Pavillon de combat

This is another film that is really let down by it's title. One that suggests more of a swashbuckler - or a romance, at any rate - than a biopic of American Admiral Hoskins (Sterling Hayden) who was a pioneer of the use of jet aircraft from aircraft carriers. As it is, it's an OK depiction of the struggles of the man against the elements, technology, human frailty and government to get his ideas implemented. Hayden is a charm-free actor here, his dedication to his task is laudable, but cheerless and any semblance of romance with wife Sue (a rather prim Alexis Smith) left me cold. It does have oodles of wonderful original aerial photography to augment it, though - and that helps. Sadly, though, this is all as flat as the deck on the "USS Princeton".

This film could be called almost a purist biopic, but it is different from all other biopics in its carefully documentary character in a very restrained style of refinery making it rather classic in character and form. It simply tells the true story of the naval officer who by sheer stolid stubbornness rose to become one of the greatest and most important admirals of the US navy in the Korea war to finally step down voluntarily when he simply felt it the right thing to do as he saw other needs where he could make himself even more useful. The conclusion of the film is therefore the ultimate apotheos of a very constructive life.

But the via crucis to that end is long and difficult, we see the casualties, the downing of carriers, the pioneer planes ending up in flames, the war is there in all its inhumanity and hell, but since it was there it had to be fought and won, and that's what keeps the admiral going even as he lies decrepit and hospitalized with threats of permanent retirement. This is an American parallel to Douglas Bader.

It's a unique film in its singular discipline of sticking to the subject and aiming at the point throughout, and therefore it strikes home with a vengeance.

If a person looked to the movie poster to show them what the movie would be about, the one for "The Eternal Sea" would seriously mislead them. After all, you see the Rear Admiral (Sterling Hayden) locked in the arms of his wife (Alexis Smith). However, this movie isn't really a romance and the scene has little to do with this film.

Instead of a romance, the film is about a career naval officer-- specifically from WWII until 1955. When the film starts, Captain Hoskins (Hayden) is desk-bound and longing to be back in command of a ship since the war is raging. However, when he finally gets a ship after years of waiting, he's severely injured even before he can take actual command of the ship...losing his lower leg in the process. But Hoskins was determined not to be retired and fought the Navy to remain on active duty. But the war ends and so far the film has given the audience little to understand why they made a movie about the guy. His post-WWII career turned out to be far more eventful as he championed jet aircraft on aircraft carriers and took the US fleet into the Korean War.

Overall, this is a mildly interesting lower-budgeted bio-pic. Nothing great, nothing bad about the film...just a decent military film with only a reasonable amount of stock footage (a big plus).

For John H. Auer, a triumph.

A simple tale, yet profound.

Of a real person, facing challenges.

John Madison Hoskins, United States Navy, (1898-1964)

For Sterling Hayden, as John Hoskins, a wonderful performance, as in all his films.

Well supported by Alexis Smith as Mrs Hoskins.

Dean Jagger adds another role to his illustrious career, as Thomas L. Semple.

Ben Cooper as 'Zuggy' Zugbaum. Ben Cooper, never got the acclaim, for his various characterizations, I believe he deserved.

Various costars, Virginia Grey, Hayden Rorke, Douglas Kennedy and Willis Bouchey give good support.

Real naval personnel are portrayed.

Such as Arthur Dewey Struble.

And William F. 'Bull' Halsey.

I guess that John H Auer was the main war film provider for the studio; Republic Studio. Sterling Hayden brings much to this one, huge budget for this studio, but the result is not on the John Ford's style scale. Especially with the use of footage combat scenes. It's is tiring after a while. I watched it mainly for the presence of ASPHALT JUNGLE lead. I admit. It is bearable, but sometimes a bit long, boring. If you crave for war features, patriotic or not - and this one belongs to this category - you won't be deceived. Without Sterling Hayden, I am not sure I would have spent one hundred minutes of my life on this movie.