Some Came Running (1958) is quite simply a great movie. It’s a study of fear and frustration in small town America in the post-war years. Every main character is scared or insecure in one way or another, scared and insecure within themselves, wary and mistrustful of their strengths and weaknesses, and frequently unaware of or unclear about the difference. Essentially, everybody we encounter wants what he or she cannot have, all except one. That one person appears to be the greatest dreamer of the lot, and yet it’s the purity of that dream that means it stands more chance of being realized than all the other castles in the sky combined.
Homecomings ought to be happy affairs, a chance to strengthen bonds and reacquaint oneself with family and friends, but as Elmer Bernstein’s frantic and vaguely discordant score plays over the credits, there’s no suggestion of joy ahead. We’re riding a bus, and the view through the windows is of countryside dipping and rolling down towards the town of Parkman, Indiana. There’s a touch of symbolism in that shot, the physical descent mirrors the spiritual one the protagonist is on, the process of stepping down from his emotionally and intellectually detached position to confront and reconnect with his past (indeed with himself) before he earns the right to ascend once more. It’s a practically deserted bus too and you get the impression that Parkman isn’t the kind of town people are in a hurry to reach, quite the opposite in fact. Slumped by the window and sleeping off what must have been a heavy night is Dave Hirsh (Frank Sinatra), a demobbed soldier back in his home town for no better reason than the fact his friends told the driver to drop him there. The only other passenger is Ginny (Shirley MacLaine), a “hostess” from Chicago who has followed Dave. While others naturally impact on the development of the story, it is these two who form the dramatic axis at the heart of the tale. He’s what might be described as a lapsed writer, a man who has lost his spark somewhere along the line and has traded his talent for a sour mix of whiskey and cynicism. And yet he hasn’t completely resigned himself to idle contemplation of the shot glass, as evidenced by the fact he still carries around his last manuscript, one he appears to regard with fond dissatisfaction.
Dave Hirsh is the man through whose eyes we follow the majority of events, watching his struggle with his art, with his friends and relations, and of course with himself. While he acts as our point of reference, it’s through his interaction with Ginny above all that we gain the broader perspective that adds depth. The growth and development of the character of Dave is propelled mainly by the presence and actions of Ginny, even if she is not always aware of the pivotal position she occupies.
“I don’t understand you neither, but that don’t mean I don’t like you. I love you! But I don’t understand you. Now what’s the matter with that?”
When we first encounter him, he is quite literally in a dark place, deflated, directionless and drunk. By the end of the movie, while there’s grief and sorrow on show, he’s returned to the light by having rediscovered everything that matters – he has recaptured his spirit, and that is reflected both in his renewed awareness of his artistic worth and his recovered self-esteem as a human being who now understands he is capable and deserving of love.
What then of Ginny? Well, if Dave’s moment of truth, the bittersweet dawning of realization, comes late in proceedings, much of the impetus has derived from the presence of Ginny. Dave has spent an inordinate amount of time kidding himself that his salvation lies with the bookish and frigid Gwen (Martha Hyer). However, this is an illusion fed by his desire to escape the carefully constructed edifice of hypocrisy as represented by his brother Frank (Arthur Kennedy) and the grand soulless house he inhabits with his disaffected wife (Leora Dana) on the one hand, and the creative wasteland he’s found himself wandering through for years on the other. Gwen is incapable of loving anyone or anything real, at least in a physical sense. She resides in a house steeped in learning, a place where culture is a staple to the point that books proliferate and are to be found even in the kitchen, offering sustenance to the mind. Yet Gwen worships a kind of chaste and empty conception of art, one where the artist is a detached and essentially impotent figure, rendering art itself barren in the process. Juxtaposed with the emotional vacuum presented by Gwen is the simple, inarticulate tenderness of Ginny, the type of honesty that defines humility, and therefore selfless love. There’s a pathetically beautiful scene played out in an empty classroom just before the movie’s climax, that lays bare the contrasting characters of the two women – Gwen buttoned into her suffocating propriety, with just a hint of spite peeking out, while Ginny is a gushing mess of devotion and rouge. It is hard to imagine anyone essaying the vulnerability, warmth and utter lack of pretension or guile more successfully than Shirley MacLaine.
