In Love and War *** (1958, Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Hope Lange, Sheree North, France Nuyen, Dana Wynter) – Classic Movie Review 3394

Director Philip Dunne’s 1958 movie movie is the third pairing of Fifties heartthrobs Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner, following A Kiss Before Dying (1956) and The True Story of Jesse James (1957). Based on Anton Myrer’s novel The Big War, the screenplay by Edward Anhalt tells the story of the World War Two lives and loves of three US Marines, the third played by Bradford Dillman.

Wagner married Natalie Wood on 28 December 1957.

The story follows the course of tough sergeant Nico Kantaylis (Hunter)’s love for Andrea Lenaine (Hope Lange), cowardly, drunken recruit Frankie O’Neill (Wagner)’s for Lorraine (Sheree North), and intellectual Allan Newcombe (Dillman)’s first for decadent Sue Trumbell (Dana Wynter), and then for Hawaiian nurse Kalai Ducanne (France Nuyen). It starts with the three Marines taking shore leave in San Francisco and ends in battle when a heroic act costs one of the Marines his life.

It is dated and soapy, but with some good dramatic, romantic and comic moments, and the sprightly playing of the very decent cast helps, with Dillman giving the standout performance. And it is attractively filmed by cinematographer Leo Tover in CinemaScope and De Luxe colour.

Also in the cast are Mort Sahl, Steven Gant, Harvey Stephens, Paul Conti, Joe Di Reda, Buck Class, James Bell, Edith Barrett, Murvyn Vye, Lili Valenty, Edward Tap Canutt, Nelson Leigh, Veronica Cartwright (in her debut, aged 19, as Allie O’Neill), Brian Corcoran, Mary Patton and Frank Murphy. Sebastian Cabot’s scenes as Professor D Everett Styles were deleted.

Watch full movie of In Love and War free.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3394

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