Man of Conflict

Ray (John Agar) has been off to college for several years and has finally returned to his home town. His finding a job is not going to be a problem, as his father, J.R. Compton (Edward Arnold) owns the huge factory that employs most everyone in town. However, Ray does not want an executive position...he wants to be trained as a machinist and work his way up in the company in order to learn what he's one day expected to run himself. While his father isn't thrilled by the idea, he agrees. Ray tells no one who he is and grows to love his job. Unfortunately, when folks do learn who he is, there is lots of resentment...as J.R. is a hated despot. J.R.'s way of running the company is making his employees fear him...and Ray plans on undoing as much as he can of this and building good will with the employees. As a result, the father and son come into conflict with each other and something has to give...though J.R. is a very hard and inflexible man.

It's funny to watch this film and think that John Agar has the reputation as one of the worst actors in film history. While it's true he acted in a lot of garbage in the 1950s and 60s (particularly the worst sci-fi/horror films of the age), he is just fine in this picture. I think Agar believed he was a terrible actor and agreed to be in terrible films...or, perhaps all he got offered. But he's quite good here.

My only problem with this film is that the resolution came much quicker and easier than it should have been. Otherwise, I enjoyed the plot and found the film refreshingly different and well acted.

John Agar has graduated college and returned home to his father's well-maintained factory town. Reversing the usual order, it is his father, Edward Arnold, who wants him to start taking over immediately and Agar who thinks he needs to learn the business from the ground up. So he apprentices as a lathe operator. Some he's making real progress and falling in love with Dorothy Patrick, the daughter of the man he's apprenticed to. When he fails to put on his goggles and is slightly injured, it's Miss Patrick's father who is fired by the dictatorial Arnold.

This one takes place in either a universe where there are no labor unions or NLRB, or perhaps it's actually a play from 1884, done in modern dress. Although Mr. Arnold appearing in this movie makes it of interest, the well-meaning banalities about the dignity of honest labor seem overdone for 1954.