From Here to Eternity was a mostly fine movie made during the Production Code era

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2016)

After so many years of only knowing this film by reputation, I finally watched this on a Korean Air flight. It's a very compelling drama but after reading the differences from the novel on Wikipedia, it probably would have even been a better one had it been made after the Production Code era. I mean, I'm glad Donna Reed-who I always first think of as Mary Bailey in my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life-won the Oscar for her performance but if it had been revealed she was a prostitute and not just a dance hall girl, her performance would have been so much more powerful. And Frank Sinatra was very compelling in his first straight role but if he didn't have a death scene-and his character actually survived in the book-he probably wouldn't have been nominated, not to mention eventually won, his Oscar for this. Still, this was a fine showcase for such actors like Montgomery Clift, Bert Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, and Ernest Borgnine of which this was his first major film role. So, overall, From Here to Eternity was mostly a very well made film. P.S. Another of the players was one Philip Ober, who was married to Vivian Vance at the time. She was in the No. 1 show on TV during this period-"I Love Lucy"-and her hubby had appeared on the show twice, the second time as then M-G-M head Dore Schary. They'd eventually divorce in 1959.