From Here To Eternity (1953)
To Eternity ... and beyond!
Aloha readers! We stayed in the 1950s for this installment of ILTBTA and watched From Here To Eternity, the Best Picture winner from 1953. Grab your civvies and a bathing suit and read on!
Previews
What, if anything, did we know about this coming attraction before we watched?
Ellen: If you’re not familiar with Gilmore Girls, besides being one of my personal favorite ways to kill 45 minutes, it features a script that is chockablock with pop culture references. Having started watching reruns on ABC Family in 8th grade, many of these went over my head and embedded in my brain to later be unlocked when I finally had context for them. From Here to Eternity falls into that category (coincidentally, so does Donna Reed!), and I’m pretty hyped to retroactively gain a deeper understanding of jokes from 2002. My grandmother also remembers seeing this movie in theaters and described it as “fifties-movie-dramatic,” so into eternity we go!1
Tyler: I’m familiar with the classic shot of two people making out on the beach as the waves crash over them, but know literally nothing else about the movie. Are they on vacation? Stranded on an island? Performing mutual mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? I guess I’ll find out. Similar to The Exorcist, I’m eager to see the movie/scene that sparked a million parodies (and Gilmore Girls references, apparently) and learn the actual context of a well-known movie moment. And if it’s got Grandma Glo’s stamp of approval, it must be worth watching.
Plots & Feelings
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
Short Version (courtesy of IMDb): At a U.S. Army base in 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his commanding officer's wife and top aide begin a tentative affair.
Long Version (modified from Wikipedia and formatted to fit your screen):
Welcome to Schofield Barracks on Oahu in 1941, where the soldiers march in time, boxing is king, and Frank Sinatra sweeps up. Our soon-to-be good friend Robert E. Lee (ew) Prewitt arrives, having left his spot as a rising star in the bugle corps in protest of nepotism and a desire to never ever box again SIR. His new commander Captain Dana “Dynamite” Holmes has his eyes on the boxing championship and no other aspects of the company2, whereas his efficient next-in-command Sergeant Milton Warden has his eyes on Holmes’ wife Karen. Under Dynamite’s leadership, the outfit is described as being in such shambles that they ought to “give [it] back to Custer.”
Ellen: Shots fired at General Custer and, uh, wouldn’t be the first time!
Over a series of extremely competent pool shots, Prewitt explains to the company boxing team that he will under no circumstances be fighting again, having injured a friend severely last time he did. They take that rather poorly, and with the full support and under the direction of Captain Holmes, begin Prewitt on “The Treatment,” which is to say the majority of the company hazes the daylights out of him, from double KP duty to extra drills to outright sabotage. Sergeant Warden doesn’t actively put a stop to it, believing Prewitt is just being hardheaded, but it’s obvious he doesn’t approve. The only person actively on Prewitt’s side is his friend Private Angelo Maggio Sinatra.
Tyler: I’m dying to know how many takes those pool shots took.
Interior: the Holmes home; time: evening; characters: a steely Karen, a tipsy Dynamite; vibes: TERRIBLE! This brief initial insight into their marriage alerts us to the fact that they cannot stand each other to the point of outright disdain and are both having regular affairs and flings (confirming rumors we heard earlier around the barracks). This setup makes it pretty unsurprising that when Sergeant Warden stops by a few days later, he and Karen flirt (in their own way) up a storm to rival the one outside and share a passionate kiss.
Only if I can’t find a version of that outfit stat (Source) Ellen: Warden’s pretext for stopping by is delivering papers for Holmes to sign, and I want to acknowledge the supreme pettiness of Karen first confirming they’re very important before ripping them in half! As iconic as her outfit.
Tyler: Flirting was so weird back then. He basically invites himself inside, pours himself a drink, and they insult each other until they … kiss?
Ellen: IT’S CALLED PASSION.
