Willamson left the office before Roma got the Lingk contract
In Glengarry Glen Ross (1992 Film adaptation) Levine follows Williamson out to his car as he's leaving the office. Levine begs for new leads and Williamson refuses him. Next scene is Moss and Aaronow discussing Graff and the leads and they end up at the restaurant, the same restaurant Roma is at and where he makes his sale. If Roma didn't make the sale until after Williamson left the office, how could Williamson have filed the contract?
Reading the play, it appears Williamson and Levine's interaction happens in a booth at a restaurant - so perhaps Williamson being on his way out was a change made for the adaptation? Dramatically and tone wise, it was great, but it doesn't fit with the timeline.
Did I miss something?
Best Answer
This is a massive spoiler:
Williamson did not send the contract, he lied. This is revealed by Levine's slip of tongue when he says Williamson he knows Lingk's contract has not been sent.
So, chronologically:
- Levine and Williamson are in the car. Williamson leaves.
- Roma closes the deal, goes to the office and lets the contract at the office.
- The joint gets ripped off, and the burglar steals some of the contracts.
- In the morning, Williamson lies to Roma saying that some contracts have been stolen but not Lingk's and Lingk's contract has been send downtown.
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Who robbed the office in Glengarry Glen Ross?
Williamson goes to Baylen to report that Levene is the thief. Roma comes out of his interrogation. Not knowing what has happened, he suggests to Levene that the two of them become partners. Levene is called into the inner office to be arrested by Baylen.How did Glengarry Glen Ross end?
Williamson tells Levene that if he does not confess what he has done with the leads, then he is going to turn Levene in. Levene tries to deny the crime, but as Williamson heads to the inner office to talk to Baylen, Levene breaks down and admits that he and Moss sold the leads to Jerry Graff.What is the point of Glengarry Glen Ross?
Glengarry Glen Ross is about a team of sales reps at the fictional real estate firm Mitch and Murray who are pitted against each other in a contest to sell the most plots of land. The winner receives a new Cadillac, second place gets a set of steak knives and third place gets fired.Did Moss steal the leads?
Williamson catches Levene's slip-up quickly and compels Levene to admit that he broke into the office. Levene tries laughing it off, but he eventually breaks down and admits that he indeed broke into the office because he and Moss conspired to steal the Glengarry leads to sell to Jerry Graff.Spurs Miss Out On Spence? • Atletico Offer For Emerson • Way Back For Ndombele? [TOTTENHAM UPDATE]
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Answer 2
You asked:
If Roma didn't make the sale until after Williamson left the office, how could Williamson have filed the contract?
At 24m when closing the office Williamson says, "I got to go home, grab one hour with my kids, come back here, see if any of you closed a contract, take the contract to the bank..." Much later, at around 1h27m, he also says, "Usually I take the contracts to the bank. Last night I didn't. Last night I stayed home with my kids. ... I left a contract on my desk."
As you can see from the film, a lot of salesmen go door to door in the evening when most people are home from work. As a manager of a sales office, Williamson has to come in later at night to process any completed contracts after the salesmen have finished their rounds.
So how do the salesmen leave completed contracts when the office is locked and they don't have the keys? Probably through a deposit slot like those at banks and libraries. This is not detailed in the movie but it is a common enough practice regarding finance, so it is not necessary to show in the movie.
It does not matter that Levene and Williamson left the office together. The problem you describe is equally present if they leave the restaurant instead.
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