The Hucksters (1947)

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Gable's a commanding presence and appears in about every scene. His ad-man character Victor Norman is none too likable, but that's the way it should be, given the shark tank he's swimming in. I found the first part rather tedious as Victor bounces around socially and professionally to no particular purpose. The second part, however, picks up noticeably as the plot thickens. Vic's a self-assured man looking to make big money in advertising, but has his own uncompromising ideas on what sells. Thus, he's either a man of principle capable of better values, or a mercenary man who will only reluctantly sell out. Which of the two wins out emerges as the plot's crux. Of course, being Gable he has to have an active love life, and that means deciding between the gentile Kay (Kerr) or the vibrant Jean (Gardner). Frankly, Kerr's given a basically one- dimensional role that doesn't hold much interest. I can see why she was afraid Gardner would steal the picture (IMDB). The movie's satirical part emerges with Greenstreet's portrayal of the caricatured soap kingpin Evan Evans. He presides over Beautee Soap's advertising interests like a gelatinous cretin, spitting on the table, tossing hats out the window, and dumping water on hapless underlings. It's here that the film makes a jolting statement about the industry, given Evans' unchallenged authority. At the same time, a reckoning between him and Gable's Norman shapes up as inevitable. All in all, the movie stands now as something of a curiosity, with lessons about commercialism that I expect still stand, whether radio, TV, or internet streaming.

Very underrated. Not well known. Not shown often. Actually, this is the first time I came across this gem. Loved it, loved Clark Gable, loved Deborah Kerr. Clark was just adorable when he was talking to the women he was attracted to. The twinkle in his eye and kiss on his lips as he spoke on the phone to the previous night's paramour in his first scene was priceless. I fell in love with him AGAIN! I never realized the vastness of his facial expressions before. He looked serious and business-like when he was dealing with his advertising cronies and looked charming, fun loving and caring when he was "off he clock". There was no one more elegant, classy and sexy as Deborah Kerr. Nominated for 6 Best Actress in a Leading Role Academy Awards but never winning, remarkable. Ava Gardner always a sultry beauty, her quick, sharp dialog showed the high level of good script writing. The film showed the falseness, conniving and corrupt side of advertising vs. personal integrity, ethical behavior and morality. Good life lesson film of the time rings true today, for me at least. This has become a NEW personal favorite.

After the World War II, the arrogant and self-confident Victor Norman (Clark Gable) returns to New York and seeks a job in the advertising agency of Mr. Kimberly (Adolphe Menjou). He is assigned to convince the widow Kay Dorrance (Deborah Kerr) to modeling to promote the the flagship of the agency Beautee Soap. The he has a meeting with the rude and capricious millionaire Evan Llewellyn Evans (Sydney Greenstreet, who is the tyrannical owner of Beautee Soap. Victor dates Kay but they have a misunderstanding and Victor returns to the arms of his former lover, the singer and aspirant Hollywood actress Jean Ogilvie (Ava Gardner). But Victor misses Kay and does not like the treatment of the untouchable Mr. Evans to him."The Hucksters" is a film with a great cast, with Clark Gable, the gorgeous and elegant Deborah Kerr and the seductive Ava Gardner that unfortunately has a shallow and pointless story. The female characters are lovely, but Evan Llewellyn Evans is a gross, despicable and stupid character and Victor Norman is arrogant and boastful. In the end, the weak story of "The Hucksters" wastes a magnificent cast. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "O Mercador de Ilusões" ("The Merchant of Illusions")

The Hucksters has a lot of good clean fun with the advertising business of the 1940's. Clark Gable, newly discharged from the service, returns to his old haunts as an ad man and finds himself involved with two women, a tyrannical client, and an obnoxious, not too talented radio comedian. This is high class melodrama, and has some pretty good satirical moments, though I don't think that the guys who wrote it were as smart as they thought they were, it's a decent, watchable movie. One can see Gable slipping into middle age here, and though he seems spry enough, he's clearly not the man he was five years earlier, and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner are attractive if otherwise unremarkable as the women in his life. Sidney Greenstreet does a nice turn as the sinister, demanding client. Keenan Wynn's the one to watch here, as the (so-called) comedian Gable must contend with; and he does a smashing job, managing to be pathetic, sympathetic and obnoxious all at once, not, I imagine, an easy thing for an actor to do. Worth keeping an eye out for: excellent production values from MGM's art department in its glory years. Marvelous sets, expert lighting. The movie is a pleasure to look at, if not always to listen to.