This shopworn ingenue who displays more nobility and emotional candor than anyone else is portrayed as a semi-comic figure throughout, with her ever present fur piece struggling to achieve some uneasy sophistication alongside the hopelessly immature handbag. Then right at the end, the mask is reversed to become the embodiment of tragedy. It seems fitting that this plays out as a Technicolor (Metrocolor, for the sake of accuracy) symphony, showcasing the intense and hypnotic use of color by Minnelli. In fact this sequence is shot, as indeed are a number of key passages, like a cinematic ballet; figures drift from light into darkness according to the ebb and flow of emotion, alternately cloaked in shadow and bathed in rich, vibrant hues, dancing around the flame of Minnelli’s camera.
If aspects of the movie are visually (by the way, cinematographer William H Daniels’ contribution should not be underestimated) and rhythmically reminiscent of a musical, this is perhaps to be expected given the involvement of Minnelli, Sinatra and Dean Martin. Sinatra was at the height of his powers at this stage; he had a series of strong performances in some fine movies behind him – his screen work beginning with another James Jones adaptation From Here to Eternity and continuing up to the underrated A Hole in the Head for Capra constitutes a remarkable run – and his recordings for Capitol during these years are just sublime.
There is a lifetime of full-blooded living coloring Sinatra’s performance as Dave Hirsh and it feels as though this inspired those around him to travel that extra mile too. Dean Martin could be a lazy actor, falling back on that easygoing charm and his drawling drunkard shtick all too readily. Sure there is some of that in his Bama Dillert, but he brings a shading to the role that elevates it. He’s every bit as much a victim of the insecurity which runs rampant among the characters as anyone else – after all, isn’t the gambler, with his affectedly casual love affair with lady luck, the very epitome of uncertainty? What stands out most of course are the stubbornness and loyalty (two traits which aren’t all that far removed when you think about it) which define him. His pig-headed refusal to consider any change to his behavior, even when faced with the loss of a friendship and the threat to his health and life, feels credible in his hands. And the hat business is treated almost as a running gag, right up to the last shot of the movie, where it suddenly transforms into something deeply touching.
Like MacLaine and Hyer, Arthur Kennedy was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the movie – none of them won but it has to be said there was pretty stiff competition that year. Recently, I looked at Impulse, a relatively obscure British thriller, from a few years earlier and which saw Kennedy falling prey to middle-aged dissatisfaction. The part of Frank Hirsh offered the opportunity for further exploration of that theme. It’s a strong piece of work in truth, the calculating suspicion he feels at the beginning is slathered over inexpertly with fake bonhomie and unctuousness, none of which stands much chance of deceiving anyone for long. That dust dry laugh and back-slapping hospitality is just as much of a front as the image of familial harmony he works so hard to project. Yet, when it all comes crashing down in the aftermath of an ill-advised evening with Nancy Gates, there’s a sense of wistfulness about the whole affair. It is to Minnelli’s and the film’s credit that neither Gates nor Kennedy are explicitly judged or condemned; that mature generosity of spirit is admirable.
Warner Brothers released Some Came Running years ago in a box set of Sinatra movies. The CinemaScope image looks fine, and there’s a 20 minute feature on the movie as a supplement. Still, I have to wonder why a film of this quality hasn’t yet made it to Blu-ray since Minnelli’s mise-en-scène and use of color and shadow would surely look spectacular in high definition. Hopefully, this omission will be addressed sooner or later. The movie itself remains a great favorite of mine, and has been ever since I first viewed it many years ago. So, let me just end as I began by stating that this is simply a great piece of cinema, and I recommend it without reservation.
Riding the High Country 
A marvellously written review, Colin of a movie which obviously means a lot to you. I am going straight away to hunt down a copy. Am having a technical issue which is preventing me from seeing what I am typing but will hit submit in the hope that something sensible is being conveyed.
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I hope you enjoy it whenever you get to see the movie, Steve. I’ve managed to see most of Minnelli’s melodramas by this stage – I still need to watch Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse though – and this film sees him at his peak in my opinion.
