10 lieutenants from West Point

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Movie
German title 10 lieutenants
from West Point
Original title Ten gentlemen
from West Point
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 104 minutes
Rod
Director Henry Hathaway
script Richard Maibaum
George Seaton
production William Perlberg
music Alfred Newman
camera Leon Shamroy
cut James B. Clark
occupation

10 lieutenants of West Point is a US military drama from the year 1942 . Directed by Henry Hathaway, it stars George Montgomery , Maureen O'Hara and John Sutton .

The script was inspired by a story by Malvin Wald .

action

The young Carolyn Bainbridge from Washington fought in Congress at the beginning of the 19th century for the military academy to be established in West Point . Carolyn's father was an officer friend of General Washington and was once trained at West Point. The congress decides to run a trial run for one year. As soon as it becomes known, cadets come from all over the country , such as the blue-blooded Howard Shelton, Carolyn's fiancé, or Joe Dawson, a young lumberjack and border guard from Kentucky . Major Sam Carter, the commandant of West Point and responsible for the training of the cadets, is seen as a flayer who punishes mistakes with strict disciplinary measures. Basically, he doesn't believe that young men fresh out of college can develop into real soldiers and fighters. He is also extremely dissatisfied with the rotten uniforms and the accommodation for the cadets, which is more like a barn. If it were up to him, West Point would be closed again immediately.

The relationship between Howard Shelton and Joe Dawson has been tense from the start. When Joe falls in love with Carolyn, things get dramatic. Since the conditions at the military academy are so disheartening, more and more cadets are quitting their attendance, especially as Carter punishes them with grueling sentences. However, Carter's plan is to reduce the number of students, which would hasten the closure of the academy. So in the end there are only ten cadets who hold out despite the miserable conditions. They listen to the stories of the experienced instructor Florimond Massey, who tells them about a battle of 732 , where the Saracens were crushed. The motivation for these stories is that he wants to keep the cadets in line and prepare them for the news that Chief Tecumseh is on the warpath with his tribe. While on patrol , Shelton is injured by an Indian, whereupon Dawson leaves his post to pursue them, in turn pursued by Major Carter. Carter is then also captured by the Indians. Now it shows what the cadets in West Point really learned, and it seems to have been worth it, because they manage to demoralize the Indians and act tactically, which leads to Carter as well as Shelton and Dawson, the are wounded can be freed.

Carter is impressed and grateful, but still has to reprimand Shelton and Dawson for violating the rules. Allowing such a thing to go with impunity would set a precedent for future cadets. But he also has praise for the cadets. However, he cannot persuade Dawson to stay in West Point. Carolyn has now realized that she loves Dawson, not Shelton. Together they leave West Point and the remaining cadets with the good feeling that the academy has been saved for now.

Production, background, soundtrack

Filming took place from December 26, 1941 to March 18, 1942 in Sherwood Forest, California . On April 3, 1942, a few more scenes were shot. The West Point sequences were originally intended to be shot in Monterey , but this was not possible, so an approximately $ 35,000 replica of the academy in Sherwood Forest was constructed for another 20th Century Fox film, The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe , was left standing.

E. Clayton Ward and Roger Heman were responsible for the sound . The film marks the cinema debut of the actor and later director Blake Edwards .

The working titles of the film were: Salute to Heroes and School for Soldiers . As shown in the film, an important military base was established at West Point during the War of Independence and officially opened by Congress on July 4, 1802. The academy quickly developed into a renowned university. The film was recognized for the short epilogue that preceded the plot, which featured portraits of West Point alumni such as Ulysses S. Grant , Robert Emmett Lee , George Armstrong Custer , John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur , as the Hollywood Reporter pointed out .

According to the Hollywood Reporter , Randolph Scott is believed to have outdone Tyrone Power in the role of Major Sam Carter. Henry Fonda and John Payne as well as Victor Mature were in discussion for other leading roles . John Payne was replaced by John Sutton, Sara Allgood by Esther Dale. The OT "10 Gentlemen" are portrayed by the following actors: George Montgomery (as Dawson), John Sutton (as Shelton), David Bacon (as Shippen), Dick Winslow, Roger Kirby, Stanley Parlan, Gene Rizzi, Max Cole Tom Neal and John Meredith.

Soundtrack

  • West Point March , music: Philip Egner
  • Benny Havens, Oh! Music adapted from The Wearing of the Green, lyrics: Lt. O'Brien, spec. Poetry: Frank Tresselt

Theatrical release

The film premiered on June 4, 1942 in New York , in Los Angeles on June 25, 1942, and in Austria in 1952 under the title 10 Leutnants von West-Point . He didn't go to the cinema in Germany.

  • Mexico: October 7, 1942 under the title Diez caballeros
  • Portugal March 26, 1943 under the title of Dez Heróis de West Point
  • Sweden: September 20, 1943 under the title Tio gentlemän från West Point
  • Finland: September 6, 1946 under the title 10 sankaria
  • Spain (Madrid): December 19, 1946 under the title Diez héroes de West Point
  • Brazil under the title of Dez Cavalheiros de West Point
  • Greece under the title Galazioi ippeis
  • Italy under the title I cavalieri azzurri

criticism

TMP of the New York Times found that while the film has moments of emotion, it is more often cumbersome and boring. For a director like Henry Hathaway and his talent, such a film is rather unusual and bumpy in execution. Laird Cregar embodies the villain well, but never impresses as a die-hard fighter, while Maureen O'Hara just flits through the picture full of grace.

Variety believed that while there were a lot of dramatic incidents and some comedic moments were good enough to keep the audience interested, the storyline too often stagnated. Only the patriotic perspective helps the film to survive. The main difficulty seems to be to connect the dramatic events with the actual story in order to provide such good entertainment.

Award

Academy Awards 1943 : Oscar nomination for Leon Shamroy in the category “Best Camera” (black and white film) . However, the Oscar went to Joseph Ruttenberg and the drama Mrs. Miniver .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942) - Original Print Information. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942) - Notes. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
  3. ^ Ten Gentlemen From West Point (1942) In: The New York Times . June 5, 1942 (English). Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  4. ↑ Review: 'Ten Gentlemen from West Point' In: Variety, 1941/1942 (English). Retrieved February 2, 2016.