WHAT PRICE GLORY?
US, 1952, 111 minutes, Colour.
Jams Cagney, Dan Dailey, Corinne Calvet, William Demarest, Robert Wagner, Marisa Pavan, James Gleason.
Directed by John Ford.
What Price Glory is a World War One story. It was made with Victor Mc Laglen by action director Raoul Walsh in the silent era. This remake by veteran director John Ford is not so successful. Ford has an eye for Americanism, male comradeship, vigorous heroines. These ingredients are to the fore in this film by they don't jell. The film is very reminiscent of similar stories set in the west - and these have been generally much more successful. James Cagney does his fast-paced comic routines. Dan Dailey seems somewhat stolid acting as his stooge. Corinne Calvet is quite good as the vigorous heroine. Robert Wagner appears sympathetically in an early role. However, the film comes at a strange time - seven years after the end of World War Two. It seems somewhat creaky and the fast-paced repartee, comic situations and romantic interludes seem highly contrived. This film came out at the same time as Ford's classic comedy The Quiet Man.
1. A humorous and entertaining film? Quality, appeal? A remake of a silent film? Its appearance in the early '50s? Now?
2. The work of John Ford: action, westerns, the focus on America and Americana, male comradeship, the vigorous heroines, the group spirit, battle and war? Masculine behaviour?
3. The film was based on a play - is this evident? The stars and their comic styles? Colour photography, the use of sets? The introduction of songs? The 'Charmaine' them?
4. Audience response to World War One films - the tradition of films about the war, attitudes towards the war itself, towards Americans in Europe? The Americans and their attitudes towards things European, comparisons with home? Surviving in Europe? This film's being influenced by the cinema tradition of World War One films?
5. The comedy - visual, verb al., farcical, slapstick, loud?
6. The film as a romance - romantic attitudes towards heroism, love? The relationships between men and women - tender and tough? War and heroism? The pros and cons of war - the significance of the title? The grim realities of war? Men leaving women to go to war and heroism?
7. James Cagney's fast-paced comic style as Flagg? His quick pace in action, walking and running? His love for Charmaine? The fights with Quirt? His leadership of the men? His assistant and not giving him his leave? Fights, the visit to Paris, manoeuvres? His concern for the young man getting married at the age of 22? The impossible demands of war? His manoeuvres to get Quirt out of the marriage? The experiences of war, the challenge to his leadership? The brawl and the drinking at the end? The final going off to war? What type of Americanism did he represent?
8. The contrast with Dan Dailey as Quirt - his arrival, the fights, his being a loser., flirting with Charmaine - especially behind Flagg's back? His training of the men? The build-up to marrying Charmaine? His escape? His involvement in the war itself? Injury? The final clash and brawl? His decision at the end to go to war?
9. Charmaine as the conventional French girl? A vigorous heroine, her father, the hotel., flirting with the men, relationship with Flagg, with Quirt? The experience of being jilted? The final fight and her being left again?
10. The romantic interlude with Robert Wagner and Marisa Pavan - nice, young, the pathos of death? Flagg's discussion with the girl about her love?
11. The picture of the men. the young men going to war, training. inexperience, fighting, suffering, dying? The war sequences and the emphasis on battle? The younger man coming to be trained and the continuation of the war?
12. How well did the film work as comedy, as drama, as a war film? As a piece of John Ford Americana?