On a rare night out for Prewitt, he and Maggio head to the New Congress Club, where hostesses are paid to chat and dance with soldiers. Sergeant “Fatso” but also “Jerkface” Judson obnoxiously plays polka music despite the “Hawaiian” tunes already at work, prompting an argument with Man with Ears Maggio3. “The Princess” Lorene quickly catches Prewitt’s eye, and he far too quickly is extremely into her.
Tyler: I get that there’s only like two hours to establish a romance, but the way some movie characters immediately fall in love is almost comical. At least draw it out over several weeks like they do on The Bachelor.
Ellen: No one in this movie is here for the right reasons.
JUDSON SMASH!! (Source) On that same night off, Helen and Warden have themselves a proper date, the former risking scandal and the latter risking jail time. Despite their weird, awkward, more-than-slightly antagonistic banter, they find themselves in a secluded cove and a private beach, where definitely nothing sexy happens at all. Karen reveals a past stillborn child and subsequent infertility, for which she rightly blames Holmes, who was drunk with a mistress when she went into labor. Karen suggests Warden become an officer so that she can divorce Holmes, and they can be together safely.
Back to work, and back to the Treatment! There’s digging and refilling holes for no reason4, scrubbing pans in the kitchen, mopping up sweat and deliberate spit at the boxing gym, and running up mountains in full gear. If this seems extreme for simply not wanting to be on the intramural boxing team, wait until you see Captain Holmes suggest a court martial! Warden talks him down to simply dishing out double Treatment, and Prewitt himself gets frustrated enough that he yoinks the bugle out of someone’s hand and just BLOWS! He’s quite good!
Ellen: His frustration hitting a tipping point at the subpar bugling makes Prewitt’s outburst one of the funniest parts of the movie for me that doesn’t involve Maggio.
An indeterminate amount of time later and nights apart, there are two significant scenes at local bars. First, Maggio takes Judson kissing a picture of Maggio’s sister very personally, resulting in a near-bar fight that does involve Warden saving the day (I guess?) by smashing a bottle (sure??). When Prewitt goes out to thank him, Warden gives him a weekend pass and Judson’s knife, cementing their bond. On a different night, Prewitt is pouting because Lorene, whose real name we learn is Alma, has a dang job, buuuuut she sneaks off to see him anyway. You know who else sneaks off? Maggio! From surprise guard duty! He’s sent to the Stockade, which oh joy, Judson runs with unqualified (and unauthorized) wrath5.
Tyler: Prior to Maggio being put on surprise guard duty, we got the briefest glimpse of some Sinatra scatting, which is sadly all the singing we get from him in this movie. Maybe the director thought his crooning abilities would be too out of place?
Ellen: I think we could have bought that Maggio drunkenly sings while in town. It’s a shame, but surely being denied a performance is the worst that will happen to him in this movie!
I look like Tom Cruise, I shouldn’t have to live like this (Source)
Quick check-in on our couples: Prewitt plans to be a 30-year career Army guy, while Alma only wants to save enough money so she can go back to Oregon and be “proper… because when you’re proper, you’re safe.” The revelations leave a sour taste as they part. Speaking of sour, Karen and Warden have continued to date to ... let’s say mixed results. The physical side must be sublime, because in the other corner, they have to sneak around to avoid being seen by others, have fundamental differences in what their future should look like, and patently make each other miserable. Extremely cool and healthy, no notes.
Tyler: One quick note. I didn’t feel super invested in either relationship because they both seemed doomed from the start (oh the drama!). Both couples involved a woman looking for an escape (from a marriage or from Hawaii/instability) with an Army man that was too invested in being an Army man to actually make things work.
Eagles fans every Sunday (Source) Yet another Sergeant picks a fight with Prewitt, leading to a schoolyard style, barefisted boxing match on the quad. Holmes is informed and comes out to watch, about as helpful as if he started chanting “fight, fight, fight!” This lack of leadership does not go unnoticed by the camp commander, who gets an investigation together that results in Holmes resigning to avoid a court martial. The new Captain appears to actually have his shit together (to Warden’s obvious yet reserved delight) and among other things affirms that there will be no more promotions through boxing.
