From Here to Eternity

In 1953 this movie won the Oscar for best film, best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor and supporting actress. The movie, adapted from the best selling novel by James Jones tells the stories of soldiers based in Hawaii in the weeks prior to the beginning of World War II.

The movie has an all star cast. The movie begins with Private Robert E Lee Prewitt transferring to the Pearl Harbor base. Prewit is a bugler, has transferred in after having undisclosed troubles in his last regiment. As his reputation as an accomplished boxer precedes him the company commander assumes he will be a boon to the regiment's boxing team. Prewitt however insists he does not wish to box any longer leading to his being pressured to do so. Montgomery Clift gives a strong performance.

Burt Lancaster stars as Sgt. Milton Warden. Warden is an enlisted man who feels disdain for his commander who makes little effort at performing his duties, often neglecting them and or leaving Warden to perform them while he chases women. Eventually his disgust with his commanding officer leads Warden down a dangerous path, he begins and affair with the his commanders neglected wife played infamously by Deborah Kerr. Most anyone who has watched a movie or two in their lives has seen the infamous scene in which Lancaster and Kerr lay in the surf in a romantic clinch.

The movie also features Frank Sinatra in an Oscar winning performance as Private Angelo Maggio. Maggio befriends Prewitt when most of the soldiers either ignore or ostracize him. Maggio comes to a bad end however when he gets on the wrong side of the sadistic Fatso Judson. Ernest Borgnine is famous for this role.

Also winning an Oscar was Donna Reed as Alma Burke. Called Lorene in the gentleman's club she works at she and Prewitt develop a relationship after Maggio takes Prewitt out for a night on the town. Seeing Reed in any role that is not innocent or later, matronly, is a bit of a surprise. She was strong enough in this role to win the Oscar. We forget what a strong actress she was.

I have seen several movies Lancaster started in now and what becomes more clear each time is that he was a towering figure. Truthfully I have not seen anything that makes me think that he was a great actor, but he certainly could carry a role.

Eventually the Japanese come to call and our characters lives change forever. The movie offers more depth than a typical World War II film and is well worth a look. Sinatra, so skinny he looks like he could blow away, is especially strong.

It's a Wonderful Life

How many times have we all seen this movie. Five times? Ten Times? More? Yet tonight we watched it again. Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. Donna Reed as his wife Mary. Bert, Ernie, Uncle Billy and Mr. Potter.

The story has become a Christmas story but it is not really. The day that the major event takes place is Christmas Eve but it could be any day. Jimmy Stewart is extremely likable as George Bailey. A man who as a youth had many dreams and they all consisted of getting out of the one horse town of Bedford Falls but continually gets pulled back. First the death of his father, then his brother's decision to marry and even losing his honeymoon when there is a run on the bank.


We have all seen it so why do we watch it. Why do I watch it. I love Jimmy Stewart. Donna Reed was bueatiful and wholesome and fun to watch. As Clarence writes in his gift to George at the end of the movie, any man with friends is a rich man. George Bailey is as his brother toasts him " the richest man in town." A good and decent man, a man involved in his community. Today with the reputation of bankers around that of Congress the idea of a bank executive such as Stewart's George Bailey seems unlikely. It was unlikely for that time too however.

I teared up tonight watching the end. You know whats coming, still the look of Donna Reed's face lit up with joy as friends help them out, his brothers toast, even the bank examiner chipping in to help....it is a story we enjoy because who would not like to entertain the thought that when in trouble that many people would come to help them. Karma says you reap what you sow and for too many of us we are afraid what might come to us in our reaping.

George Bailey is a man we can all love. A man we could all strive to be.

It's a Wonderful Life is a morality tale told with sugar and not with spice. A great movie. I will watch it again next year.

High Noon

Continuing forward with fifties week I watched this, another Gary Cooper classic. Shot in black and white this movie tells the tale of a Sheriff played by Cooper who is to be faced with a return to town of a convict, and his gang, that he put away.

Donna Reed plays the newlywed Quaker wife of the aging lawman played by Cooper. She wants him not to fight. Still Kane is worried about the townsfolk being terrorized if h goes through with his retirement.

The townspeople are no help either afraid or not willing to help for their own personal reasons such as Cooper's deputy played by Lloyd Bridges.

This is a great movie.

Sheb Wooley plays the gunman's brother and the title song sung by Frankie Laine was a hit and still provides a good time capsule to the era.

Again, a great movie