Red Sky at Morning *** (1971, Richard Thomas, Catherine Burns, Desi Arnaz Jr, Richard Crenna, Claire Bloom) – Classic Movie Review 9537

Director James Goldstone’s 1971 drama Red Sky at Morning is based on the novel by Richard Bradford and stars Richard Thomas as young Joshua Arnold, who moves to New Mexico in 1944 as his dad Frank (Richard Crenna) goes to off war to fight World War Two.

Thomas grows to manhood as he loses his virginity to Marcia Davidson (Catherine Burns) and suffers the death of his father.

Also in the cast are Desi Arnaz Jr as Thomas’s best friend ‘Steenie’ Stenopolous and a miscast Claire Bloom as Thomas’s mom, along with John Colicos, Harry Guardino, Strother Martin, Nehemiah Persoff, Pepe Serna, and Gregory Sierra.

The excellent Thomas keeps this attractive rites-of-passage movie on the rails, with gentle writing (by Marguerite Roberts) and direction that have charm and warmth rather than drive and incisiveness, which works nicely here. It is beautifully shot by Vilmos Zsigmond (in Technicolor).

Desi Arnaz Jr won the 1972 Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer – Male.

Thomas and Burns previously starred together in Last Summer (1969).

The railway carriages seen are from the Fifties and Sixties rather than from 1944-45.

Red Sky at Morning is directed by James Goldstone, runs 112 minutes, is made by Hal Wallis Productions and Eaves Movie Ranch, is released by Universal Pictures (1971) (US) and Rank Film Distributors (1971) (UK), is written by Marguerite Roberts, is shot by Vilmos Zsigmond (Technicolor), is produced by Hal B Wallis and is scored by Billy Goldenberg.

The cinema version has no voiceover narration and ends with a promo for the Universal Studio tour. The TV version has voiceover narration by the lead character as an adult and no tour promo.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9537

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