During another night of drinking and singing Reenlistment Blues (this movie’s answer to Tex Ritter), Prewitt and Warden drunkenly bond further, with the Sergeant confessing that he hates officers and fears becoming like Holmes if he were to go down that path. They’re suddenly interrupted by none other than Maggio (!), who has escaped the Stockade after solitary confinement and a series of brutal beatings at Judson’s hands. He dies in Prewitt’s arms. Prew plays such a gorgeous rendition of “Taps” for him the next day that the entire barracks stops to listen. Expressing himself musically was not enough, however, because (spoiler alert for our Post-Credits Scene) he goes full West Side Story on Judson in an alley, killing him and becoming grievously injured himself. Warden covers for Prewitt going AWOL, and he and Karen break things off over the facts that he refuses to become an officer and she has to return to the mainland due to Holmes’ firing.
We’re all in our feelings on an early Sunday morning when SURPRISE: IT’S PEARL HARBOR! We see Sergeant Warden in his absolute element, keeping the men calm, issuing orders, and procuring a big pot, nay, a barrel of coffee for the troops. Meanwhile, Prew has been hiding out at Alma’s as he recovers from his wounds. By evening, simply hearing the radio reports is too much for him, and he sets back out to attempt to rejoin the company. Unfortunately, his deadly injury doesn’t make him the best sneaker of all time, and he’s shot for refusing to halt. Warden identifies him, lamenting his hardheadedness.
And to think this bromance was brewing at the same time as the movie (Source) Days later, Karen and Alma coincidentally stand next to each other for Plot Reasons on a ship headed to the mainland. Karen tosses her two luxurious leis into the sea, citing the legend that if they float to shore, you’ll return to Hawaii. Alma says she’ll never be back, telling the heart-wrenching stack of lies about her pilot fiancé who died heroically in the Pearl Harbor attack and earned a Silver Star. His name? Robert E. Lee Prewitt. Karen clocks the name from what Warden had told her, but says nothing.
Ellen: Weird that Karen has two leis to toss.
Tyler: Maybe the other is for her marriage? And Seventh-grade Me is internally very excited about being able to identify this very obvious metaphor.
Ellen: 29-year-old me will be sulking in a corner for not seeing a very obvious metaphor.
Intermission
Even though ILTBTA is free, please indulge us further and enjoy this quick “advertisement.”
This installment of ILTBTA is brought to you by … your local inspector general!
Looking to get rid of your asshole commanding officer who gleefully hazes you and orders additional punishment? Contact your respective inspector general to get an investigation started right away, free of charge! Pick up the phone and in just two to three business years, you’ll be watching that boxing coach pack his boxes.
Mention ILTBTA in your next whistleblowing and receive a firm “Thank you.”
The Inspector General: we put the “IG” in oversight!6
Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?
Love a good Wikipedia rabbit hole in search of some fun facts? Us too.
From Here To Eternity’s Wikipedia page has some interesting facts and anecdotes that we recommend you read through, but here are a few of our favorites:
The film's title originates from Rudyard Kipling's 1892 poem “Gentlemen-Rankers", about soldiers of the British Empire who had "lost [their] way" and were "damned from here to eternity".
Ellen: Bonus fact, an adaptation of this poem became known as “The Whiffenpoof Song” and is the traditional closing number for the famed Yale a cappella group. Why did the phrase spark additional research on my part? Because none other than Richard Gilmore of Gilmore Girls was a proud Whiffenpoof!
Legends swirled around the decision to cast Frank Sinatra, with explanations ranging from his (alleged) Mafia connections to his then-wife’s friendship with the wife of the head of Columbia Pictures.
