tr-83495

A classic from the early days of the talkies, pairing Academy Award winning actor Frederic March and the young Cary Grant. The plot hits home about the absurdity of war (during World War I days).

Granted, some wars are necessary (World War II), but has any war since that time been necessary to fight given our technology? March can no longer take the bright and baby faced 18 year olds who come, innocently and stupidly, to the slaughter. The kids are naive, doe-eyed, and lacking the necessary perspective to understand they will be slaughtered. Just like in any war, it is the babies -- the 18 year olds -- that are sacrificed in monumental numbers without ever being mourned. March understands this and can no longer live knowing it.

This movie has a lot to say -- director Joseph L. Mankiewicz knew what he was doing in bringing this script into production. But Cary Grant doesn't work in this role. He is too well known and carries a great amount of baggage from all his previous roles. The part of Dr, Praetorius needed to be played by a relatively new or unknown actor. Grant could only be seen as Grant -- his presence was that strong. This was not Dr. Praetorius... it was Cary Grant. It knocked the film off kilter from its offbeat and beguiling beginning in which we see Margaret Hamilton very solemnly warning someone about this Dr. Praetorius character. He is really bad. Then the scene shifts and its ... Cary Grant! It just doesn't work.

Jeanne Crain, sorry to say, does not establish herself in this role and inhabit it like it needed. She acted and this was apparent, but she was always Jeanne Crain, never the character.

This movie was a masterpiece outside of these glaring casting mistakes. Others have run down the plot, but to fully grasp its genius you have to see it more than once. That's why it didn't do as well as expected at the box office. One sitting wasn't enough. The appreciation comes from a deeper understanding, and the majority of the people won't want to do that. Picture this film with another lead and imagine how much improved it would have been, not because Grant was in any way bad, but because he was so good and so well known that he would always just be Cary Grant.

Very light, no plot. Main criticism: 18 year old freshmen in 1960 would not be listening to 1930s and 1940s music -- this is what Bing would do. We never hear anything contemporary.

The kids would be listening to the top 40 of the day and the events, dances, etc. would be organized around what was happening in 1960 -- and that includes music. The kids would not be excited about Bing singing old 30s and 40s songs, no matter how good they were.