User reviews

Until They Sail (1957)

In some ways this is a terrific movie about women at home as their soldier men fought in World War II. The setting is New Zealand, and the women are four sisters there. The men are mostly American soldiers, seen not as invaders but still as aliens who are not quite welcome, The filming in wide screen (Cinemascope, really wide) black and white is fabulous. And the acting, including key roles by Paul Newman and Jean Simmons, is great.

There isn't a stick of actual fighting here, if you want that kind of movie. Instead it's an interwoven tale of women trying to survive lost husbands in the war, and finding love, or not, in the mixed up world of war time New Zealand.

It's an interesting cast, with three women and one man (Paul Newman) as the top four billings. And a story by James Michener, with photography by Joseph Ruttenberg. Sounds like a winner, especially as the director (with MGM) was the soon to be legendary Robert Wise.

The scene is New Zealand during WWII. And it has to be added that Joan Fontaine and Jean Simmons are both first rate actresses (and Sandra Dee is getting a breakout role), all playing young women left behind by the men called to war. It's filmed in a kind of somber, clear-eye black and white, very emphatic and straight forward. It's what Paul Newman insisted was a "woman's picture," and in fact it really is about the four sisters and their varying interests in men.

Jean Simmons shines far more than the famed Joan Fontaine, and she is the counterpart for Paul Newman, who is the point man for the American presence (and the introduction to American men). The writing is a bit stiff and the editing sometimes slow, as if the nuances of fairly mundane reactions and intentions are worth lingering over. They aren't, not always. If you make it beyond the long long establishing scenes, you'll eventually get sucked in. I'm a huge fan of Simmons, who seems undeniable in any role and not just for some kind of cover girl beaiuty, and so I loved her scenes, which are numerous.

And yet, even if this movie seems to follow some ordinary romantic path, you can't help but feel, individually, for the four women wanting to not be alone. (It has some echo of "Little Women," to me.) That's the reason to hang in there. It takes time to get invested in the characters and their needs. Paul Newman is very good as usual, but more restrained than you might expect. Handsome, but without some kind of edge that made him bigger than life.

This strikes me as a drama, not a war film but about a human problem that happens to have some soldiers in it. It's not all great stuff-some of the writing is filler, or a bit dumbed down-but the best of it is felt and honest, and it's all seen (filmed) with classic beauty. The interwoven series of relationships with several women and several men has a weird echo of the earlier "The Best Years of Their Lives," and that's a good thing (and Ruttenberg holds his own against Gregg Toland in that parallel). In fact, the photography in black and white Cinemascope (anamorphic wide screen) is really special, for those who notice such things.

This is pure Hollywood, shot on an MGM lot (and studio). But it does to show how the "old" method worked so well. So, I loved this more than many of you will because of it's moviemaking aspects. It will get patient at times, but we all have to make time sometimes. As these women learned, too, without any choice.

This movie is wonderful. It's romantic, truthful and perfectly cast. It shows how lonely women can be without the love of a man in their life, and how wounds take so long to heal, and how easily they can be made. Jean Simmons is beautiful and sensitive in her portrayal of a New Zealand lass trying to remain decent and understanding emotional pain and restriction in a time of war. Paul Newman is positively gorgeous and plays his role as a cynical soldier so well i could seriously believe him really being one. The ending of the movie, although somewhat predictable, is lovely and suitable. I recommend this film to all lovers of Jean Simmons, Paul Newman and the classically romantic dramas of the 50's.

