The Hucksters (1947)

Victor Albee Norman: Miss Hammer, take a memorandum. To Mr. Kimberly: Dear Kim, For four years I haven't been listening to the radio much. Paragraph. Kim, in that time, it's gotten worse, if possible. More irritating, more commercials per minute, more spelling out of words, as if no one in the audience had gotten past the first grade. Paragraph. I know how tough Evans is, and some of the other sponsors, but I think we make a great mistake in letting them have their own way. We're paid to advise them. Why can't we advise them that people are grateful for what free entertainment they get on the air, grateful enough to buy the product that provides good shows. But, they have some rights, Kim, it's their homes we go into, and they're not grateful to people who get one foot in the door by pretending to offer them music and drama, and then take too much time in corny sales talk. Paragraph. I want to go on record as saying that I think radio has to turn over a new leaf. We've pushed and badgered the listeners, we've sung to them and screamed at them, we've insulted them, cheated them and angered them, turned their homes into a combination grocery store, crap game and midway. Kim, some day, 50 million people are going to just reach out and turn off their radios,
[snaps fingers]
Victor Albee Norman: snap, just like that - and that's the end of the gravy, for you, and me, and Evans. Sign it love and kisses, Vic.

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The character portrayed by Sydney Greenstreet was allegedly based on the CEO of American Tobacco in the 1940's, whose relentless slogans were drilled into the radio audience: "LS/MFT: Yes, Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco" and,when the cigarette package changed from forest green to white, in order to appeal to women, "Lucky Strike Green has gone to war!"
In director Michael Powell's autobiography, 'A Life in Film', he says he received a letter from Deborah Kerr while she was filming 'The Hucksters'. It said the movie included a newcomer named Ava Gardner who almost stole the show from her - "but not quite."
MGM had paid close to $200,000 for the motion picture rights to Frederic Wakeman's national bestselling novel, of which the film is based on.
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