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Great choice Colin, you more than give it justice. I was lucky that I got to watch it on 35mm at the BFI South Bank and it looked incredible – the fairground climax is extraordinary. MacLaine’s character is definitely, in modern parlance, problematic but it is a fascinating. Must say though, and I know it’s trivial, but Sinatra’s woeful spray-on hair is a major distraction for me. 😁
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I must say I feel extraordinarily envious that you were able to see the movie presented that way. Right now, I’d happily settle for a sparkling new Blu-ray.
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It was a while ago, maybe 12 or 13 years ago but looked stunning.
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I have never seen the picture and for this reason; years ago we were part of an organization devoted to the literature of James Jones. As a consequence, I collected all of Jones’ work in first edition, not too tough since it came down to ten volumes or so. Some Came Running was an experiment by the author and he wrote without punctuation for this thing, or without much or enough of it. I read the book, but that was enough. Oh, and it was also even more downbeat than the film.
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I’ve never read the book but I understand the movie diverges from it. I wouldn’t say this is downbeat – there is certainly tragedy on display but the overall message it carries doesn’t have to be read as negative.
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Barry,
Justly or unjustly, the critics savaged “Some Came Running” when it came out and, as a consequence, it was out of print for many years. The book came in at 1266 pages and Jones resisted the services of an editor. His daughter, Kaylie Jones, worked with an editor and published a revised version in 2014 that was 1024 pages long. Their method of editing was to remove superfluous words within the context of a paragraph, rather than cutting out pieces of the story. Kaylie and her brother were satisfied with the finished product. I’d give it a shot but, alas, I have a pile of books I have to get through first.
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Frank, can I just take this opportunity to say how pleased I am to see you here again.
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I know Kaylie, or knew her, as she was part of The James Jones Literary Society that met annually in Robinson, Illinois. And, the book should have been savaged.
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I’ve read a lot of 20th-century novels but never anything by James Jones. In the last few weeks, I’ve read Graham Greene’s “The Power and the Glory”, which I think was masterful, and Nathaniel West’s “The Day of the Locust” which is a searing critique of Hollywood in the 30s. They were both made into films neither of which were successful. There is some beauty in Ford’s “Fugitive” (his adaptation of “The Power and the Glory”) but overall it didn’t click with audiences. I jumped around “Day of the Locust” and from what I saw, it is an ugly film. My wife almost divorced me when Donald Suther stomps a Hollywood brat (played by Jackie Earle Haley) to death.
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It’s a film I never need see again. There is a meanness to it, and that climax is one that lives with you, and not in a good way.
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This is a good movie and a smart one and one of my favorites. It shows frequently here on TCM. I also think James Jones’ 1,200-page novel is pretty damn great, and also a favorite. But book and film are very different. The movie cut a lot, but crafted a fine vehicle for Frank, Dino and Shirley, who are all much cooler than the characters in the novel. In the book, brothers Dave and Frank looked alike and, I thought, looked like Rod Steiger. Older brother Frank and his schemes to cash in on the post-war growth of the town, and ’Bama’s background and family are fascinating, but not in the movie. I would recommend the book. And, did you catch the Rat Pack ad-libbing that included the line, “Ain’t that a kick in the head.” Several years later, Dean came out with the song.
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I’ll try to get around to the novel at some time out of curiosity, although I find you have to work yourself up to tackling tomes of that size.
Yes, the fooling around in that scene between Sinatra and Martin is fun, and you could see both enjoying themselves.
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Colin, I really enjoyed your very personal write-up of SOME CAME RUNNING(1958). I appreciate any movie that has such an impact on an individual viewer. This is such an important facet of our appreciation of the visual arts, whether it be a movie, tv show, play, painting, sculpture, drawing, and so forth.
I have read the original unabridged James Jones novel SOME CAME RUNNING(1957), as well as seven other Jones novels. This movie and novel are two different entities. In an interview James Jones said this about the USA, “I happen to love that big, awkward, sprawling country very much—and its big, awkward, sprawling people.” I think that statement pretty well describes his novel, as well. It has been many, many years since I read this very ambitious novel, but I do recall that it has plenty of drinking, gambling, sex, shenanigans, and just a whole lot of sinning going on. If my memory serves me right, Grace Metalious’ PEYTON PLACE(1956) pales next to SOME CAME RUNNING, when it comes to sinning. Jones even threw in the f-word, at least once, in 1266 pages. A movie version of this novel wouldn’t work in 1958, because of the still enforced production code. So, we have this movie, which I think is a good one and well worth viewing.