James A. Michener's WWII tale of four sisters in a seaside New Zealand home who experience the highs and lows of love. With nearly all the men in their town off fighting in the war, the gals are at first apprehensive, but finally grateful when the streets fill up with American Yanks on leave. Joan Fontaine, as the eldest of the clan, falls for handsome soldier Charles Drake from Oklahoma (and has his child out of wedlock!), while Jean Simmons manages to get close to cynical, hard-drinking Paul Newman. Piper Laurie, as sort of the beautiful black sheep of the family, tires quickly of her sudden marriage and heads off to nearby Wellington to play the field. Sandra Dee, in her film debut, is very cute as a dimply, growing 15-year-old with a passion for boys. Attractive M-G-M production surprises in its openness of sexual matters, yet the flashback framework was unnecessary, as were the stock-shots of battleships on the horizon (making it seem as if the girls live on their own private island). Though each actor gets equal screen-time, Laurie nearly steals the picture with a finely-etched portrayal of a young woman desperately trying to find herself--and feeling the strangulation of family ties (she's also extraordinarily lovely here). Not up to the classics of the wartime movie genre, but certainly not bad. **1/2 from ****

Very good Paul Newman about the effect that war has on people's lives as they try to cope with their loneliness due to separation.

It was a great ensemble cast with Newman and Jean Simmons (Oscar nominations for The Happy Ending and Hamlet), Joan Fontaine (Oscar for Suspicion, and nominations for Rebecca and The Constant Nymph), Piper Laurie (Oscar nominations for Carrie, Children of a Lesser God, The Hustler), and Sandra Dee.

For a 1957 film, it really took on issues such as infidelity and illegitimate children and the casualness of sex during wartime.

Newman was great as the officer charged with investigating girls who soldiers wanted to marry and take back home. He played a character very familiar in his films - one that had a close relationship with the bottle.

This film was written by famous writer James Michener and also a very famous director Robert Wise along with a great cast of actors who made this into a great 1957 Classic to view and enjoy. The story revolves around sister's who live in New Zealand during the war and most of the men have gone into the service of their country and left a small town without any men and strictly women. As the war continues, these women seek men and when the United States troops arrive in New Zealand many women want to get married, some have babies out of wedlock and the war upsets the morals of all men and women in this small town. Jean Simmons, (Barbara Leslie Forbes); Joan Fontaine Anne Leslie and Sandra Dee, (Evelyn Leslie) are all sisters, some married and some simply living with one man after another. Sanda Dee plays the role of the baby sister in her teens who also begins to fall in love. Paul Newman, (Capt. Richard Bates) has a great interest in Barbara Leslie after her husband is killed, but he will not commit himself to her and is really afraid to start a relationship because he has to fight in the Pacific against the Japanese Government. This is a very emotional film and shows the horrors of war and the suffering it causes men and women. Enjoy.

I have to admit, when I first heard of this film, I didn't think it would keep my interest or attention. The casting, albeit comprised of talented performers, seemed a little odd: 40 year old Fontaine and 13 year old Sandra Dee as sisters sounds a little far fetched, but the pairing actually plays out believably on screen. The age difference translates into a believable mother/daughter type of sisterly relationship, which is appropriate since Fontaine's character has been left to tend to her three sisters after her parents' death.

Preconceived notions aside, the story is a compelling one, centering around four sisters in WWII New Zealand. Fontaine, Dee, Jean Simmons, and Piper Laurie all turn in admirable performances as the Lesley sisters in a plot that can sometimes seem a little implausible, or at the very least, ahead of it's time. Paul Newman also co-stars as a Marine officer who plays a pivotal role in the lives of the sisters, namely Simmons' character.

Not the best role of any of the principal actors' careers, but definitely worth seeing, especially if you are drawn to WWII era dramas.

Having spent six years living in New Zealand I was especially gratified to see some of my old haunts and gorgeous scenery up there on the screen. When I was there 1986-1992 the people were still very upset about the goings-on between their native daughters and the visiting Americans despite 40 years having gone by. I was struck, in reading the reviews, both external and internal, by the insufferable condescension shown by the reviewers toward the finely nuanced shades of human emotion they had just been privileged to witness as created by author James Michener and director Robert Wise. Some of these people wouldn't know an authentic emotion if it shouted "Boo" at them. The clichéd use of the terms "women's movie" and "soap opera" ought to be finally banned from any attempt at serious criticism. Such marvelous performances by all concerned (both English and American) are to be treasured and appreciated rather than sneered at from some vantage point of aesthetic superiority on high. The emotional melting of the uptight moralistic Joan Fontaine and the pained, cynical Paul Newman are both heartbreakingly beautiful moments in this film. And the cottage pre-departure embrace between Newman and Peters reminded me of the similar moment on the beach between Lancaster and Kerr in From Here to Eternity of four years before. I think Until They Sail is one of the most wonderful movies I've ever seen.

