Executive Suite, starring William Holden and Barbara Stanwyck among others, directed by Robert Wise.
This movie takes place in the span of less than two days. The president of a furniture manufacturing company drops dead on a street in New York from a stroke. A passerby steals his wallet, so the body goes unidentified. Stuff happens.

Eventually news back home at the company's town gets around. The employees of the company deal with their feelings while the principal vice presidents start jockeying for the top spot as the deceased president left no clear successor. The board of directors is due to meet by 6 PM the day after the body is identified. Who will get the big chair at the head of the table???
Executive Suite is known for its magnificent ensemble cast which includes Holden, Stanwyck, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon, Paul Douglas, and June Allyson for which is won a jury prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film is also known for its climactic speech (
Youtube) given by the VP who gets the job based on his vision which is a stirring summation of all that a company should be and rarely is in the United States.