Clark Gable was able to act in anything, and make it better. The Hucksters is an example of that. It is an expose of the radio ad industry. The movie isn’t memorable. It does show the difference between people and their moral compasses. Gable is able to bring out the cast’s strengths, particularly Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. Both of these actresses, were fairly new to film. Gardner had been acting, but in mostly minor roles. Kerr was a British actress, who was appearing in her first Hollywood film. Both were nervous, but were assured by Gable, that everything would be fine. Ava Gardner was initially starstruck, by working with Gable. She also worked with the actor, in John Ford’s Mogambo, a few years later. It was by this time that her fame eclipsed Gable’s The two remained friends until his death.
The movie has Gable as Victor Albee Norman. He is a WW2 veteran, with advertising experience. He gets employment with an ad agency. They have a contract with Beautee Soap. It is headed by Evan Llewelyn Evans. He is masterfully played by Sydney Greenstreet. He plays a man who will do anything to promote the company. This even includes spitting on the table, to make a point. He wants to get a war widow, Kay Dorrance, (Deborah Kerr), to promote the soap. This is where Victor Norman must earn his salary.
Victor Norman does manage to convince Kaye Dorrance, to pitch the soap. The agency wants Kaye, to use all of her feminity, to promote the product. She objects, and Victor Norman, must fix things. Not only does Victor, get the ad campaign going, he falls in love with Kaye. She has feelings, but is confused about Victor Norman. This leads to Victor concentrating on his work. This includes a trip to Hollywood. He is accompanied in Hollywood, by Jean Oglive, a singer and aspiring actress. She is played by Ava Gardner, who adds her beauty and vibrancy to the screen. Jean is very attracted to Victor. She realizes it’s hopeless, because Victor is hopelessly in love with Kaye. He was sent to Hollywood, to retrieve a comedian, Buddy Hare. Evan Evans, covets him for his ad campaign. Keenan Wynn, played the unfunny and conceited comedian. Hare is so bad, that even the comedy writers, give up. When Gable’s character arrives in NYC, with Hare, he gets an unpleasant surprise. Evan Llewelyn Evans has changed his mind. He wants another entertainer, for the soap campaign. This frustrates and infuriates Victor Albee Norman.
Although things don’t go as planned , for Victor Norman, there is a silver lining, in his cloudy future. Kaye comes out to Hollywood, to be with Victor. They have a tender love scene on the beach, at dawn. The couple spent the night strolling along, and watch the sunrise. It is a very romantic scene, with Gable’s head in Kerr’s lap. Jack Conway, has done a great job filming this. He also did well introducing Sydney Greenstreet’s character. The representatives of the ad agency, are at the table waiting. We see the entrance of Evans aides and family. Evans comes in after everyone else. He makes his entrance like a medieval king. He appears and slowly makes his way to the head of the table. The representatives are seated around the table. Gable’s character, is at the end of the table. The camera goes to Evans talking, to Gable listening, and contributing, when necessary.
The film has some interesting dialogue, which was written by Luther Davis. The most interesting bit of dialogue is with Deborah Kerr and Clark Gable. Victor Albee Norman is concerned about how he will take care of Kaye Dorrance. She tells him to stop being a breadwinner and kiss me. Sydney Greenstreet handles his dialogue well. He makes Evan Llewelyn Evans, another one of his stable of morally challenged characters. Greenstreet had an unusual Hollywood career. He was a stage actor, and started movie acting at the age of 62. He became an instant success, opposite Humphrey Bogart, in The. Maltese Falcon. The most interesting thing is that this movie, became a small version of Citizen Kane. It upset people involved in the entertainment industry. The novel, written by Frederic Wakeman, was toned down, because Gable didn’t think much of its literary value, and some characters in the book. Hollywood would later drift away from entertainment vehicles, and run with movies like The Hucksters. The movie does manage to get across a message about greed and conscience. It’s message is still relevant today.