A Farewell to Arms (1957)

Director:

Charles Vidor
(more)

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screenplay)
Ernest Hemingway (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

The story of an affair between an English nurse an an American soldier on the Italian front during World War I.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Ambulance | Love | Soldier | Hospital

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Lt. Frederick Henry
Jennifer Jones	...	Catherine Barkley
Vittorio De Sica	...	Major Alessandro Rinaldi
Oskar Homolka	...	Dr. Emerich (as Oscar Homolka)
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Miss Van Campen
Elaine Stritch	...	Helen Ferguson
Kurt Kasznar	...	Bonello
Victor Francen	...	Colonel Valentini
Franco Interlenghi	...	Aymo
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Passini
José Nieto	...	Major Stampi (as Jose Nieto)
Georges Bréhat	...	Captain Bassi (as Georges Brehat)
Johanna Hofer	...	Mrs. Zimmerman
Eduard Linkers	...	Lieutenant Zimmerman
Eva Kotthaus	...	Delivery Room Nurse
Alberto Sordi	...	Father Galli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luigi Barzini	...	Court Martial Colonel (uncredited)
Memmo Carotenuto	...	Nino the Doorkeeper (uncredited)
Patrick Crean	...	Medical Lieutenant (uncredited)
Albert D'Amario	...	Arrested Officer (uncredited)
Angelo Galassi	...	Firing Squad Commander (uncredited)
Stephen Garret	...	Captain Defender (uncredited)
Guidarino Guidi	...	Civilian Doctor (uncredited)
Carlo Hinterman	...	Café's Customer (uncredited)
Peter Illing	...	Milan Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Vittorio Jannitti	...	Hotel Proprietor (uncredited)
Diana King	...	Hospital Receptionist (uncredited)
Antonio La Raina	...	Delivery Room Anaesthetist (uncredited)
Sam Levene	...	Swiss Sergeant (uncredited)
Carlo Licari	...	Racetrack Announcer (uncredited)
Franco Mancinelli	...	Captain at Outpost (uncredited)
Guido Martufi	...	Boy Scout (uncredited)
Clelia Matania	...	Hairdresser (uncredited)
Gisella Mathews	...	Nurse in Catherine's Room (uncredited)
Peter Meersman	...	Major Accuser (uncredited)
Tiberio Mitri	...	Café's Other Customer (uncredited)
Alex Revidis	...	Carabiniere Officer (uncredited)
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart	...	Carabiniere (uncredited)
Umberto Sacripante	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Joan Shawlee	...	Blonde Nurse (uncredited)
Umberto Spadaro	...	Barber (uncredited)
Bud Spencer	...	Carabiniere (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Vidor
John Huston		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(screenplay)
Ernest Hemingway		(novel)
Laurence Stallings		(play)

Produced by
Arthur Fellows	....	associate producer (uncredited)
David O. Selznick	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mario Nascimbene

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris
Piero Portalupi		(photographed by)
James Wong Howe		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
John M. Foley
Gerard Wilson		(as Gerard J. Wilson)

Production Design by
Alfred Junge

Art Direction by
Mario Garbuglia

Set Decoration by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Costume Design by
Veniero Colasanti		(uncredited)
John Moore		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Gaspare Carboni	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Alberto De Rossi	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Marton	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gastone Medin	....	associate production designer
Dudley Holmes	....	property master (uncredited)
Italo Tomassi	....	manager of art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Knott	....	sound recordist
Murray Spivack	....	sound recordist
Carl J. Brandon	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Carl Mahakian	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Harold E. McGhan	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Willis Cook	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)
Costel Grozea	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Ibbetson	....	camera operator
Morris Rosen	....	master grip
Idelmo Simonelli	....	camera operator
Derek V. Browne	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Peter Newbrook	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Franco Salvi	....	wardrobe (uncredited; as Frank Salvi)

Editorial Department
James E. Newcom	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	conductor
Audrey Granville	....	music editor (as Audray Granville)

