The Original (1953) Pearl Harbour Movie; From Here to
Eternity won eight Academy Awards out of
13 nominations, including for Picture, Best Director (Fred Zinnemann. “In its
day, the film was startling - in part because it got made (everyone had warned
that the James Jones novel was too dirty)," writes David Thomson in New
Republic. “In addition, the film was boldly cast: Deborah Kerr is a surprise as
the disillusioned wife, Karen; Burt Lancaster is subtle as Sgt. Warden; Clift
is Clift; and then there was Frank Sinatra, who knew MAGGIO was his title shot and wasn’t going to let it
get away.” Today, it’s Donna Reed who makes the deepest impression. As Thomson
points out, her “LORENE” is a wreck and a true portrait from life as well as
the film’s best forecast of what was going to happen to honour and decency in
America when this necessary war was over.”