A good deal made me want to see 'Until They Sail'. A fine director in Robert Wise, who directed two of my favourite films ('West Side Story' and 'The Sound of Music', is that going to be a popular opinion here?), a cast full of great actors (Paul Newman, Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine), some interesting themes, my love for classic film and an equally interesting idea for a story.

While it was not mind-blowing or perfect, neither will it be one of my favourites any time soon, 'Until They Sail' was still a well done film with many great things, that had emotional impact, was brave in how it portrayed its themes, made the most out of its story and far from wasted its talent. Not the best work of all involved but all come off well. More one of those appreciated it rather than loved it ones.

'Until They Sail' is a little overwrought at times as could have done with a little less talk.

Also found the outcome of the Piper Laurie and Wally Cassell subplot forced and a jarring note in a film that otherwise was anything but. The odd pacing lull here and there, but a vast majority of the time the pace is measured but seldom dull.

However, there is nothing to fault the cast. Fontaine and Simmons give sensitive, deeply felt performances and Newman's is one of his better ones of his early career, comfortable and intensely cool. Piper Laurie's accent may stick out somewhat but her acting is committed and rich in emotion, while Sandra Dee is more than credible. Wise directs superbly.

Visually, 'Until They Sail' is beautifully and cleverly shot with some striking and vivid locations. The script is thought-provoking and remarkably daring in its sophistication-filled and not over-serious handling of themes seldom explored in film at this point, giving it much humanity. The story is mostly sympathetic and poignant, avoiding getting too over the top in melodrama, not easy to do with the subject and topics explored. The characters are realistically written.

In conclusion, well done and interesting, with few stumbling blocks and many great things. 7/10 Bethany Cox

As I wrote in the summary, this is NOT your typical war movie full of action and battles with fire-arms scenes; so, if you want to see something similar to THE LONGEST DAY or BATTLE OF BRITAIN, this movie it's not for you!

Now I am not saying that UNTIL THEY SAIL it's bad. I am saying that this movie, instead of focusing on the war actions, it focuses on the women left behind waiting their husbands from the war and their woes and all the differences between them. And, even though it's not a must-see movie, it's actually pretty good.

Visually, this movie is beautifully shot, and the locations (in New Zealand) are simply a delight to watch; the soundtrack, even though it's not outstanding, it's also pretty good. And the pace, although it dragged half-way, it's measured.

The performances are all good: Paul Newman (in one of his first movies) it's charismatic and cool as always; Joan Fontaine, Piper Laurie and Sandra Dee are credible and give heart-felt performances, and Jean Simmons, like Newman, gives a deep and touching performance. And it's directed by Robert Wise, another great director of the 1950s-1960s.

The story is very realistic and never gets over the top despite the setting and subject explored. In substance, even with a few flaws, it's well done and worth-watching.

I am currently watching this movie on television. I am a native of Christchurch, New Zealand, where this movie was made in 1957.I am afraid to say that,despite any positive attributes this film may have, it is completely spoilt for me by the total absence of any detectable NZ accent spoken by the lead characters so far.The accents seem to swing from Jean Simmonds "cut glass" English tones, to the other obvious American accents of the principals, supposedly playing NZ girls.There has been one attempt at our accent so far, by a man, which ended up sounding broad Cockney.I appreciate that back when this film was made,credible New Zealand born actors were in much shorter supply than nowadays, but these voices playing Kiwis must have been as grating to NZers watching then, as they are now.Jean Simmonds speaks the way the Queen does...nothing like a New Zealander!Voice coaches must surely have been in existence back then? We don't talk in English or American accents, and didn't then either.Sloppy work..."if a jobs worth doing, its worth doing well."

wonderful film

The cast is incredibly attractive. You have Joan Fontaine, Jean Simmons, Sandra Dee all in beautiful black and white. People look so much better in black and white, as it evens the skin tone. Probably a provocative movie in its day, and Michener sure has a way of weaving a story around history. The people are so pretty in this movie, and their voices are so nice too. Love to see a young Paul Newman, he is a very feminine, very unusual man.