Other crew
Luigi Barzini Jr.	....	technical advisor
Giulio Ferrari	....	technical advisor (as Prof. Giulio Ferrari)
Alessandro Paoletti	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. Alessandro Paoletti)
Lydia Schiller	....	scenario assistant
David O. Selznick	....	presenter
Harriet Medin	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Eva Monley	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Frederick Muller	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Stephen B. Grimes	....	acknowledgment (as Stephen Grimes)
Andrew Marton	....	acknowledgment
Peter Newbrook	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• Selznick Studio, The

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1958) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1958) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (1978) (Italy) (VHS)
• DomoVideo (1978) (Italy) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• France Video Distribution (Fravidis) (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Lineafilm (????) (Italy) (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Elite Franz Schroeder  German dubbing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

152 min | Italy:141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:12 | West Germany:16 (f) | USA:Approved (certificate #18795) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Australia:G | France:U | Finland:K-16 | UK:15 (video rating) (1988) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Alps, Italy

Company:

Selznick Studio, The

Trivia:

The film's original director, John Huston, was fired after clashing with producer David O. Selznick. Cinematographer Oswald Morris quit after Selznick claimed Rock Hudson was being favored over his wife, Jennifer Jones.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hudson and Jones are in the hotel bedroom he gives her a glass of wine. The amount of wine in her glass varies between shots.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

David Selznick loved Jennifer Jones

David Selznick loved Jennifer Jones and per John Huston in his book "put everything on the line for his adored Jennifer" I met Douglas Fairbanks Jr years ago at a party when he was in New York and Fairbanks remarked that of major producers he knew, David Selznick stood out because of Mr. Selznick's love of great literature. David Selznick's brilliant productions of Gone With The Wind, Rebecca, David Copperfield, et al reflect Selznick's great love of great novels. (David Selznick wanted to but could not get financing for War and Peace starring of course Ms.Jones) One wonders why David Selznick insisted on remaking A Farewell to Arms but push ahead he did. David Selznick made a releasing deal thru 20th (Likely because of Jennifer Jones' attachment and successes at 20th Century Fox -Song of Bernadette, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, et al) and hired John Huston to direct again possibly because of Jennifer's past history with John Huston (Beat The Devil, We Were Strangers). David Selznick micro managed his productions and fired John Huston whom he felt was titling the picture towards a war film versus a highly romantic film, i.e. favoring Rock Hudson over Jennifer Jones. Charles Vidor replaced Huston and also had clashes with David Selznick. In the mid 50's a gigantic production shot on location in Italy had to be a logistical challenge: Selznick also fired Arthur Fellows as line producer. Some of A Farewell To Arms scenes are brilliantly photographed and large in scope as is the trademark of a Selznick International picture.

Jennifer Jones was a beautiful movie star. I would recommend a review of Ms. Jones career, as Ms. Jones is sadly forgotten but was a huge box office star and acclaimed screen actress of her day: Madame Bovary, Good Morning Miss Dove, Duel In The Sun, Ruby Gentry et al Some carp over Jennifer Jones' age in this film but Jennifer Jones looks fine in this picture (but ironically would look even much better years later in a fine and underrated film 20th's Tender Is The Night). My quibble with this film is the dialogue between Jennifer Jones and Rock Hudson which seems so stilted and phony. Rock Hudson, then a gigantic box office star after George Stevens great film Giant and his run at Universal with hits such as Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, etc got first billing over the veteran Oscar Winning Jennifer Jones. Elaine Stritch is wonderfully sassy in a small but pivotal supporting role.

We are likely never to see the likes of David Selznick again, a pioneer in film. Of all Selznick's movies I liked Gone With The Wind best but also the splendid WWII Film Since You Went Away starring Ms. Jones and a superb Claudette Colbert I wish Selznick had done an original film like Since You Went Away rather than a remake of A Farewell To Arms. Mr. Hudson adored by his female costars such as Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Jane Wyman, et al never really had much to say about working with Jennifer Jones. Ms Jones until her death never commented much about anything ever about her career, her Leading Men, or about her stormy private life.

A book on the back story filming of this movie would prove to be interesting. Reading Memo From David O Selznick and David Thomson's Showman would help understand David Selznick's obsession with Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms and Ms. Jones in particular.

This was the final film personally produced by David O Selznick.