The 1948 film All My Sons, or at least segments of it, should be required viewing for manufacturing and quality professionals and executives. Based on the 1948 play by Arthur Miller, it’s about a defense company run by Herb Deever (played by Frank Conroy) and Joe Keller (Edward G. Robinson) that turns out a batch of parts for installation in Army Air Force warplanes. The foreman, who is also the government inspector, wants to reject the parts because of defects that, while not visible to the naked eye, show up in X-rays. (Industrial radiography began during the 1920s when sufficiently robust X-ray tubes became available.2) The inspector had previously warned Keller that he had been cutting the process too fine, but to no avail.
In All My Sons, Keller presumes on his long friendship with Deever to convince the other to commit a crime that results in the death of U.S. service personnel and the loss of valuable aircraft. Then Keller betrays Deever by committing perjury when he denies that he did this, thus proving further that he was never Deever’s friend.
Deever and Keller are afraid that, if they reject the parts, the financial losses will bankrupt them. Deever reminds Keller that willful delivery of nonconforming parts to the government is a crime, to which Keller replies, “Only if we get caught.” Keller sounds a lot like a gangster in this and other scenes, which comes as no surprise because Robinson portrayed such characters in several other movies. Keller finally prevails on Deever to ship the parts and later tells him by telephone that he will take full responsibility. As a result, American pilots are killed by their own aircraft, and Deever goes to prison after Keller denies any role in the decision. The entire sequence lasts about eight minutes and shows clearly what happens when people take ethical shortcuts.
It doesn’t matter whether the manufacturing or quality professional has known his or her friend for decades, or has worked for the employer for decades. An employer or supervisor can’t order a subordinate to commit a dishonest action. There are certainly remedies available if the superior or employer retaliates against somebody who, for example, refuses to pencil-whip or simulate quality data for an inspection that never took place.
In contrast, CNBC reported “Boeing orders, deliveries dry up in January as plane-maker grapples with latest Max crisis.”6
Friends don’t ask friends to ship nonconforming product
What would have happened if Deever and Keller had rejected the nonconforming parts? Maybe they would have gone out of business, but Deever wouldn’t have gone to prison. Maybe when the public found out that they had done the right thing despite the cost, their reputation would have brought in a lot more business because customers could rely on them for ethical behavior.
All My Sons isn’t exactly fiction, either. It is based on a real scandal in which the Curtiss Aeronautical plant in Lockland, Ohio, sold defective engines for Army Air Force warplanes. “After investigation, it was later revealed that Wright company officials at Lockland had conspired with civilian technical advisers and Army inspection officers to approve substandard or defective aircraft engines for military use.”3 Future president Harry S. Truman played a role in the investigation.4
1. Cohen, Rebecca; Blackman, Jay; and Dilanian, Ken. “Justice Department investigating door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines flight.” NBC News. March 9, 2024.
2. American Institute of Nondestructive Testing. “The Evolution of X-Ray Technology and Beginnings of NDT.” American Institute of Nondestructive Testing. May 13, 2021.
3. Wikipedia. “Curtiss-Wright.” Wikipedia
4. Wilkinson, Stephan. “The Scandal That Led To Harry S. Truman Becoming President and Marilyn Monroe Getting Married.” HistoryNet. March 13, 2024.
5. Johnson & Johnson. “Tylenol Tampering Incidents and Recall, 1982.” Johnson & Johnson.
6. Josephs, Leslie. “Boeing orders, deliveries dry up in January as plane-maker grapples with latest Max crisis.” CNBC. Feb. 13, 2024.