Copyright 1959 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. New York opening at the Paramount: 14 August 1959. U.S. release: August 1959. U.K. release: October 1959. Australian release: 10 December 1959. Sydney opening at the Regent. 8,305 feet. 92 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Jerry Morgan (Barry Coe), a personable young man just out of college, Luigi Maresi (Sal Mineo), a jive talking musician, and Mike Conroy (Gary Crosby), playboy heir to an Oregon cattle empire, are all drafted and end up in the same platoon for basic training in a New Jersey Army camp.
COMMENT: I have the Edinburgh Film Festival's 156-page book on Raoul Walsh in front of me. Would you believe that apart from the filmography there's not a single mention of "A Private's Affair"? Typical auteurist procedure. If you come across a film from one of your idols that simply doesn't fit into your sublime theories, just drop it. Just pretend it doesn't exist.
Admittedly, I don't blame auteurists for not mentioning it. "A Private's Affair" is a pretty awful film, whatever your outlook. It's one of those movies made to woo the youth market, but even the most callow or undemanding crop would see the movie as ridiculously dated, impossibly heavy-handed and positively meager in any entertainment qualities.
Even the title, "A Private's Affair", sounds dreadfully dull. And believe me, it's every foot-slogging bit as dull as it sounds. Now a general's affair holds out a bit of promise (v. "Top Secret Affair"). Even a colonel's (v. "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp"). But a private's! (A sergeant is the lowest rank that will interest any worthwhile girls. See "Force of Arms" and "From Here to Eternity").
Considering the triteness and lameness of the script, the young players act it out with incredible earnestness and even enthusiasm. Unfortunately this risible dichotomy between the shallowness of their material and their elephantine efforts to give it weight produces no laughs.
Director Raoul Walsh no doubt saw "A Private's Affair" as a paid holiday. He has done nothing at all to inspire audience sympathy or participation. In fact he hasn't even bothered to dress up the film. Not only is every scene handled like a cheap television show in monotonous patterns of establishing shots and close-ups, but sets and costumes are unbelievably dowdy. As for the color photography credited to Charles G. Clarke, it manages the seemingly impossible, being both fearfully grainy yet sharply unflattering. He seems to have gone out of his way to emphasize the worst features of his young players. Miss Moore in particular should sue!
SYNOPSIS: Jerry Morgan (Barry Coe), a personable young man just out of college, Luigi Maresi (Sal Mineo), a jive talking musician, and Mike Conroy (Gary Crosby), playboy heir to an Oregon cattle empire, are all drafted and end up in the same platoon for basic training in a New Jersey Army camp.
COMMENT: I have the Edinburgh Film Festival's 156-page book on Raoul Walsh in front of me. Would you believe that apart from the filmography there's not a single mention of "A Private's Affair"? Typical auteurist procedure. If you come across a film from one of your idols that simply doesn't fit into your sublime theories, just drop it. Just pretend it doesn't exist.
Admittedly, I don't blame auteurists for not mentioning it. "A Private's Affair" is a pretty awful film, whatever your outlook. It's one of those movies made to woo the youth market, but even the most callow or undemanding crop would see the movie as ridiculously dated, impossibly heavy-handed and positively meager in any entertainment qualities.
Even the title, "A Private's Affair", sounds dreadfully dull. And believe me, it's every foot-slogging bit as dull as it sounds. Now a general's affair holds out a bit of promise (v. "Top Secret Affair"). Even a colonel's (v. "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp"). But a private's! (A sergeant is the lowest rank that will interest any worthwhile girls. See "Force of Arms" and "From Here to Eternity").
Considering the triteness and lameness of the script, the young players act it out with incredible earnestness and even enthusiasm. Unfortunately this risible dichotomy between the shallowness of their material and their elephantine efforts to give it weight produces no laughs.
Director Raoul Walsh no doubt saw "A Private's Affair" as a paid holiday. He has done nothing at all to inspire audience sympathy or participation. In fact he hasn't even bothered to dress up the film. Not only is every scene handled like a cheap television show in monotonous patterns of establishing shots and close-ups, but sets and costumes are unbelievably dowdy. As for the color photography credited to Charles G. Clarke, it manages the seemingly impossible, being both fearfully grainy yet sharply unflattering. He seems to have gone out of his way to emphasize the worst features of his young players. Miss Moore in particular should sue!