Warren William's Kurt Anderson vs. Ayn Rand's Howard Roark

[slaytonf]

Ayn Rand, woman of ideas, absolutely wretched novelist. She wasn't even able to effectively portray the personification of her philosophy. Not to worry, when there's Warren William around to make up for the deficiency. As Kurt Anderson, the pitiless, remorseless store manager of Employee's Entrance, he champions most powerfully the Social Darwinism of Rand's positivist (or objectivist, I forget) theories. He is not simply a ruthless tyrant, ravaging his subordinates and squeezing every last drop he can out of 'em. He is hard and unsentimental, dismissing without hesitation the unproductive, and not even distressed at a former employee's suicide, but he also rewards ability, application and dedication. And, unusual for any movie of any time, stays true to his character right through the end of the movie. A refreshing departure from the standard Hollywood reformation that's meant to come at the end of the picture, so everyone can leave the theater feeling secure about the American Way.