Is the novel SOME CAME RUNNING worth reading? Sure, why not, but I would recommend reading Jones’ masterpiece FROM HERE TO ETERNITY(1951) first, followed by THE PISTOL(1958), THE THIN RED LINE(1962) and WHISTLE(1978).
Frank Gibbons, I was concerned about your wife and you having the Coronavirus. I’m so glad that you are still with us. Take care.
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Walter, all good, but I place Whistle at the top.
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Barry, WHISTLE is a Classic read and James Jones was in a race with death trying to finish it before his heart gave out. He told writer friend Willie Morris how he wanted it ended. It was rather depressing, but a very good book.
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Thanks, that’s a super comment and contribution, Walter. While I have seen Zinnemann’s adaptation of From Here to Eternity, I must sheepishly admit I’ve never read anything by Jones. I really ought to do something about that.
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Colin, your welcome and thank you. As you know, we only have 24 hours in a day and so many books to read and movies to view. James Jones, I think, was a brutally honest writer and well worth reading, especially his World War II novels. I haven’t read the uncensored version of FROM HERE TO ETENITY, which Kaylie Jones had published in 2011.
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Thank you, Walter, for your concern for my health. Fortunately, I never contracted the virus although I was exposed to it through contact with several of my children.
I’ve read “Finnegans Wake” so, I guess I could handle the unabridged edition of “Some Came Running”. But I think I’ll tackle “From Here to Eternity” first.
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Frank, good news on your part and I hope that your children are okay. This has been such a trying time in our lives.
Good gosh almighty! My hat is off to you for mind trekking through James Joyce’s FINNEGANS WAKE(1939). FROM HERE TO ETERNITY(1951) is a good choice and should be a cakewalk, compared to anything written by Joyce.
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Walter,
Compared to “Finnegans Wake”, “Ulysses” is like reading “Go get the ball, Spot.”
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This was on TV just the other night. Mesmerizing – but not uplifting. I found myself feeling sorry for the empty lives of these characters – with no promise of happiness in sight.
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I’m still of the opinion that Dave, despite the loss suffered, is in a better place at the end of it all. He has rediscovered himself, his art, and his sense of worth. Paradoxically, Ginny appears both tragic and triumphant: her presence clearly affected a number of lives, rescuing Dave both literally and figuratively, and there’s poignancy and significance in the drawing together which occurs in that final scene. What’s more, she does actually fulfill her own dream, albeit briefly.
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Colin
Interesting write-up of a film I have yet to see. On the list it goes. The only Jones I have read is THE THIN RED LINE. The first time was while in high school, then again when I was about 30. Needless to say I understood far more the second read. I have also seen both film adaptations of the book, Andrew Marton’s 1964 production as well as the Malick version. I have pointed out to several posters here over the last year that the 64 version is up on You-tube.
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And I still haven’t managed to see that 1964 version of the story.
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Colin
While not exactly a household name, director Marton did pump out a few films most here would have seen. These include 3 with Stewart Granger, GREEN FIRE – 54, THE WILD NORTH – 52 and KING SOLOMON/S MINES -1950.(co director). He was also one of the directors of THE LONGEST DAY. He did the American exterior parts. I personally like his take on the Jones book.
Gord
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Yes, he has some good credits to his name as director, and his second unit work has some impressive titles. One of his movies I hope to view in the near future is The Devil Makes Three.
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Got to give a big nod to THE WILD NORTH. Stewart Granger is at his best here as a French-Canadian frontier trapper. Also, Wendell Corey is memorable in his role as the Canadian Mountie that is tasked to bring Granger to justice. We even get the beautiful Cyd Charisse as the transplanted Chippewa Indian saloon singer who is taken back by the trapper’s robust and kindly appeal. I liked everything about this movie. The story line, the action, the pace, but most importantly, the colorful cinematography depicting the expansiveness of the outdoors. Viewing the movie in HD was a big plus…….I hadn’t seen it in years. One can find it online.
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This possibly seems foolish but I seem to get more pleasure out of watching movies with wintry or snowy settings at colder times of the year. On the other hand, I can watch desert/jungle/summer movies all year round.
