“From Here to Eternity” (1953) starring Burt Lancaster, Mongomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra & Donna Reed / Z-View

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From Here to Eternity (1953)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Screenplay: Daniel Taradash; based on FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones

Stars:  Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Philip Ober, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Warden, Claude Akins, Al Silvani and George Reeves.

Tagline: WARDEN… who wouldn’t do it… even for her… PREW… who wanted to be left alone… KAREN… who was looking for a real man… MAGGIO… you just have to laugh at him… LORENE… to look at her you’d never guess…

The Plot…

1941.  Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a professional boxer who retired after blinding another fighter, is transferred to Fort Shafter in Hawaii.  Captain “Dynamite” Holmes is excited to get Prewitt under his command.  Prewitt on his boxing team is a sure thing to win the Regimental Boxing Championship.  When Prewitt refuses to box, Holmes decides to “break him”.

To that end, Captain Holmes orders his subordinates to make Prewitt’s life miserable.  Extra duties.  Extreme punishments.  Nothing can break Prewitt’s resolve.  Company punishments for Prewitt’s “infractions” distance his fellow soldiers from him.  Only Private Angelo Maggio is willing to be friendly with Prewitt.  This causes friction between Maggio and the sadistic Sergeant Judson.

Sergeant Milton knows Captain Holmes is wrong, but it would be career suicide to disobey him.  Of course Milton’s affair with Captain Holmes’ wife would have the same result.

Things are past a breaking point…

… then the morning of December 7th dawns…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

From Here to Eternity was nominated for thirteen 1954 Academy Awards.  It won eight.

  • Winner for Best Picture – Buddy Adler
  • Winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Frank Sinatra
  • Winner for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Donna Reed
  • Winner for Best Director – Fred Zinnemann
  • Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay – Daniel Taradash
  • Winner for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Burnett Guffey
  • Winner for Best Sound, Recording – John P. Livadary
  • Winner for Best Film Editing – William A. Lyon
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Montgomery Clift
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Burt Lancaster
  • Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Deborah Kerr
  • Nominee for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Jean Louis 
  • Nominee for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Morris Stoloff, George Duning

From Here to Eternity tied Gone with the Wind with the eight Oscars won by a single film.  This record stood for over a decade. The films were also winners of the Best Picture Oscar.  Interestingly enough only one actor appears in both: George (Superman) Reeves.  Reeves had small roles in both films and is actually uncredited in From Here to Eternity.  

Claude Atkins made his film debut in this film.

From Here to Eternity is a classic.

From Here to Eternity (1953) rates 5 of 5 stars.