Admittedly...a personal note -

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2003)

This film merited its solid boxoffice success, its sweep of the Oscars for the year of its release, its place on almost every "Ten Best" list, and the many so well-expressed comments here on this site. It is always a moving experience to view this classic and it is unimpeachable evidence of producer Samuel Goldwyn's amazing good fortune (and good taste) in bringing together such an array of wonderful talent to tell a story that must have been an overwhelmingly emotional moviegoing event for the audiences who had, in some way, been touched by WWII's terrible sacrifices.
Some years ago, in the course of my employment, I met this film's Oscar-awarded composer, Hugo Friedhofer, whose self-deprecating and drily funny modesty was, somehow, not a surprise. He was extremely gracious to me and, a few weeks later at Christmastime, presented me with an autographed copy of a "Composer Authorized Recording" of his original score, with Frank Collura conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, a long-playing disc that is accompanied by an eight-page booklet densely printed with notes on the score, its new recording, the principals involved in that enterprise, tributes from some of Mr. Friedhofer's musical peers and, of course, some extremely interesting paragraphs, culled from interviews and other sources, by one Page Cook. It is a treasured possession, you may be sure, and putting it on the turntable for another listen is a moving reminder of a brief friendship with one of Hollywood's most prolific and talented professionals.