PATTERNS: FORGOTTEN SERLING

For most of us the name Rod Serling brings images to mind of him hosting either THE TWILIGHT ZONE or NIGHT GALLERY. He stepped forward at the beginning of each series to introduce us to various tales of mystery and macabre each week. And while those two series will forever be connected to his name Serling also wrote much more that many of us either forgot or weren’t even aware of.

Serling wrote for numerous anthology drama series. He wrote the screenplay for SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, ASSAULT ON A QUEEN and THE PLANET OF THE APES. Surprised yet? He made a name for himself on many of those early dramatic TV series and from those gained enough support to do the shows he was famous for. But what about those early shows or films?

PATTERNS was one such story written by Serling. Done in 1955 for Kraft Television Theater the screenplay (which won him an Emmy) was then adapted for film to play in theaters. It now arrives on blu-ray from The Film Detective, a company determined to offer classic fare on blu-ray given the star treatment for reasonable prices.

The story itself is about Fred Staples (Van Heflin), a businessman from Ohio who has been tapped to work in the home office of New York City by the head of his company Mr. Ramsey (Everett Sloane). Moving into a fully furnished house with his wife Nancy (Beatrice Straight) and then arriving at the headquarters to find a plush office awaiting him it is easy to see Fred being swept up in all that is going on.

But there is something going on behind the scenes as well. Fred’s direct supervisor is Bill Briggs (Ed Begley), the last remaining board member there since the company was founded by Ramsey’s father. In ill health Briggs has just recently returned and anxious to get back to work. He finds a friend in Fred and as his mentor the two work to promote some changes in the company. What neither counted on was the fact that Ramsey brought Fred in not to aid Bill but to replace him.

Bill and Ramsey rarely see eye to eye. Briggs is also a lone voice when it comes to arguing things being considered by Ramsey. It seems the son is not the man his father was, more intent on creating a conglomerate by buying smaller companies than by actually owning companies that build and provide for workers. No this is not an propaganda piece when it comes to that part of the story but does show that companies need to rely on their employees as much as the business end of things.

As the weeks go by things begin to become more apparent to Fred and he’s uncomfortable with that fact. He likes Bill and considers him a friend. He starts to see what Ramsey is really like. And an eventual showdown between Fred and Ramsey is inevitable. How that comes to take place, the sad state of affairs that leads to it, helps to build the story to a crescendo.

All that being said the movie does offer a solid drama but at the same time moves like what it was, a teleplay that was turned into a feature film. The pacing is slow and the characters are placed on display with little chance to develop them, instead letting us get used to who they are by their actions and deeds and less by the subtle nuances that most films allow. This is not to say it’s a bad movie but know this going in and it will be more enjoyable.

If you love classic television, even though this is a feature film, you’ll enjoy this one. If you’re a fan of Rod Serling you’ll want to make sure this is a part of your collection. As with previous releases from The Film Detective they provide a quality transfer of the film that I’m sure has never been seen this well prior. For that alone, and for the sake of history, it’s good to see PATTERNS arrive this way.

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