Evening star., 1953-08-30
The Passing Show
The Passing Show
Another Film Classic
From Here to Eternity Shakes Public
Out Of Its Apathy Toward the Screen
By Joy cormody

A cynical reader, Of which
there no doubt are a few,
might amuse himself some day
by checking the number Of in
stances in q twelvemonth in
which critics come up with
"the best picture Of the year."
And, carrying the thing to
q logical end, how many OF
these extEavagantly rated pro-
auctions are completely dis
carded when the reviewers
finally select their 10-beSt
pictures in December.
This cinema aSSayer once
distinguished himself by over
looking entirely at years end
the film he had unequivocally
predicted would survive all
competition in its season. This
was 1.-THE OK Bow Incident"
The oversight still gets dis
honorable mention in occa-
sional conversation with other
wise friendly humans. At such
times the blush of shame is
as hot as ever.
This Best Is 1t
At this moment, perhaps for
the 18th or goth time since
January. not only the review
ers but virtually every one else
is involved with another in
controvertibly "best" movie of
1853.
This is Columbia's From
Here to Eternity" which Di-
rector Fred Zinnemann and
Scriptist Daniel Taradash ex-
tracted so brilliantly from
James Jones blaSphemous
novel of peacetime Army life
in 1941. There is no ques-
tion about it, this is the years
most exciting cinema produc-
ton. It has given the public
more to get it's vocal chords
into than all the Sd and
wide-screen productions put
together.
More Importantly, from
Hollywood's standpoint, it has
blasted to shredS the wall Of
apathy behind which so many
former moviegoerS recently
have found refuge. Along with
a number of other non-for-
mula productions in the last
several months, it provides en-
couraging evidence that Hol-
lywood'S extinction is by no
means inevitable.
The Moteridl Was Row
From Here to Eternity"
represents screen storytelling
at its best. Out of Jones'
furious, obscene, often inco-
herent and very raw material,
the director who made 1.-THE
Search" and High Noon" has
carved a cinema classic. He,
Zinnemann, knows what Jones
was driving at if no one else,
including the original author,
did know.
With the equally expert aid
of Taradash, he has pared
away the wild exceSses of the
original to find a story of love
and hate for the Army that
represents the perfect sum-
ming up. It is now perfectly
clear that Jones had a great
and dramatic story idea. and
that Zinnemann and Tara
dash were the two who knew
what to do with it.
AS in High Noon," Zinne-
mann picks his man to stand
at his narratives center, let
1t range thereafter as wide as
the director pleaSeS.
In From Here to Eternity"
the choice is Pvt. Robert E.
Lee Prewett, played by Mont
gomrey Cliff. The marshal
of High Noon" was not a
more intelligent selection.
Like Gary Cooper'S man, Prev
Prewitt is a man Of character.
eff q man don't go his own
way, he's nothin'." He has no
other choice but to behave in
the light of this axiom. If
life Is to break him or destroy
him for this fixed belief, well,
that's the price a man pays
for being the only kind Of
man he knows how to be.
So Prev exposes himself to
the most savage of tests, by
defying the psychotic. sadistic