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A very impressive review, Colin.
I watched “Some Came Running” today and thought it to be a very accomplished work of cinema. I was very much taken with Minelli’s direction particularly his use of color. Fine camera work by William H. Daniels. Sinatra must have liked him – he did eight more pictures with Daniels. I loved the on-location shoots.
I think Bama’s late diagnosis of the hidden disease of diabetes symbolizes the way he has masked the cruel nature that lies under his laconic joie de vivre. This cruelty becomes manifest in the disgust he has for Ginny as a “pig” and with Dave for wanting to marry her. With this self-righteous contempt, he is no different than, say, Agnes Hirsch or Gwen French. I don’t understand why Ginny loves Dave so gratuitously, but as she says in the movie, you don’t always need to understand something to approve of it. Although Dawn and Edith make mistakes, they do not possess twisted souls like Frank, Bama, Dave, Agnes, and Gwen. Ginny, a soul without guile, winds up dying for their sins. You knew that Bama was going to take off his hat at the end, right?
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You have a nice soul.
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I don’t know about that Barry, but a lot of people have called me a heel!
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Perhaps both.
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That point you make about the symbolism of Bama’s illness is interesting and not something that had occurred to me. The hat? I don’t believe I did expect that when I first saw the movie, although that was many years ago. I like the gesture and have grown to like it even more over the years and many subsequent viewings.
Ginny states she’s drawn to Dave because he was kind to her when she first encountered him. There is something gloriously pathetic and honest about that, and of course it speaks volumes about the kind of ill treatment she’s been subjected to. That kind of selfless devotion can be hard to understand but the point surely is that love doesn’t have to be justified by logic, its existence is its own justification and all that is necessary.
I think the point to take away from the two young women is that they have not yet been damaged irreparably by the stifling atmosphere of Parkman as the older characters have. There is something hellish about the portrayal of the town in that climactic sequence, the dazzling synthesis of color, score, editing and directing creates a diabolic, violent and fevered atmosphere.
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Yes, the climactic scene is hellish. And Dave’s unease is palpable even though he’s just married Ginny. The final contrasting scene is peaceful and poignant with the angel keeping watch over the valley.
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Colin, I’m really enjoying all the discussion brought forth by your write-up of SOME CAME RUNNING. As I’ve said before, Jones’ novel and the movie are quite different. Ginnie Moorhead(Shirley MacLaine) is portrayed more favorable in the movie than she is in the novel. In the movie, her love for Dave Hirsh(Frank Sinatra), leads to the small sparkle of good we see in him, which begins to blossom whenever she is around him. The endings are very different in novel and movie, but this 1958 movie, probably had to end this way, because someone good had to, as Frank Gibbons says, die for everyone’s sins.
Gordon Gates brought up another James Jones novel made into a movie, THE THIN RED LINE(filmed 1963, released 1964). I first viewed this movie on television’s the CBS THURSDAY NIGHT MOVIE in 1968. Too me personally, at that time, it was very memorable. I liked the story, actors, the battle scenes, especially the hand to hand, life or death combat scenes, and the caves. Private Doll(Keir Dullea) and Sergeant Welsh(Jack Warden) are striking adversaries from the get go and they are are well worth watching. I think this movie is a good psychological wartime drama made on a small budget, unlike FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and SOME CAME RUNNING, which were made on much higher budgets. THE THIN RED LINE was an indie production(Security Pictures) released by Allied Artists.
Was the movie as good as Jones’ novel? Not by a long shot. The movie and novel are two different entities. THE THIN RED LINE(1962) novel is a Classic, which is based on Jones’ own experiences of fighting the Japanese during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. Also, the movie version is a loose mesh of Jones’ two novels THE THIN RED LINE and his short novel THE PISTOL(1958). Screenwriter Bernard Gordon borrowed the story of the pistol and placed it in THE THIN RED LINE.
I would really like to view THE THIN RED LINE in its original CinemaScope 2.35 :1 aspect ratio. After not having viewed the movie since the 1970’s, I caught it again on a VHS pan/scan, put out by CBS/Fox Video in 1999 as part of a series titled “20th Century Fox War Movies.” Well, as we know, Disney now owns 20th Century Fox, so it’s doubtful if we’ll ever see a restored widescreen Blu-ray of the 1964 THE THIN RED LINE. Although, you never know. I wonder if there is a widescreen DVD of the movie released in Europe, Asia, or Australia?
