Although made during the 'Mad Men' era, 'Madison Avenue' feels more like a relic of the mid-fifties when similar material was given much more bite in films like 'Executive Suite' and 'Patterns'.
Dana Andrews is his usual graceful self, but far too old to be the whizz kid on the way up the script sets him up as; although to compensate he's given two mature female leads with whom to share his rather perfunctory romantic diversions. Crain has the least screen time of the leading ladies but registers most strongly; although all three's characters somehow contrive to be both underwritten while still talking too much. (The female character who gets most room to grow is easily Kathleen Freeman as Miss Haley.)
Eddie Albert's first appearance is promising but he too gets little help from Norman Corwin's script, while Henry Daniell disappears almost as soon as he appears. Director 'Lucky' Humberstone seems overwhelmed by the wide screen, with the result that characters just stand around talking (and talking) in the underpopulated, drably lit sets while Harry Sukman's noisy and overemphatic score seems desperately to be attempting to bring a 50's gloss otherwise wholly lacking in this cheap-looking and listless production.
Dana Andrews is his usual graceful self, but far too old to be the whizz kid on the way up the script sets him up as; although to compensate he's given two mature female leads with whom to share his rather perfunctory romantic diversions. Crain has the least screen time of the leading ladies but registers most strongly; although all three's characters somehow contrive to be both underwritten while still talking too much. (The female character who gets most room to grow is easily Kathleen Freeman as Miss Haley.)
Eddie Albert's first appearance is promising but he too gets little help from Norman Corwin's script, while Henry Daniell disappears almost as soon as he appears. Director 'Lucky' Humberstone seems overwhelmed by the wide screen, with the result that characters just stand around talking (and talking) in the underpopulated, drably lit sets while Harry Sukman's noisy and overemphatic score seems desperately to be attempting to bring a 50's gloss otherwise wholly lacking in this cheap-looking and listless production.