You take me on as someone who hates you down to the raw nerve!”
Although Rod Serling is best known for TV’s “Twilight Zone”, he is also remembered for writing “Requiem for a Heavyweight”. A lesser known, but equally important work was “Patterns”.
“Patterns” tells the story of an Ohio engineer, Fred Staples (Van Heflin) being
hired by a large New York conglomerate, not knowing he is being groomed by the despotic corporate boss, Walter Ramsey (Everett Sloane) to take over the No. 2 man, Bill Briggs(Ed Begley)’s job in the corporation. Briggs has worked for the company for many years, remembering and admiring the founder (Ramsey’s father) and the way he cared about the employees, unlike the son who is ruthless , dictatorial, and cares only about the bottom line. Briggs despises Ramsey and Ramsey goes out of his way to viciously abuse and belittle him in an almost transparent effort to get Briggs to resign. Fred Staples finds himself in the uncomfortable position of wanting the high-powered position but hating the poisonous corporate politics. Staples likes Briggs and is astonished at the vitriolic attacks on Briggs by Ramsey, wondering why he doesn’t simply resign and collect his pension. But Briggs won’t give Ramsey the satifaction.
The acting is superlative all around , but special mention must go to Everett Sloane’s mesmerizing portrayal of the tyrannical corporate boss Walter Ramsey. His boardroom tirades are electrifying to watch. Van Heflin’s characterization of the decent Fred Staples is equally as effective. The confrontation between Staples and Ramsey at the end of the film is worth the price of admission alone! Sample dialogue: “You take me on as someone who hates you down to the raw nerve!”