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Walter, it’s good to hear you’ve been enjoying the chat. Frankly, I find the exchanges of views and the various tidbits of information as well as assorted recommendations to be enormously fulfilling – it’s what keeps this site alive and a large part of why I keep doing it.
As for DVDs of the 1964 movie, I know there were releases in the UK and Germany, but I think they may be out of print now and only available used. I *think* they were in the correct aspect ratio but somebody would need to confirm that.
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This French release sounds lime it’s in the correct aspect ratio: https://www.amazon.fr/LAttaque-dura-sept-jours-DUELLA/dp/B00P3178M4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lattaque+dura+sept+jours&qid=1623454506&sr=8-1
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Walter
I really like the 64 version of THE THIN RED LINE. I first saw it on the same CBS/FOX vhs that you mentioned. Then several more times on You-Tube. I’m with you about seeing a widescreen version. We can all wish can’t we.
Gord.
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Gordon, as you can tell, I really like the 1964 version of THE THIN RED LINE, also. I viewed writer/director Terrence Malick’s 170 minute version of THE THIN RED LINE(filmed 1997, released 1998) once, over 22 years ago. I can’t remember that much about it, but if my memory serves me, it was well photographed, but the acting left a lot to be desired. I just couldn’t picture Sean Penn as Sergeant Welsh and I thought John Travolta was embarrassing, playing a general. Back to the 1963 version, Jack Warden, on the other hand, was actually an Army sergeant during World War II. James Philbrook, who played Colonel Tall was in the Navy during the Korean War and Ray Daley, who portrayed Captain Stone was in the Air Force during the Korean War. I’m not saying that an actor has to be a military veteran to portray one, but it does seem to add something extra. Although, I think that Keir Dullea, who isn’t a veteran, did a good job portraying Private Doll.
I read where James Jones’ wife Gloria Jones walked out of a showing of Malick’s THE THIN RED LINE, because she couldn’t stand what they had done to, “Jimmy’s book.” His daughter Kaylie stayed to the end.
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Re 1998 Thin Red Line — I do not believe the problem was acting, although casting may have been faulty, the essential boredom can be laid directly at the feet of Terence Malick. Not my kind of filmmaker.
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Barry, I agree that the casting was somewhat faulty and that writer/director Terrence Malick should take credit, or blame for how this movie turned out. I’m sure that there are some who think the 1998 version is a masterpiece, but the movie goers, who are the ones that buy the tickets, didn’t.
A friend told me about taking his 68 year-old(remember when we used to think that was old age) father to see THE THIN RED LINE in January, 1999. His father turned to him and asked, “What is this?” My friend answered, “It is an art film.” The father, in disgust, commented, “A war movie?”
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Art…? Code language for pretension and self-importance.
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Barry, I find that incomprehensible. I can easily understand anyone not liking, not getting, or simply not responding to an artist or a piece of artistic expression – to expect everybody to react the same way is patently impossible. However, to issue a blanket dismissal of the sum of human creativity, that search for some kind of universal truth in human experience and a central pillar of civilization, in those cynical terms is something I find hard to fathom.
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A lot of pretentious and pseudo-serious ‘artists’ working in our world. Railing at injustice, or whatever the flavor of the day might be, who are still competent, but abuse their talents with a serious malady generally thought of as self-conscious.
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Oh, certainly not a blanket dismissal of anything other than Terence Malick and his crowd. You won’t see Orson Welles or John Ford on my list…know what I mean?
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I have no opinion to express on Terrence Malick’s work but I’m aware that reactions to it are divided.
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Colin, thank you for going to the trouble. I thought it might be under a different title. I like the DVD cover of L’ATTAQUE DURA SEPT JOURS(THE ATTACK LASTED SEVEN DAYS) from the “Hollywood Legends” series. The release date is 2014, which is several years before Disney took over 20th Century Fox. Unfortunately I don’t have an all-region Blu-ray/DVD player. I don’t guess the powers that be thought anyone in North America would buy a widescreen DVD of THE THIN RED LINE(1964).
