''Madison Avenue'' is a 1961 CinemaScope drama film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in '' Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films '' In the Meantime, Darling'' (194 ...

and

Eleanor Parker Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films ''Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story'' (1951), and ''Interrupted Melody'' (1955), the first ...

. The film was completed in 1960 but was not released immediately. On April 13, 1961, ''Madison Avenue'' opened at the Rialto Cinema in London's West End for a two-week run. In late April, the film had a UK general release as part of a double bill with '' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come''. The film was not seen in the United States until January 1962.

Plot

Clint Lorimer (

) works for an advertising company run by J.D. Jocelyn (

Howard St. John Howard St. John (October 9, 1905 – March 13, 1974) was a Chicago-born character actor who specialized in unsympathetic roles. His work spanned Broadway, film and television. Among his best-remembered roles are the bombastic General Bullmoose i ...

). He is fired after Jocelyn finds out that Clint intends to form his own ad agency and steal a top client. Out of spite, Clint hatches a scheme to turn a small business, Cloverleaf dairy, into a large and prosperous one through advertising. He approaches reporter Peggy Shannon (

) to write articles about the dairy, then transforms girlfriend Anne Tremaine (

), a demure colleague, into a glamorous, dynamic promotional whiz. Clint's next step is to turn Cloverleaf's mild-mannered owner, Harvey Ames (

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

), into a colorful personality to help publicize the business. The plan comes apart, first when Peggy grows weary of being used professionally, then when Anne sees a reluctance in Clint to commit to a personal future together and leaves him. A chastised Clint comes back to his senses and decides to pursue a missile project as an account he can bring back to J.D.

Cast

as Clint Lorimer *

as Anne Tremaine *

as Peggy Shannon *

as Harvey Holt Ames *

as J.D. Jocelyn *

Henry Daniell Charles Henry Pywell Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long career in the United States on stage and in cinema. He came to prominence for his portrayal of villainous roles in films such as '' Camille'' (1 ...

as Stipe *

Kathleen Freeman Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1923August 23, 2001) was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost in ...

as Miss Thelma Haley * David White as Brock * Betti Andrews as Katie Olsen

References

External links

* * * * 1961 films 1961 romantic drama films 20th Century Fox films CinemaScope films American black-and-white films American business films American romantic drama films Films about advertising Films based on American novels Films directed by H. Bruce Humberstone Films scored by Harry Sukman Films set in New York City 1960s English-language films 1960s American films English-language romantic drama films {{romantic-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links