What Price Glory *** (1952, James Cagney, Corinne Calvet, Dan Dailey, Robert Wagner, Marisa Pavan, William Demarest) – Classic Movie Review 7917

Director John Ford’s 1952 comedy drama What Price Glory? is a low-key Technicolor remake of the classic Raoul Walsh silent film from 1926
What Price Glory? (itself based on a 1924 long running Broadway play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings). It does not look too comfortable with either the comedy or drama, both of which are surprisingly shaky for a John Ford film, but it is redeemed by the charismatic performances of the stars and support players.

James Cagney and Dan Dailey star as US Marine commander Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt, who head off to the French front during World War One and battle for the affections of sweet mademoiselle Charmaine (Corinne Calvet), an innkeeper’s daughter, before confronting the harsh realities of trench warfare.

What Price Glory? Is an early outing for the 22-year-old Robert Wagner, who had made his début two years earlier, straight out of college, in The Happy Years.

Also in the cast are Marisa Pavan, William Demarest, James Gleason, Harry Morgan, Paul Fix, Tom Tyler, Craig Hill, Max Showalter [Casey Adams], Wally Vernon, Henri Letondal, Luis Alberni, Ed Begley, Olga Andre, Danny Borzage, Ann Codee, Paul Guilfoyle, William Henry, Henry Kulky, Fred Libby, Sean McClory, Louis Mercier, Toben Meyer, Barry Norton, Peter Ortiz, Jack Pennick, Mickey Simpson, Tom Tyler and Alfred Zeisler

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7917

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