The film’s plot was altered from the original source material to make it more palatable for the standards set by the Hays Code7 and the Army, whose approval was needed to shoot on location, use certain aircraft, and use actual footage of the Pearl Harbor attack. Major changes from the novel include: Lorene’s profession is changed from a sex worker to a hostess at a club; Karen’s inability to conceive was originally caused by gonorrhea that Holmes gave her, not a miscarriage; and “Fatso” Judson’s abuse of Maggio is described in detail in the novel, whereas it remains offscreen in the film to soften the image of the Army.
Ellen: It’s really jarring when the footage gets grainier during the bombing, and I cannot believe the Army let them use that!
Despite portraying rivals in the movie, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine (who played Fatso) became lifelong friends after the film after bonding over their shared Italian heritage.
Montgomery Clift, who played Prewitt, also has a fascinating (and tragic) Wikipedia page that is worth a read if you’re itching to go further down the rabbit hole.
Oscar NomNomNomz
Since we all know a movie is nothing without the food and drink it incorporates.
It’s now time to award the Oscar for Best Snacktor in a Supporting Role8. And the nomnomnominees are:
A bag of Bugles, in honor of Prew’s mad skillz9 with the bugle
Sunday breakfast, like the one served before the company realized they were under attack
A barrel of coffee, like the request made after the company realized they were under attack
And the Oscar goes to … the barrel of coffee! Unfortunately, it appears that Ellen has absconded with the barrel of coffee, so Tyler will accept the award on its behalf.
Fill In The Blank
How did we really feel about The Academy nominating this?
Ellen: I’d like to treat the Academy to a nice barrel of coffee and a good chat about evolving romantic standards. I think I have a larger appetite for this type of drama than Tyler does (as opposed to trash reality TV drama, where Tyler is king), but I found myself much more invested in the group dynamics of the company than I was in either romance. The battle of Holmes and his boxing cronies with Prewitt, Maggio, and the few people on their side (and Warden straddling the line between them), held my attention much better than trauma-bonded flash-in-the-pan relationships. Strong performances throughout, and if you’re looking to get your foot in the door on caring about the romances, I cannot recommend being attracted to Burt Lancaster enough!
Tyler: This one grew on me after letting it marinate for a bit (certainly more than High Noon did), but it still overall falls in the “solidly good but not great” category for me. (Maybe my expectations are too high?) It was almost too many things at once (“wartime romantic melodrama” is too many competing adjectives for me) and seemed to fall into the “jack of all trades, master of none” trap where a movie somewhat succeeds at extending past genres but doesn’t excel overall. That being said, the lead and supporting performances were incredible (particularly Montgomery Clift and, to my surprise, Frank Sinatra) and the plot moved itself along at a reasonable pace. Overall, I’d like to pre-thank the Academy for presumably helping me with some crosswords or movie-themed trivia down the road.
Let The Credits Roll
Thanks for reading! Some quick housekeeping as you exit the theatre:
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Post-Credits Scene
Get a sneak peek at the next ILTBTA installment.
In preparation for the December 10th release of Steven Spielberg’s remake, our next Spreadsheet selection will be the 1961 musical West Side Story. If you’re comfortable going to a movie theatre, Regal Cinemas is showing West Side Story on November 28th and December 1st to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the film’s release. It’s also available to rent in all the usual places, so check your couch cushions for the $3.99.
Until then, we hope your lei floats back to ILTBTA’s shores. And for Eternity’s sake, never mix polka and “Hawaiian”!
Tyler: Did you just propose?
Can you imagine if there were a war on the horizon? That’d be a real problem!
Tyler: A true icon to this fellow “Man with Ears”
Paging Stanley Yelnats!
Sounds like my ex-wife!
Tyler: Excuse me as I plug my own work for an inspector general.
At this point, we should turn a Hays Code mention in Wiki-Wiki-Whaat into a drinking game.
Results tabulated and certified by the accountants at Ernst & Yum™.
Ellen: I can condone neither the phrasing nor the spelling.