(1959)
1
Craig Butler
Probably a bit on the edgy side when first releasedCash McCall has no edge whatsoever for modern audiences, who are likely to find this business-set soaper alternately laughable and yawn-inducing. A lot of the laughs come from the fact that Cash tries to have it both ways with its titular hero: he's a maverick businessman who doesn't mind finagling shady deals that bring him great riches but he's also supposed to have his heart set on helping the average worker. Admirable sentiments, but there's nothing solid to back them up, and this will play into the cynicism with which many audiences view aggressive corporate takeover types nowadays. The dialogue is very "Hollywood business mode," full of buzz words that don't mean a great deal, as well as speeches that sound incredibly stilted, despite the best efforts of James Garner. For his part, Garner does as well as could be expected, as does love interest Natalie Wood; the whole cast, in fact, does fine. They just can't do anything with the material. Nor, apparently, could director Joseph Pevney, whose work is straightforward and unsurprising.
cast-crew for Cash McCall on AllMovie
Cash McCall (1959)
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