From Here to Eternity (1953)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

James Jones (novel)
Daniel Taradash (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 October 1953 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Pouring out of impassioned pages...brawling their way to greatness on the screen!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Drunk | Beautiful Woman | Guard | Stab

Awards:

Won 8 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	1st Sgt. Milton Warden
Montgomery Clift	...	Pvt. Robert E. Lee 'Prew' Prewitt
Deborah Kerr	...	Karen Holmes
Donna Reed	...	Alma 'Lorene' Burke
Frank Sinatra	...	Pvt. Angelo Maggio
Philip Ober	...	Capt. Dana 'Dynamite' Holmes
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Cpl. Leva
Harry Bellaver	...	Pvt. Mazzioli
Ernest Borgnine	...	Sgt. James R. 'Fatso' Judson
Jack Warden	...	Cpl. Buckley
John Dennis	...	Sgt. Ike Galovitch
Merle Travis	...	Sal Anderson
Tim Ryan	...	Sgt. Pete Karelsen
Arthur Keegan	...	Treadwell
Barbara Morrison	...	Mrs. Kipfer - Owner of New Congress Club

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo | Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:18 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16582)

Filming Locations:

Diamond Head, O`ahu, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Fred Zinnemann was initially reluctant to make the film, as he had an inherent distrust of Columbia head Harry Cohn. He also felt that in the then climate of McCarthyism, to voice anything that cast any doubt over such institutions as the Army, the Navy or the FBI was just asking for trouble.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The impromptu bugle solo in the club is obviously a trumpet solo dubbed into the scene. There's no way a valve-less bugle could achieve the range of notes heard in that solo.

Quotes:

Sergeant Maylon Stark: Leva tells me you've been eyeing the Captain's wife like a hound dog at hunting time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Hut-Sut Song

Montgomery Clift shines From Here to Eternity

"From Here to Eternity" contains the best performance delivered by an actor of any gender on celluloid. Montgomery Clift is assertive, funny, tough, sensitive and charismatic in the pivotal role of Robert E. Lee Prewitt, the rebellious loner with the streak of nobility. It is easy to see why James Dean idolized him after seeing his portrayal in the film. It is also a shame modern actors don't mention his name more often when listing their influences. As often noted, he preceded Brando by two years (he first appeared in Red River, released in 1948; Brando bowed in The Men in 1950)and created the arch-type of the 1950's rebel. But due to his intelligence, Clift also informed his characters with a sense of purpose. He didn't simply rebel. For instance, in Eternity, he apologises after an angry outbreak at his girlfriend. Instead of appearing weak, he impressed me all the more for doing so. It makes him appear more mature than the typical rebel. In another instance, when he feels his friend Maggio is being unfairly attacked, he "stares down" the attacker proving he looks out for his friend, another attractive quality. When the non-coms dole out extra punishment to him to force him to box, he refuses to file a complaint but likewise refuses to comply to their demands. Such moments distinguish Clift from other, more typically macho Hollywood leading men of the era and contributed greatly to Eternity's long initial run at the box office and its status as a classic piece of Hollywood cinema. It is time someone set the record straight and restored Montgomery Clift's name to its rightful place in the pantheon of Hollywood's great leading men. For proof, look no further than From Here to Eternity.