'' is a
1953 movie based on
The Novel by
James Jones in which characters work through ordinary bouts of intimidation and infidelity on a military base in the days preceding the
Attack On Pearl Harbor . The rather explicit novel had to be considerably toned down to appease the censors of the time. For example, in the famous "beach scene", it is less obvious that Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster's characters have actually been having sex on the beach than it is in the novel and the later, more frank
Miniseries based on the book.
Its five stars,
Burt Lancaster ,
Montgomery Clift ,
Deborah Kerr ,
Frank Sinatra , and
Donna Reed all received
Oscar nominations and Reed and Sinatra won for Best Supporting Actress and Actor. Among the cast members without Oscar nominations are
Philip Ober ,
Ernest Borgnine ,
Jack Warden , and
Merle Travis . The novel's author had a small, uncredited part in the film.
and
Deborah Kerr in the famous beach scene in ''From Here to Eternity''.]]
Legend has it that Frank Sinatra got the role in the movie because of his speculated
Mafia connections, and that this was the basis for a similar subplot detailed in ''
The Godfather ''. The truth is more likely to have been that Sinatra's then-wife
Ava Gardner persuaded studio head
Harry Cohn 's wife to go to bat for him, the version related by
Kitty Kelley in her comprehensive Sinatra biography. A rumor has been circulating for years that
George Reeves , who played Sgt. Maylon Stark, had his role drastically edited after preview audiences recognized him as TV's ''
Superman ''. However, Zinnemann maintains all his scenes were kept intact from the first draft, nor was there ever a preview screening. This is somewhat depicted in the
Docudrama Hollywoodland . The movie was also remade as a
TV miniseries in
1979 . The
U.S. Army withheld its cooperation from the production (most of the movie was filmed where it occurred, at
Schofield Barracks , Hawaii) until the producers agreed to several modifications, most noticeably the fate of Captain Holmes.
William Holden , who won the
Best Actor Oscar for ''
Stalag 17 '', felt that he didn't deserve it.
Holden thought Burt Lancaster should have won for this film for his portrayal of Sgt. Milt Warden. Numerous barracks locations are still intact and still occupied by active duty troops.
- Soldier's life in Pearl Harbor around november-december 1941. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsXPx5A20sY
- "re-enlisted man blue" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7A43g5sIw&mode=related&search=
- Buggle call. Monty Clift farewell to a dead buddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fxH-2LnRkc&mode=related&search=
The film won eight
Oscars :
It received nominations for a further five Oscars:
In
2002 , the United States
Library Of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the
National Film Registry .
The famous beach lovemaking scene between Lancaster and Kerr was lampooned in the movie ''
Airplane! '', where
Robert Hays ' and
Julie Hagerty 's characters become covered in seaweed. The producers of the film have always stated that this was a coincidence.
''From Here to Eternity'' was mentioned in the '''' episode "
Far Beyond The Stars ". A character played by
Aron Eisenberg mentions that he prefers it to
Science Fiction stories.
The beach scene was referenced in ''
Gilmore Girls '' as the way Lane loses her
Virginity and becomes pregnant.
In ''
The Simpsons '' episode "
Boy-Scoutz N The Hood ,"
Ernest Borgnine says "Hiya! I'm sure you kids know me best as Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in ''From Here to Eternity''."