I don't see movies that cover this much in 90 minutes now. I feel as if films today are afraid to cover ground too fast, and that the art of cinema has become overemphasized over storytelling, which this movie does rather well.

War starts, the New Zealand men go off to fight, and four sisters are left to cope with that- and the arrival of the American fleet! It sounds like a recipe for the most hackneyed sort of wartime romance weepie, but this film is certainly not that.

First, this is an ensemble movie, where no one 'star' dominates. From Paul Newman (probably the best-remembered name now) on, we are given a whole clutch of accomplished and finely nuanced performances.

The cinematography is superbly judged: this is one of those lovingly observed pictures where a shot of 'two people talking' is rarely just that; the backgrounds and choice of shots are a delight. This must be viewed in the original format, not 'scanned'!

The script is intelligent and daring. Sexual topics such as promiscuity and having children outside marriage are dealt with in a surprisingly straightforward and sophisticated manner for a 1950s movie. And, it must be said, they are dealt with in a human and sympathetic fashion. There is no hint of the lurid sensationalism nor of the tight-arsed repressiveness that films of this era often display when dealing with such subject matter.

In a situation where the old well-patterned expectations have gone by the board, the sisters attempt to keep track of their universe with a wall-map of the world on which they plot where their men are now. The scope of this exercise is enlarged to include the dead, and then American 'friends'. Ultimately, the map is screwed up and thrown on the fire as the old world- including the old moral universe- goes up in smoke.

The only jarring note is the plot device allowing the film to open and close with a murder trial. One of the sisters has married a 'local'- clearly marked as unsuitable by his working class tones and chest hair! The relationship ends in worse than tears. This element of the film has all the sophistication of an Enid Blyton 'Famous Five' childrens book, and sits uneasily in such an- otherwise- intelligent performance!

Welcome to the world of Until They Sail, which could have been entitled Every Girl in New Zealand is Stupid: A small town is depleted of its men during the outbreak of WWII, and when America joins the war and sends an influx of soldiers to the area, all the girls go boy-crazy. Believe it or not, this is a drama. It's also supposed to be believed that Joan Fontaine, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee (all of varying accents, none of which sound the slightest bit New Zealand) are sisters separated by only a few years apiece. Joan Fontaine was twenty-five years older than Sandra Dee, and until the characters repeatedly called her "sister," I thought she was the mother of the three girls.

Each girl claims to have great common sense, but one by one they exercise the worst common sense imaginable. Piper Laurie marries an oaf because he's one of the only men remaining after the draft, even though she has a sweetheart fighting overseas. Then, when she gets tired of her husband, she runs off to the big city and becomes a prostitute for American GIs. Joan Fontaine is strict with her other daughters-I mean sisters-and forbids them from having anything to do with Yank soldiers, but Sandra Dee is forward enough to approach strangers, flirt, and invite them to dinner. Jean Simmons keeps defending her sister's behavior, even though she's far too young, with the lousy excuse of "it's been three years since we've even seen a man!" Jean and Joan have their own romances eventually and make incredibly stupid mistakes. Jean falls for Paul Newman, someone who bluntly tells her he doesn't want to marry her and probably won't ever love her but wants to go to bed with her.

I stuck with this movie because of the cast. Who wouldn't want to see Jean Simmons and Paul Newman together? Boy, was I disappointed. This movie's just lousy, so unless you're having trouble sleeping, don't rent it. From start to finish, it's offensive against feminine judgment and judgment of women.

