L'Aube écarlate

Released in 1971, the same year as two other nostalgic hit movies, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and SUMMER OF '42, this film has been undeservedly forgotten. A simple story of a Southwest family during World War II, with excellent acting (let me put it this way... even Desi Arnaz, Jr. does a good job), nice dialogue and an attention to period detail. This ain't available on DVD or even VHS, so if you catch it on TV, do yourself a favor and check it out.

It was 1971 when I first saw this movie at the Picfair theatre on Fairfax near Pico in Los Angeles. We each coughed up 49 cents to get in and few things in my life have given me more for the money. I think it was the magnificent New Mexico scenery that made the movie extraordinary in my mind - sort of like how a fresh, windswept day after a rain (a rare thing in Southern California) can make even the dreariest of neighborhoods look alive and interesting. This, combined with the moving score, has kept this movie alive for me after all these years. With all the horrid things that appear on video, it truly bugs me that no one had the class to commit this one to tape!

When you're in your 70s and can remember details about a movie that you saw 50 years ago, it does say something about the quality of the film. I don't think I'd care to watch it again--I'd probably be disappointed--but I'll never forget the look on Richard Thomas's face after he trips and falls into . . . No, I won't do a spoiler. Thomas has always been a fine actor even though his post-Waltons' career has been spotty. Desi Arnaz, Jr., is very fine, and it's a shame that his personal problems ran his career off the rails. And Catherine Burns? Two classic film roles and she was pretty much done with her film career, though she did continue as a writer. This odd little movie deserves a better reception and wider audience than it got. I can't verify its availability on dvd, but I suspect it would still hold up well with younger audiences. Back in the day, you'd had a lot of trouble finding a movie that took teenagers seriously. The enveloping action of World War II is both distant and present. A good comparison with an older movie might mention The Human Comedy, with Mickey Rooney doing a serious role while still being thought of as a "chikd star."

In 1971, I went to the drive-in movie in Ceres, California, with my wife and children. We actually went to see another movie and it was a double feature. I LOVED "Red Sky at Morning". To this day, 31 years later, I still think that it was the best movie I have ever seen. I, too, wish it had been committed to tape. I would love to see it again.

This movie defines the word "serendipity" for me. I saw it during my senior year in college when I wandered into a sneak preview at a small theater off campus one Friday night, and was carried away. Never having heard of Richard Bradford or the book on which the film is based, everything about it was fresh and compelling. Like the others who've commented before me, I am both astonished and saddened that it isn't available on videotape or DVD. I believe the director died last year, but apart from Harry Guardino (and perhaps Strother Martin) all the main actors are still alive and active and would be available for any DVD "extras." I keep an eye out in the TV listings for "Red Sky" and watch it every chance I get -- despite some abrupt (and senseless) cuts. For those not aware of it, Bradford also wrote what I'm told is an excellent second novel, "So Far From Heaven." Unfortunately, it's out of print, but I'm haunting the used-book stores in search of it. I envy any of you who haven't been introduced to Bradford's characters on film or printed page.