An interesting film in many ways. Made at the end of the war, it tells of a small US contingent that is looking after a wrecked Italian town, its hungry people and their lack of town bell (which the Fascists have taken to turn into shells). Major John Hodiak (Lifeboat) deals with a mixture of Italian stereotypes with tough compassion, has time to mix with local belle Gene Tierney, only he's married and she's waiting for an imprisoned sweetheart. It's quite hard on the US army, but finds the navy a much better and more helpful organisation. So there's no romance and no action and it's quite long, with a plot about a missing report pointing to the absurdity of wartime administration.
Written by Lamar Trotti, Norman Reilly Raine, based on the novel by John Hersey.
With William Bendix and Henry Morgan (playing a quite unsympathetic MP) are the available Hollywood Italians: Fortunio Bonanova, Henry Armetta, Roman Bohnen, Luis Alberni, Eduardo Cianelli; and Richard Conte, Stanley Prager, Monty Banks, Hugo Haas.
Splendid photography from Joe Lashelle, scored by Lionel Newman, edited by Barbara McLean. I can tell you how many films King had made up till that point, from 1915, but it would take too long.
No comments:
Post a Comment