THE EVE OF ST MARK

US, 1944, 96 minutes, Black and white.
Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Michael O’ Shea, Vincent Price, Ruth Nelson, Ray Collins, Henry Morgan.
Directed by John M. Stahl.

The Eve of St Mark is a morale-boosting film from the later years of World War Two, a focus on servicemen being trained, going overseas, under fire in Pacific islands. However, it is based on a play by Maxwell Anderson (Mary of Scotland, Winterset, Joan of Lorraine – which was the basis for the Ingrid Bergman Joan of Arc film). This means that the adaptation by George Seaton (later to become a director with a range of films from Miracle on 34th Street to Country Girl to Airport). The film is rather stagebound despite its opened up locations. The film is also very heavy on dialogue – and is often rendered in a stagy dramatic style (especially by Vincent Price with a southern drawl as a southern aristocrat, frequently quoting poetry).

Anne Baxter was very young at the time and plays the girlfriend of William Eythe who leaves his family farm and goes heroically to war. Michael O’ Shea provides some comedy. The hero’s parents are played by Ray Collins and Ruth Nelson (who forty-five years later appeared in Awakenings).

William Eythe was a young actor at 20th Century Fox although he had only a short career. Anne Baxter was at the beginning of her career. Vincent Price was emerging as a popular character actor.

The film is very stage-bound even if it has been opened up to show farms in the Midwest, training barracks, islands in the Pacific. Dialogue is particularly important – but is sometimes rather stilted and, to contemporary tastes, over-patriotic.

The film was directed by John M. Stahl, a veteran director who made romantic melodramas in the 1930s including Imitation of Life, Backstreet, Magnificent Obsession. At the same time he directed Gregory Peck in Keys of the Kingdom.

The film is a bit difficult to sit through in later times – but is an indication of the style of film and the feeling of 1944.

1.The impact of the film? In its time? Now? The film as wartime propaganda? Emotional story for contemporary audiences to identify with? How does it seem in retrospect? A perception of the 1940s in the US?

2. The black and white photography, the farm, San Francisco and the military barracks, the Pacific island, the glimpses of warfare? Musical score? The adaptation of the play, opening it out, relying on characters, interactions and dialogue?

2.The title, the explanation, the Feast of St Mark and people at the church door able to see those who will die? The final action on the Eve of St Mark, April 24? Marion and his explanation of the Eve of St Mark, the men on the island on 24 April, the myth than somebody standing at the entrance of a church could see the ghosts of all those who would die that year? The mystic tone with this legend? Quizz and his dream, talking to his mother and her reply, talking to Janet and her reply? His decision to stay on the island?

3.The family, the Wests, father and his being hardworking, the mother as keeping house? The younger sons – and their eventually joining up? Quizz and his coming home, bringing Janet, his love for her, the story of how they met, her explanation of deliberately meeting him? The welcome from the family? Their going for a walk, his dreams, building the house? The farewell? His going to war? The characters of the family – and their being seen throughout the film, reading the letters, writing letters? The sad finale, Janet talking with Mrs West, that the people who loved the soldiers would recommend them to come home – but that they should stay? The family focus, the Wests, Quizz and his going off to war, the training, the flashbacks, his relationship with his parents, with his brother? Janet and her accompanying him? Childhood friends? Their falling in love? Janet waiting for him? His parents? The letters? The news of his death? The willingness to make sacrifices? The young brother going off to war? The resignation of the parents, their willingness to sacrifice their sons? Janet and her grief, the dream, her psychic contribution to Quizz’s decision to stay on the island in principle? The character of Janet, the girl next door? The noble parents? The devoted brother?

4.Quizz, age, experience, earnest, going off to war? Life in the barracks, the comedy, the jokes at the sergeant’s expense? Going out, the café, chatting up the girls? The attitude of the men? Gambling and debts? The characters of Mulveray and the comedy? Marion and his aristocratic style? The others and their interactions? Shevlin and his criticisms? Sergeant Ruby?

5.The barracks, the scenes of training, the officers, the enlisted men? Their friendships, interactions, barracks talk? Mulveray and his leadership, humour? Marion and his southern gentleman style, borrowing money, gambling? Articulate and quoting poetry? Sergeant Ruby and his heavy-handedness? The men imitating him? His reactions? The bird girls at the restaurant, Sergeant Ruby and his date, the others going in and flirting with them? The background of wartime flirtations?

6.The transfer, going to San Francisco, going on the boat, on the island? The malaria, the discussions about mosquitos? The lack of quinine? The deaths, the possibility of moving out, the letter from the commanding officer, the implicit plea to stay, the holding up of the Japanese invasion? Quizz and his delirium, his decision to stay? The bombardment? The possibilities of safety – with the Filipino girl and the boat? The film not necessarily giving final answers?

7.The Eve of St Mark, the possibility of pulling out, the comments about staying or leaving, the possibility of leaving, Chevlin and his being the Devil’s advocate, the message from the commander, wanting them to stay? The decision to stay? Quizz’s dreams, the sense of his mother, Janet being there?

8.Going into action, in the Pacific? On board the boat, the island, the siege, the cave, the bombardments? Their mission to keep a lookout, warning for the main forces? Military action, deaths? People taking over official duties? Quizz and his nobility, Marion and his observations? Mulveray and his dilemmas?

9.The heroism in the Pacific, the helping of the fleet? The kinds of sacrifices wanted for war? Audiences identifying with the family and the self-giving, the sweethearts waiting at home, the range of characters enlisted, their senses of humour, personality styles, ordinary men prepared to make sacrifice?

10.A film of the 40s, the attitude of Americans to the war, the love for the servicemen, their absences, loneliness, hopes?