To start with this is a film about New Zealand women but NOT a New Zealand film.Some viewers are not aware that the N.Z. backdrops are actually filmed by the second unit while the close-ups and interiors were filmed in the M.G.M.studio.I was 11 when this film was released here and already obsessed with films and film stars.I later understood why my parents steered me away from "Until They Sail" not only because of the adult content but also because it was only about 12 years after WW11 and even adults refrained from discussing the American "contribution" to our society.Many of my generation were adopted out and did not discover until years later that they their fathers were actually visiting American servicemen. Back to the film itself while it's not totally convincing to us Kiwis it is a worthy effort in it's own right.The acting is impressive particularly from the underrated Jean Simmons who is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous and teams superbly with Paul Newman.

Until They Sail might be the first Hollywood film about New Zealand that was filmed in New Zealand. Although you will find nary a Kiwi in the cast in the principal roles and no one even attempts an accent.

Despite this, the fact that it was written by James Michener who certainly was the American author who wrote stories of the South Pacific certainly guarantees authenticity and entertainment. The film is about the four Leslie sisters who are getting a bit lonely because all of the available males are in the service in some of the far flung fronts that the British Empire needed defending.

Although the danger wasn't as immediate for New Zealand as it was for Australia with Japanese occupied New Guinea spread like a canopy over that continent, still after Pearl Harbor for a couple of months fear of occupation was also added to the collective civilian psyche of the Kiwis. Then the American marines arrived and later the army as they did in Australia using the place as a training and embarkation point for the various island battles of the Pacific War.

The four sisters are Joan Fontaine, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. Fontaine the eldest feels responsibility for the rest and she's in danger of becoming one prudish spinster, but she finds real romance with a marine captain in Charles Drake who is a Rhodes Scholar to boot.

Simmons is married with a husband off in North Africa and she resents all the Yanks, as they said in Great Britain, oversexed, overpaid, and over here. Paul Newman is a recently divorced marine who's quite cynical about the opposite sex and no threat. Later on Simmons and Newman do find a need for each other.

Newman is a staff officer and one of his jobs is to investigate claims for all the homesick marines who fall in love and decide they want to marry Kiwi girls. Piper Laurie has not let any grass grow under her feet, she marries Wally Cassell one of the few male Kiwis around and because she has needs. Then later she's got her pick of Americans for that chore after Cassell goes off to war. Truth be told Cassell is something of a low life, but not like Laurie didn't know what she was getting into.

Finally there's Sandra Dee in her motion picture debut creating her image of sweet virginity for the public. The youngest and wisest, she's content to wait for a boy in the service and hopes he'll come back safe and sound of wind and limb.

As the Citadel Film series book on The Films Of Paul Newman points out, this was Newman's first attempt at screen romance. The cynical part of his nature he always had down. But his scenes with Simmons were very tender indeed especially after his wall of cynicism comes crashing down.

The surprise for me was the performance that director Robert Wise got out of Wally Cassell. This is a guy who usually plays happy go lucky types, but good guys in many films. This portrayal opens quite a different dimension for me, for this particular player.

If it were remade today I think that it would be mandated that players from New Zealand or Australia have roles. I can certainly see Nicole Kidman in either the Simmons or Fontaine parts. Until a remake is done this version of Until They Sail is a fine wartime romance.

This is not my usual type film, I only watched it because it had Paul Newman and Jean Simmons, but I was surprised to find quite a good movie.

It is about 4 New Zealand sisters who want to marry US Sailors when stationed there during the war, an unusual precept for a Hollywood film, but it is mostly about Jean Simmons and Paul Newman of course, and they provide excellent acting, Paul Newman is very young and Jean Simmons incredibly beautiful. Also the New Zealand location shots are very nice. Joan Fontaine was very nice too.

Despite it not being my type I give it a 6 out of 10

filmed in New Zealand in 1957, One could wonder what paradise looks like from a couch potatoes vicarious point of view. 4 Sisters living in Christchurch New Zealand find love, happiness and sometimes tragedy after they embark in whirlwind relationships with visiting WWII American Soldiers. A cast of characters worthy of Hollywood splashes the screen with an older seasoned Joan fontaine matching wits with her 15 year old sister named Sandra Dee, To top it off you have Piper Laurie and jean Simmons as the other two sisters. Even though none of the sisters were born in New Zealand, they sure did a darn great job acting and making me believe that they couldn't have been born in any other country except New Zealand that i had to find out for myself! i would personally like to thank the New Zealand People for letting Hollywood film a great movie and letting the world watch the pristine, paradise settings of the NZ landscape !!!

