The Young Lions (film)

The Young Lions
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Edward Dmytryk
Produced by Al Lichtman
Screenplay by Edward Anhalt
Based on The Young Lions
by Irwin Shaw
Starring
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography Joseph MacDonald
Edited by Dorothy Spencer
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • April 2, 1958 (1958-04-02)
Running time
 167 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3.55 million[1]
Box office $4.48 million (US/ Canada rentals)[2]

The Young Lions is a 1958 American World War II film drama in black-and-white and CinemaScope from 20th Century Fox. The film, directed by Edward Dmytryk, is based upon the 1948 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw. It stars Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.

Plot

German ski instructor Christian Diestl is hopeful that Adolf Hitler will bring new prosperity to Germany, so when war breaks out he joins the army, becoming a lieutenant. Dissatisfied with police duty in Paris, he requests to be transferred and is assigned to the North African front. While there, he sees what the war has done to his captain and the captain's wife, and he is sickened by their behavior.

Michael Whiteacre and Noah Ackerman befriend each other during their U.S. Army draft physical examination, and attend basic training together. They are then posted overseas to London. Michael is in show business and romantically involved with American socialite Margaret Freemantle, who dated ski instructor Christian in 1938 while both were in the Bavarian Alps, where she spent her skiing vacation. Upset by his convictions, she left him on New Year's Eve and returned to Michael.

Noah, who is Jewish and employed as a junior department store clerk, attends a party that Michael throws, where he meets Hope Plowman. She falls in love with him, and introduces him to her provincial father, who doesn't like Jews, though he has never met one. After a chat with Noah, the father approves of their marriage.

Noah's commanding officer and some of the men in his boot camp company bully Noah and demonstrate their antisemitism. Noah gains their respect by standing up to them, even though he's much smaller and often badly hurt in the encounters. Military authorities, however, discover Noah's put-upon situation and court-martial the officer.

Christian is conflicted, hating what the war has done to his fellow Germans, but unable to escape from his role in the conflict. He despises what his fellow soldiers have done in the name of the Fatherland, but is determined to fulfill his duty to the end. While visiting his seriously wounded captain in a hospital, he is duped into bringing him a sharp weapon. He later learns from the captain's wife that he committed suicide with it.

Thanks to his fame, Michael spends most of the war in a safe job, nowhere near the fighting. He finally decides to volunteer for combat after Margaret shames him into action. By pulling strings, he rejoins his old outfit at the front in the final days of the war.

Noah risks his own life during combat by swimming across a river to save a fellow soldier. The soldier turns out to be one of the men prejudiced against him in boot camp. Christian discovers the reality of the Third Reich when he stumbles upon a concentration camp and hears the commander talk about the mass exterminations. Shortly afterwards, the camp is liberated by American forces, which include Michael and Noah. The mayor of a nearby town offers working parties of his constituents. He is rudely rebuffed by Captain Green after an imprisoned rabbi asks Green for permission to hold a religious service and the mayor protests.

Seeing how Noah is affected by the camp, Green instructs him to take a walk and sends Michael with him. Nearby, dazed and tired, Christian screams in rage, breaking apart his machine-pistol on a tree-stump. The noise draws the attention of Michael and Noah, and seeing the German, Michael shoots Christian. They silently watch him die, then quietly walk back to the camp.

After the war, a discharged Noah emerges from a subway station. Hope notices him and lifts up their baby daughter at a window in their apartment for him to finally see, and he ascends the stairs quickly to embrace his family.

Cast

Production

The film became a box office success and was the key to Martin's comeback in the wake of his split with partner Jerry Lewis. Tony Randall originally had Martin's role, but was replaced after talent agency MCA suggested to director Dmytryk to replace Randall. Clift at first was opposed to Martin, but changed his mind after seeing Randall in Oh, Men! Oh, Women!.[3] Martin, after the failure of his previous movie, accepted $20,000 to star, which was less than he made in a single week of nightclub appearances at the time.[3] The change provoked a mild controversy with rumors circulating that MCA, which represented Brando, Clift, and Martin, had bullied Twentieth-Century Fox, threatening to withhold Brando and Clift.[3] Martin ended up receiving splendid reviews and launched a very successful solo career as an actor.

This was the only film (aside from home movies) that Brando and Clift made together. However, they don't share any scenes together (aside from Martin and Clift standing over the body of Brando's dead character). The picture was produced by Al Lichtman and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film. It was also nominated in 1959 for three Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Sound (Carlton W. Faulkner), and Best Music.[4]

Release

Critical reception

The Young Lions was well received by film critics. Film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% critics have gave the film a positive review, with an rating average of 7.6/10. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times, most impressed by Brando's performance, gave the film a favorable review, and also praised the film adaptation by Dmytryk.[5] Variety also gave a positive review, and noted: "The Young Lions is a canvas of the Second World War of scope and stature. It's a kingsized credit to all concerned, from Edward Anhalt's skillful adaptation of Irwin Shaw's novel to Edward Dmytryk's realistic direction, and the highly competent portrayals of virtually everyone in the cast".[6]

Box office

The film was a box office success,[7] and took in $4,480,000 in North American rentals.

References

  • Tosches, Nick (1992). Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams. New York, New York: Dell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-385-33429-7.

Notes

  1. ↑ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p251
  2. ↑ "All-Time Top Grossers", Variety, January 8, 1964 p. 69
  3. 1 2 3 Tosches 1992, p. 300.
  4. ↑ "The 31st Academy Awards (1959) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  5. ↑ Movie Review: The Young Lions (1958).
  6. ↑ The Young Lions Review.
  7. ↑ Film Favourites By Lachlan Hazelton: The Young Lions.
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