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A Frightened Lancaster: From Here To Eternity (1953)
Review Copyright Roger Zotti, 2002
From Here To Eternity, based on James Jones' novel of infantry life days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was a critical and commercial success. It garnered twelve Oscar nominations and was awarded eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Frank Sinatra), Best Supporting Actress (Donna Reed), Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Screenplay (Daniel Taradash).
More, it rejuvenated Sinatra's career and featured a memorable love scene, on the beach, with the waves breaking, between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr that was, indeed, quite risky for the fifties.
The film has an interesting history. In 1951, Columbia Pictures acquired the rights to Jones' novel for three of its contract players: Broderick Crawford, Glenn Ford, and John Derek. Two years later, Columbia chieftain Harry Cohn got the production underway with Fred Zinneman as director and entirely new cast. Cohn, however, wanted his contract actor, the gravel-voiced Aldo Ray, for the Prewitt role.
Director Zinneman was riding a wave of critical success for 1952's High Noon. He insisted that "Montgomery Clift is the only actor who can play Prewitt." Cohn disagreed. Zinneman threatened to quit. Cohn signed Clift.
Though Cohn and Zinneman were in complete accord when it came to casting Lancaster as Sergeant Milt Warden, Clift's biographer, Patricia Bosworth, quoted the actor as saying that Lancaster was "a terrible actor...nothing but a big bag of wind." And according to Kate Buford, in Burt Lancaster: An American Life, Clift also said that Lancaster was "the most unctuous man I've ever met."
But Lancaster respected Clift's talent: He admitted that the only time he was ever afraid as an actor was in his first scene with him. "...when we started, I couldn't stop my knees from shaking," Lancaster said. "I was afraid he was going to blow me right off the screen."
Joan Crawford was the original choice for the Karen Holmes' role. But she demanded her usual wardrobe designer. Cohn said no. She remained adamant. So Cohn sought out Deborah Kerr, a Scottish actress, to portray the promiscuous Holmes. Best known for playing lady-like roles, Kerr's performance earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
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