lohman48

The movie was made on the Silverton and Durango Railroad in 1957. I was there in 1959 as a boy of ten. I remember movie photos in some of the buildings. This is a great movie and it is mostly the scenery that was shot in Colorado. For some reason it had a special effect on me and I have seen it again several time. Jimmy Stewart is just Jimmy Stewart, he could have been the same character in all his westerns. He even wears the same cowboy hat. I heard him say one time he found it in the trash at a studio. I never think of Audie Murphy as the war hero, I never think of him with the personality of the man who is reported to have kept a gun under his pillow and other actors and staff were afraid of him. He always looked the kind little boy.

I think one highlight of the movie is when Stewart plays the accordion and sings the song about the railroad. That is one thing that takes him out of his own character. Stewart never sang much in the movies. Dan Duryea was always a great actor, he is the one who always seemed a little big like he was going over the edge. One will never forget the great supporting actor Jack Elam. The only thing I ever saw him in which was not a western was an episode of Home Improvement.

The movie itself is entertaining and rather predictable at times. Kind of like the movie mill war stories of that era. The roll played by Don Ameche was not a Don Ameche roll. Ameche is better known for his humor, IE: The Bickersons and Cocoon. The roll of a sad, by the book Navy officer must have been a stretch for him, but he did it in perfection. He became a dark shadow in scenes where he just walks through and always alone. The lonely man, hardly cracking a smile. Everyone hating him, tough to the point, lonely, misunderstood and doing the job he was appointed to do. It makes you wonder how many men had to be this way during any war.

Ameche should have won an Acadamy Award for his role in this movie.

The movie started out funny with a good plot and some good gags and laughs, but about the time she goes to France the movie seems to take on a different tone and try to become serious. Outside of the "knock out punch" in the last scene there is nothing to laugh about. Yes, it became a good movie for women to feel good about themselves, which is fine with me. I think the movie would have been better if it would have ended about thirty minutes before it did.

Goldie is always good in her role and played the part well, she was very believable, but again her role was somewhat predictable. The big surprise was just a few minutes after saying she wanted out of the army she decided to stay.

The movie also makes recruiters and officers in our military seem like a bunch of liars. Since I have never been in, I don't know if this is the right impression or not.