Based on the novel by Irwin Shaw, this 1958 feature was nominated for three Academy Awards and features an all-star cast including Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Dean Martin, Maximilian Schell and Hope Lange.
It begins in pre-war Germany, with Brando playing ski instructor Christian Diestl. We later find ourselves in New York City as Michael Whiteacre, a show biz personality played by Martin, and Noah Ackerman, a Jewish clerk played by Clift, are being drafted into the U.S. Army. The movie follows the path of these young men as they are transformed into soldiers in the heat of battle during WW II. Noah faces bullying and anti-Semitism at the hands of his fellow soldiers and commanding officer. Diestl sees duty in Paris and North Africa as a Nazi soldier, where he is badly wounded. He grows to hate the war but is torn between his conscience and his duty as a German. Meanwhile, feeling guilty about showbiz connections that land him a safe job in England, Whiteacre volunteers for front-line duty in the infantry. All three soldiers meet in the movie’s climactic scene.
Coming on the heels of his split with longtime show-biz partner Jerry Lewis, the movie helped Martin launch his solo career, establishing him as a far more versatile actor than a mere straight man for the manic Lewis.
To view the trailer, click here.
To rent the movie, click here.
To buy the DVD, click here.
To buy the book the movie was based on, click here.
To view a video about the movie’s world premiere, click here.
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