This one is about New Zealand in wartime and the romantic entanglements of four kiwi sisters with American servicemen stationed in Christchurch and Wellington. Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Piper Laurie and Sandra Dee play Barbara, Ann, Delia and Evelyn respectively, the nice middle-class Lesley girls whose men are away fighting in North Africa, and who find themselves drawn to the glamorous Americans.

"It's no use worrying about Delia. She's lost," opines Ann. Delia is the fallen woman, the girl whose head is turned by the sexual allure of the G.I.'s. She lands herself a job in Wellington in order to get away from South Island and the orbit of Ann, and also to situate herself in the middle of the highest possible concentration of Americans. Piper Laurie is ideal as the beautiful, doomed girl, and the only thing which detracts from an otherwise memorable performance is her difficulty concealing her American accent.

The tale is told from the subjective viewpoint of Barbara. Her husband left for the African campaign only a month after marrying her, but as the second-eldest of the Lesley girls, and a married woman, she has to shoulder a lot of responsibility for her sisters. She meets the handsome, embittered Major Harding (Paul Newman) and when, after the first encounter, she stops to look back at him, we know that she will fall in love. As Harding puts it, misquoting Shakespeare, "war makes strange bedfellows".

Ann is the eldest of the brood, and the one most preoccupied with respectability. She falls for Captain Bates (we see her suppress a smile when Barbara looks her way). What subsequently happens to Ann is meant to illustrate that it is only natural for men and women to couple, and that conventional notions of decency fly out of the bedroom window in wartime. However, the events which befall her, good and bad, are rather far-fetched and damage the story's overall credibility.

Even the youngest of the litter, schoolgirl Evelyn, has Tommy away fighting with ANZAC and Max here in Christchurch. How believable is this, given Evelyn's age and the mores of her time and social class?

The story contains too many dramatic sunderings and liaisons to be convincing. Would Barbara really trawl the hotels of Wellington, asking for Harding at each reception desk, when she could simply phone around? In its bid to appeal to the American market, the film goes in for grating Americanisms like courtroom witnesses "taking the stand".

Verdict - Pleasant romantic yarn which does not stand up to close scrutiny

"Until They Sail" is a film about four sisters who live in New Zealand during WWII. Oddly, however, the actresses they chose were two English and two American women....and they certainly didn't sound much like Kiwis. Despite this problem, however, the film IS good....and well worth seeing.

While many today don't realize it, during WWII, New Zealand was a staging point for American soldiers. Many marines in the Pacific stayed there until called into action. At the same time, New Zealand soldiers were abroad....as New Zealand had been at war with the German for over two years and there were few soldiers back in their country to protect it from the new enemy, the Japanese....and another reason they stationed many thousands of Americans there. Not surprisingly, this did cause a few problems--such as illegitimate births and marriages and affairs. This film focuses on this sexual aspect...but does it in a mature and responsible manner. It is NOT meant to titillate but to give you an idea what it was like for the women and soldiers...and thanks to excellent writing and acting and direction, the film is well worth your time.

Once again, I've watched a movie that was just okay, and more interesting because of who was in it. In this case, a few of my favorites: Paul Newman, Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine and Sandra Dee.

Set in New Zealand during WWII, it's the story of four sisters from Christchurch, and how they cope with home front life, each in their own way, and how that life is influenced when Christchurch goes from being a wartime city without men to one filled with American soldiers.

One sister goes from mother figure to woman in love and gets more than she bargained for. Another loves two men and almost loses them both. A third marries in haste and repents at leisure, but has a wild time of it before tragedy strikes and the fourth goes from a flirty girl to a young woman in love.

It's okay, but without the actors can be easily overlooked.