Today, many Americans view big business as the enemy of the earth. Capitalism has been villainized as nothing but the motivation for selfish, ruthless industrial greed. While tycoons can become overly powerful tyrants who use their influence for selfish purposes, industry isn’t inherently evil if managed with fairness.
Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “Sabrina” from 1954. This scene takes place 28 minutes into this 113-minute film. In this scene, wealthy corporation owner Linus Larrabee (Humphrey Bogart) explains to his younger brother, David (William Holden), why he is driven to innovate and manufacture a new product. It isn’t for money or power. He is motivated by a desire to create industry in third world countries, providing livelihoods and improved living conditions for poor native families. He emphasizes that big business can have a positive influence on the world rather than a negative one.
Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn) is the daughter of a British chauffeur (John Williams) who works for a very wealthy family in Long Island, the Larrabees. For her whole life, Sabrina has been in love with the younger son, David, an irresponsible playboy. Eager to help her forget David, Mr. Fairchild sends his daughter to Paris to go to cooking school. During her two years abroad, she becomes a very glamorous young lady.
The Scene
This scene begins with David’s storming through the executive floor of the Larrabee Building, past rows of secretaries. Although Linus’s secretary, Miss McCardle (Ellen Corby), protests that he is in an important meeting, David rudely barges into his office. He demands to speak to Linus immediately, so his brother calmly asks the board of directors to step outside. Once they are alone, David insists on an explanation about the newspaper announcement of his engagement to Elizabeth Tyson. Linus casually dismisses the item as common knowledge, but David knows he planted it. Rather than answering his various accusations, Linus starts talking about a new type of plastic. At first, it seems like he is just trying to change the subject, but it all makes sense to David when he learns that the plastic is made from sugarcane, because the Tysons own a large holding of sugarcane in Puerto Rico.
Its Significance
This is one of the first scenes in the movie which offers insight into the Larrabee brothers’ personalities and relationship. Before that, Linus just seems like a stoic businessman, and David is nothing but the foolish playboy. In this scene, they both show depth. David is impressively angry when he confronts his brother, which is a startling contrast from his usual foolish placidness; he usually lets Linus and his parents run his life, but this is going too far! More importantly, this is the first scene which gives a glimpse of Linus’s more sensitive nature. Everyone thinks he is a heartless machine rather than a man, always with his somber hat, briefcase, and umbrella. Sabrina later tells him that, observing him her whole life, she always thought he could “never belong to anyone—never care for anyone.” In this scene, we realize that there is more feeling in Linus than meets the eye.
Explaining to David why he is motivated to develop a new product, in this case sugarcane plastic, Linus says, “A new product has been found, something of use to the world, so a new industry moves into an undeveloped area. Factories go up, machines are brought in, a harbor is dug, and you’re in business. It’s purely coincidental, of course, that people who never saw a dime before suddenly have a dollar, and barefooted kids wear shoes and have their teeth fixed and their faces washed. What’s wrong with the kind of an urge that gives people libraries, hospitals, baseball diamonds and movies on a Saturday night?”
This humanitarian speech touches even the frivolous David, who humorously replies, “Now you make me feel like a heel. If I don’t marry Elizabeth, some kid is going to be running around Puerto Rico barefoot with cavities in his teeth!”
Business for Humanity
Linus Larrabee is a man who will go to great lengths for his business. He is the older son of an extremely wealthy family. However, he hasn’t been content to live off his parents’ prosperity like many heirs, including his brother. Linus has built Larrabee Industries into the huge corporation it is, taking over as the driving force behind the company to guide it toward even greater success. This short exchange makes us realize that he isn’t greedy or power-hungry. He is a simple man who just wants to work hard at his job and try to improve the world for others through his powerful company.“Sabrina” is a delightful movie because it features genuine, multi-faceted characters who are endearing because they seem very real. They come to life beautifully because of the extremely talented trio in the leads. Add to that Billy Wilder’s witty dialogue, Givenchy’s gorgeous designs for Audrey Hepburn, and the sophisticated score, and it’s easy to understand why “Sabrina” is a masterpiece.
