saxe
Jeffrey Sayre
Gus Schilling
as Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
Jerry Sheldon
George Sherwood
Bert Stevens
Arthur Tovey
as Laboratory Worker (uncredited)
Ann Tyrrell
as Miss Nordley (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon
Charles Wagenheim
as Luigi Cassoni (uncredited)
Wilson Wood
as Airport Clerk (uncredited)
Robert Wise
Director
Ernest Lehman
Screenplay
Cameron Hawley
Novel
Edward C. Carfagno
Art Direction
George J. Folsey
Director of Photography
Ralph E. Winters
Editor
George Rhein
Assistant Director
Mentor Huebner
Production Illustrator
Cedric Gibbons
Helen Rose
Costume Designer
John Houseman
Producer
Jud Kinberg
Associate Producer
A. Arnold Gillespie
Special Effects
Sydney Guilaroff
Hairstylist
Conrad Kahn
Sound
Al Shenberg
Unit Manager
Emile Kuri
Set Decoration
Warren Newcombe
Edwin B. Willis
Douglas Shearer
Recording Supervision
William Tuttle
Makeup Artist
John Truwe