''Until They Sail'' is a 1957 American black-and-white

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by Robert Wise and starring

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons, (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Great Britain during and aft ...

, Joan Fontaine,

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by

James A. Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and ...

included in his 1951 anthology '' Return to Paradise'', focuses on four New Zealand sisters and their relationships with U.S. Marines during World War II.

Plot

The film opens in a

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

courtroom, where testimony prompts Barbara Leslie to flashback to the events that led to the trial. She and her sisters Anne, Evelyn, and Delia live in Christchurch, where most of the male residents, including their brother Kit and Barbara's new husband Mark, are preparing to leave for World War II duty. Delia announces her engagement to Phil "Shiner" Friskett, who is one of the city's few remaining bachelors, but word of Kit's death dampens the celebration. Repressed and judgmental spinster sister Anne disapproves of the upcoming nuptials, but Barbara defends Delia's decision. Within weeks of the marriage, the sisters come to resent Shiner's abuse and are happy to see him leave for active duty. Delia moves to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

to work for the New Zealand Navy. When several hundred U.S. Marines are shipped to Christchurch following the 1941

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

, the lonely local women are flattered by the attention they pay them. When Evelyn invites Capt. Richard "Dick" Bates to dinner, he declines the offer, but not without attracting Anne's eye. Concerned about Delia, Anne sends Barbara to Wellington, where she discovers her sister is registered at the St. George Hotel under her maiden name. Shiner is now a prisoner of war, and Delia has become involved with an American lieutenant named Andy. She plans to divorce Shiner and emigrate to the United States. Andy introduces Barbara to his friend Jack Harding, a Marine reviewing the backgrounds of prospective New Zealand brides of American soldiers. Although Barbara intends to remain faithful to her husband, she finds herself attracted to Jack. Back in Christchurch, Anne is outraged by the lewd comments made by American servicemen in the lingerie shop where she works and writes a letter of complaint to the local paper. Following its publication, Dick is sent to the Leslie home to deliver a formal apology on behalf of the Marine Corps. Anne invites him to dinner, and Dick arrives with a gift of perfume for each sister. Anne accuses him of trying to seduce them. Soon after, Barbara and Anne learn of Mark's death in North Africa and Dick's departure for active duty. He eventually returns to New Zealand to recuperate from an injury, and a romance between him and Anne blossoms. He proposes, but before the required marital investigation can take place, he is given offshore duty, leaving Anne expecting their child and unsure of what the future holds for them. Jack arrives at the Leslie home to conduct his investigation of Anne, and he advises her that wartime romances stem from loneliness rather than love. Barbara tells him his assessment is heartless. Shortly after, she discovers Dick's name on the latest casualty list. Weeks later, Jack runs into Barbara at a local dance, where she suggests he uses alcohol to avoid intimacy. He breaks down in her arms, and a strong friendship between the two blossoms. Jack celebrates Christmas Eve with the Leslie family, which now includes Anne's newborn son. When he announces his imminent departure, he and Barbara share an amorous embrace. Months later, Evelyn's sweetheart Tommy returns from war and proposes to her. Barbara sees an item from Richard's mother in the personals section of the newspaper, containing a request from Dick's mother to hear from any New Zealand family who knew her son. After Barbara writes to her, Dick's mother sends money to finance Anne and her baby's move to Oklahoma to live with their family. The day of Anne's departure coincides with the Japanese announcing the end of hostilities. Delia has arrived in Wellington to see Anne off and to ask Shiner, recently rescued from a P.O.W. camp, for a divorce so she can leave for America with her latest lover. Infuriated, Shiner kills his wife with a Japanese sword he brought back from the war. Weeks later, during the murder trial, Jack is forced to reveal his investigation report detailing Delia's seven affairs with American soldiers. Upset that her sister's infidelities seemingly have justified her savage murder, Barbara refuses Jack's invitation to leave New Zealand with him. Upon reflection, she packs her belongings and arrives at Jack's hotel to tell him she's ready to embark upon a new life with him.

Cast

as Barbara Leslie Forbes * Joan Fontaine as Anne Leslie *

as Capt. Jack Harding * Piper Laurie as Delia Leslie Friskett * Charles Drake as Capt. Richard Bates * Sandra Dee as Evelyn Leslie * Wally Cassell as Phil Friskett *

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for ...

as Prosecution Attorney * Ralph Votrian as Max Murphy * John Wilder as Tommy * Tige Andrews as US Marine #1 (store customer) * Adam Kennedy as Lt. Andy * Mickey Shaughnessy as US Marine #2 (store customer)

Music

The score for the film was composed and conducted by David Raksin. The title song included lyrics by Sammy Cahn and was performed under the main titles by vocalist Eydie Gorme. The complete score was issued on CD in 2009, on '' Film Score Monthly'' records.

Production

Robert Wise and Mark Robson had originally purchased the rights for Michener's story when they were at RKO. Casting problems forced them to delay the filming when the rights went to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions who were going to cast

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

. When the company made '' The Kentuckian'' instead, MGM acquired the rights, first intending their contract lead Glenn Ford playing the lead Marine. Robert Wise then reacquired the film through MGM in his last film of his contract with the studio. Wise visited New Zealand to familiarise himself with the nation and the people, but filmed the movie on the MGM back lot. He had originally intended to shoot the film in colour. It was Sandra Dee's first film. (The 1957 Soviet animated feature ''The Snow Queen'' is often listed as Dee's first film credit, because she and other Hollywood stars did the voices for the English-language version, but that English-language audio was not actually made until 1959.)

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

was once announced for the lead.

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $745,000 in the US and Canada and $675,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,055,000.

Critical reception

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' observed, "The genuine tugs at the heart are few and far between in this bittersweet but basically restrained chronicle. Robert Anderson's adaptation . . . is honest and straightforward . . . Unfortunately there is a good deal of introspective soul-searching before this narrative arrives at its sad and happy endings." William K. Zinsser of the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...

'' wrote that the film "has moments of genuine tenderness and truth."''Until They Sail'' at Turner Classic Movies
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References

External links

* * * * {{James A. Michener 1957 films American World War II films Films set in New Zealand 1950s English-language films American black-and-white films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films CinemaScope films Films about the United States Marine Corps 1957 drama films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Robert Wise Films scored by David Raksin Films based on works by James A. Michener Films set on the home front during World War II Christchurch in fiction