Staples, a successful plant operator, is brought in from Ohio to take an executive position at Ramsey & Co. in New York. He forms a friendship with Briggs, the long-time vice president, but it soon becomes apparent that Walter Ramsey, who has inherited the position of CEO, is grooming Staples to replace Briggs. Ramsey will not fire Briggs, instead doing everything he can to humiliate and sabotage Briggs until he resigns.
Patterns is a 1956 American "boardroom drama" film directed by Fielder Cook, and starring Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight, and Elizabeth Wilson. The screenplay was adapted by Rod Serling from his 1955 teleplay of the same name, which was originally broadcast January 12, 1955, on the Kraft Television Theatre with several of the same actors, though Richard Kiley was replaced by Heflin for the film.
