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Although The Hucksters softens the Frederick Wakeman novel that is its source, it's still a fairly cynical look at the dog-eat-dog world of advertising, especially for the time in which it was created. The softening does do some damage, especially at the end; but paradoxically, the ending confrontation between Clark Gable and Sydney Greenstreet is so dramatically powerful that it works. Hucksters blends it drama and its comedy very well, and the darkness of its humor is surprising. Jack Conway directs briskly and efficiently, keeping all the balls in the air and keeping the story moving forward with maximum effectiveness. But it's Gable's film, by virtue of the fact that he is almost never offscreen, and he handles the role with all the strength, vitality and charisma one expects of "The King." But despite Gable's sterling work, Greenstreet walks away with the "most memorable" acting honors, portraying another of his truly horrible men that audiences relish even as they're repulsed by him. Deborah Kerr, in her first American starring role, displays her unique blend of gracious class and troubled soul, and Ava Gardner is impressive as a seductive singer. Keenan Wynn is first rate as a third rate clown, and Adolphe Menjou is practically perfect as an agency executive living in a pressure-filled world.