From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity has the dubious reputation of being associated with the rumor that Frank Sinatra used his alleged connections with the Mafia to secure his role in the film. This, in turn, was dramatized in the novel The Godfather, with the character of Johnny Fontane serving as a substitute for Sinatra. This subplot in The Godfather came complete with a push by Don Vito Corleone for Johnny to win an Academy Award for his role in the film, a win that mirrors Sinatra’s win for From Here to Eternity. Whether the allegations of Mafia involvement are true or not has never been proven, but that doesn’t really matter. Whether you believe it or not, there is nothing in Sinatra’s performance that stands out enough to merit the win. 

This is also the film that famously destroyed the confidence of actor George Reeves, who was struggling to shuck off his notoriety for playing Superman on television. The story goes that Reeves had a larger role in the original cut, but test audiences were cajoling him on screen, making quips about Superman whenever Reeves appeared. The results: Columbia Pictures cut most of his scenes out, sending the actor into a spiral of depression that ultimately ended in his death under suspicious circumstances. This too may be apocryphal, but the story was widespread, which has meant that these images come to mind whenever watching it. 

Because of all this, I have a difficult time ignoring all of this whenever watching this film, much in the same way I have difficulty watching American Beauty knowing what I now know about Kevin Spacey. Sometimes behind-the-scenes drama, founded or otherwise, can affect the way we view things. Can we really watch Romeo and Juliet without thinking about the accusations Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting lobbied against the director in later years? This may not be on the same level, but it was on my mind a lot while I watched From Here to Eternity again this morning. 

Before the film, though, there was the novel by the same name. Released in 1951, this romantic war drama written by James Jones loosely told of the experiences Jones had as a member of the pre-World War II Hawaiian Division’s 27th Infantry and in the unit he served in, Company E, the Boxing Company. However, while some of the characters were based on actual persons, the harsh environment and conditions described in the book were entirely fictional. Fellow soldiers who served with Jones at the time went on record stating that the novel was about 80-90% factual. This did open the book, and the film that followed, to a lawsuit by Jones’ friend and fellow soldier Robert Lee Stewart upon whom the character Robert E. Lee Prewitt was based. That lawsuit was ultimately dropped to preserve their friendship, but Stewart felt the book and film were an invasion of his privacy and he felt defamed. Knowing how this film ends, that assessment is understandable. 

The setting is Schofield Barracks on Oahu, Hawaii. In February 1941, Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift), a buglar and career soldier, once a professional boxer, transfers in. Captain of the barracks, Dana “Dynamite” Holmes (Philip Ober), wants him for his regimental boxing team and is frustrated when Prewitt declares that he has quit boxing for an undisclosed reason. When Holmes cannot convince him to change his mind, he arranges to make Prewitt’s life miserable in an attempt to break him. But Prewitt is determined not to fight anymore, eventually revealing that his last fight left his opponent in a coma and blinded. Eventually, Holmes decides to court-martial Prewitt for his refusal to box, but First Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) convinces him to simply double Prewitt’s company punishment instead. To add to his misery, Prewitt is hazed by the other Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) while only really getting support from his close friend, Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra). 

Maggio has run afoul of stockade Sergeant “Fatso” Judson (Ernest Borgnine), and their mutual dislike nearly comes to a knife fight, only prevented by the intervention of Warden, who faces Judson down and gets him to drop his knife. But Judson insists that Maggio will get sentenced to the stockade eventually, and when that time happens, Judson will be ready to get his revenge. This eventually happens when Maggio walks off guard duty to go out and get drunk. 

In the meantime, several romances are developing. Prewitt has found a young woman at a social club frequented by the soldiers. This woman, Lorene (Donna Reed), isn’t looking to settle down and instead is saving her income to buy a home for her and her mother back in the States. Warden has also met a woman, Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr), the wife of Captain Holmes. Karen is the victim of a bad marriage where her husband is frequently unfaithful to her, leading to a miscarriage and subsequent infertility. Even though it could lead to a prison sentence, Warden pursues a relationship with her, and she suggests he should pursue an officer’s commission so she can divorce her husband and be with him instead. While all of this drama is playing out, the months are going by, leading up to that fateful day in December when the Japanese launch their attack on Pearl Harbor.

This is the picture that won the Academy Award as the best film of the year. Ultimately, it took home eight Oscars out of thirteen nominations, by far the most for a single film that year. There is no doubt this film struck a chord with critics and audiences alike. This was just far enough past the actual events of Pearl Harbor that the wounds were starting to heal but just close enough to it that moviegoers could still relate to those feelings of horror that event brought with it. That, coupled with the tragic events of the confrontation between Prewitt and “Fatso” Judson and the final, avoidable fate of Prewitt, add an emotional gut-punch to the proceedings. This is not a feel-good movie, and no one comes out of it where they want to be. The only main character who truly gets what they deserve is Captain Holmes when he is stripped of his command and forced to resign. 

It’s interesting to see this time capsule of a movie where Oahu is depicted during this era in history. Having visited the island recently, many of these spots haven’t changed much, especially the north shore beaches where the infamous kissing scene between Karen and Warden was filmed. Hawaii hasn’t changed all that much over the years, and many of these places can still be seen to this day. The scenery plays an important role in this film as we not only see the island in the years prior to it becoming a state but also how it served as a strategic port prior to the USA’s involvement in World War II. That, coupled with an interesting story about a man who refuses to give in to bullies who are determined to force him into fighting, makes for a unique film that is only really marred by the goings-on behind the scenes. 

Academy Award Nominations:

Best Picture: Buddy Adler (won)

Best Director: Fred Zinnemann (won)

Best Actor: Montgomery Clift

Best Actor: Burt Lancaster

Best Actress: Deborah Kerr

Best Supporting Actor: Frank Sinatra (won)

Best Supporting Actress: Donna Reed (won)

Best Screenplay: Daniel Taradash (won)

Best Cinematography - Black-and-White: Burnett Guffey (won)

Best Costume Design - Black-and-White: Jean Louis

Best Film Editing: William Lyon (won)

Best Musical Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture: George Duning and Morris Stoloff

Best Sound Recording: John P. Livadary (won)

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Release Date: August 5, 1953

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, and Frank Sinatra

Directed by: Fred Zinnemann