Thank you and keep doing what you are doing.
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Weekend watching
I have an urge for something with Stanley Baker but not sure what. I’ll fit in a few episodes of Black Adder for a bit of comic relief. Love that show.
Gord
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I haven’t been watching too much of anything, for a variety of reasons. However, I did find time to take in The Story on Page One, a courtroom drama and one of only two films directed by Clifford Odets. He was of course a writer first and foremost and was responsible for some strong material, such as Clash by Night, The Big Knife and Golden Boy.
The Story on Page One Rita Hayworth and Gig Young on trial for the killing of her abusive husband, with Anthony Franciosa as a defense lawyer. To be honest, I don’t think the outcome of it all was ever in any serious doubt, which drains some tension and suspense, but it’s still pretty absorbing with good turns from Young and Hayworth. I liked it.
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Ned Beatty R.I.P.
Ned Beatty has passed at age 83. Just the other night I watched him in an episode of HOMICIDE : Life in the Street. A fine actor and he well be missed.
Gord
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On the first floor of the 17 floor building I live in is a small library. While rooting around today I found a rather beat up paperback of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Ha ha, Now I can have a go at my second Jones book.
Gord
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Gordon, I think you’ll like James Jones’ FROM HERE TO ETERNITY(1951). It is different from the movie, but I really like the movie, also. Recently I re-watched THE CAINE MUTINY(filmed 1953, released 1954) and I still think it is a powerhouse of a movie with a top-notch cast, at their best. Herman Wouk’s novel THE CAINE MUTINY(1951) was published the same year as Jones’ FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.
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I see Eureka have a special edition of Johnny Guitar coming in September – details here.
I like the movie a lot and wrote a piece on it years ago.
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Walter
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. is now on top of the pile for a read. As for THE CAINE MUTINY, I do have a copy of the book though I must admit to not reading it yet.
Gord
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Shot on location in the Ohio River city Madison, Indiana, a couple hours drive from our Ohio home. Madison has a well preserved down town with impressive homes along the river. I understand at one time the featured house was open for tours. Always felt the city location played a major role in the production. More recently a film titled Madison was a drama based on speedboat racing on the Ohio
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That’s good to know and thanks for posting it here, Paul. As someone not from the US, I was always fascinated by the look of those mid-western, mid-century small towns that seemed to feature in so many movies.
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I’ve been toying with posting the following link for about a week now and Paul’s comment gives me the impetus to share it. In June of 1962, my family and I drove from Massachusetts to California. There weren’t super-highways spanning the country back then and we traveled along a lot of two-lane roads that passed through many towns like Madison. Strip malls and fast-food restaurants were virtually non-existent (I can’t even remember seeing a McDonald’s though the company did exist then). Small towns, cornfields (the corn really was as “high as an elephant’s eye”), salt flats, the Rockies, seeing a fish leap out of a river at twilight — the entire journey was wondrous for a boy who was just shy of 13 years old. Of course, it’s all changed and part of the charm of movies like “Some Came Running” is that we have a visual record of how America once looked.
http://roadtripmemories.com/2009/02/22/some-came-running-filming-locations/
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Frank, that is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing that. I think that what immediately struck me was how few major changes there were – of course that seems to be 12 years ago now so some more alterations may have occurred since.
I’m glad to that you shared your memories of that road trip of your own all those years ago. It’s the type of thing which does make an indelible impression at that age and, as I said to Paul above, has a magic about it that appeals to a person like me who has never had the opportunity to see all those places in reality.
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Tonight will be a first time watch of low budget film noir, MURDER IS MY BEAT 1955
All the years that I had this on the list and never popped it in the player. Then last year it showed up on TCM here so I recorded it. How can a guy go wrong with sexpot Barbara Payton in the mix. Having Edgar G Ulmer (DETOUR) at the directing controls can’t hurt either.
Gord
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Just got ‘Some came running’ and ‘Party Girl’ from the Warner Archive on Blu. Full justice was done on the transfers. They really look spiffy now.
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Chris, I bought both of those Blu-rays myself quite recently and I too feel the new transfers look exceptionally fine. Both movies are of a type where the best possible presentation of their visual strengths is particularly important.
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