MAIN TITLE Arts and Entertainment
Article Title From here to Eternity
The first time that I saw from here to eternity was late in the sixties. I have been
somewhat of a fan of Frank Sinatra's and I wanted to see what part he would play
in this so called "military" film. I must admit that I was
surprised at the content
of this film. Being in the military at this time, I could almost understand why the
military was against this movie when it first came out years earlier. That may have
been one of the reasons that I liked it so much.
From Here to Eternity is a 1953
movie based on the novel by James Jones in which characters work through daily bouts
of intimidation and infidelity
on a military base in the days preceding the attack
on Pearl Harbor. The plot of this film is that in 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly
punished
for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second in
command are falling in love.
James Jones based his this novel, in 1951, on his own
military experience as a World War II veteran, and created a scathing portrait of
peacetime
military life in the U.S. army in the months before Pearl Harbor. Although
Jones' novel became a best-seller and winner of the National Book Award, few studios
viewed this project as a viable endeavor. Warner Bros. and 20th Century-Fox did attempt
initial treatments of the book, only to
finally dismiss it as unfilmable because
of excessive profanity, sexual situations, and unflattering views of the military.
Harry Cohn, president of Columbia Pictures, bought the film rights to the novel for
$82,000, the project became known as "Cohn's folly." Cohn, for those of you not familiar
with the movie mogul, had a reputation built on aggressive, rude, and tyrannical
behavior. Director Fred Zinnemann
referred to Cohn as "a robber baron, predatory
and cunning," and admitted to initially disliking Cohn so much that he asked his
agent to get him
off the film.
The movie was budgeted at around two million dollars,
making it one of the costliest films of the year.
The story encompasses groundbreaking
themes of prostitution, adultery, military injustice, corruption, violence, alcohol
abuse, and murder. It involves the personal lives of its main characters – an enlisted
man, an unappreciated officer's wife, a prostitute and a military outcast. The major
male characters wage their own battle against corruption at higher levels.
Its five
stars, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, and Donna Reed
all received Oscar nominations and Reed and Sinatra won for Best Supporting Actress
and Actor. [Frank Sinatra, for his performance as Maggio--had to fight and plead
for the role, after first choice Eli Wallach backed out.]
The famous beach lovemaking
scene between Lancaster and Kerr was featured on numerous films in popular media.
In actuality, the scene only
lasted 3 seconds.
This Film Won 8 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 7 nominations
This is one great classic
film that was almost never made. Cohn's folly turned out to be Cohn's golden egg.
No matter what anyone thought of this man personally, at least he had the hignsight
to see beyond the naysayers during this period.
About the Author
Andrew Conway is an avid author,writer and a classic movie buff. If you love watching
movies or just listening to great music, then visit: http://www.ultimate-free-downloads.com