Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay) and
John Huston (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 March 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

A Marine and a Nun, both shipwrecked on a Pacific Island, find solace in one another as the two wait out the war.

Plot Keywords:

Nun | Soldier | Pacific Theater | Cave | Japanese Army

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Deborah Kerr	...	Sister Angela
Robert Mitchum	...	Cpl. Allison, USMC

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) and
John Huston		(screenplay)
Charles Shaw		(novel)

Produced by
Buddy Adler	....	producer
Eugene Frenke	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Russell Lloyd

Art Direction by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)

Makeup Department
George Frost	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Leigh Aman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adrian Pryce-Jones	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Malcolm Cooke	....	sound editor
Basil Fenton-Smith	....	sound
Leslie Hodgson	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special effects

Stunts
Arnim Tardieu	....	stunt double: Robert Mitchum (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Ibbetson	....	camera operator
Derek V. Browne	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Haffenden	....	costumes
Laura Nightingale	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Lambert Williamson	....	conductor

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• Centfox (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)

Other Companies

• United States Marine Corps  Twentieth Century Fox acknowledges with thanks the generous co-operation of, in the production of Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (as the United States Marine Corps)
• Bausch & Lomb  CinemaScope Lenses by
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation  CinemaScope is the registered trademark of (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation®)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) | 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #18380) | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2004) | Australia:PG | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:U (original rating) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Supposedly Robert Mitchum's favorite film role he played.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the film, Corporal Allison's raft nears the island. As he looks over the edge of the raft and sees the island, his disheveled hair is dry as well as his shirt. However, the next shot shows his hair much shorter but soaking wet as is his shirt.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Cpl. Allison, USMC:Let's just keep it quiet, ma'am. You speak English?
Sister Angela:Yes.
Cpl. Allison, USMC:Are there any Japs around?
Sister Angela:You're... You're an American.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Newhart: Heaven Knows Mr. Utley (#1.19)" (1983)

On an island with you

Walter Huston loved to film on location; all his great movies reflect this predilection. It helps too, that Mr. Huston and John Lee Mahin produced a great screen play and the bonus was the casting of the two stars. Since it's a two character film, the director couldn't gamble with any light weight actors and it pays tremendously by the incredible performances Mr. Huston got from them.

The story of the nun who is left behind in a Pacific island and the arrival of the shipwrecked Capt. Allison, brings two people together from such different backgrounds, that under another direction wouldn't have played so well as it does in this movie. There aren't any false moments in the film.

It is a credit to Mr. Huston the pairing of Deborah Kerr with Robert Mitchum, who are amazing in their roles. There's an aura of sex between both of the actors without it being obvious, or on your face. It's the subtlety that makes this film work they way it does. Both Ms. Kerr and Mr. Mitchum would appear not to be ideal for these two characters, but they have the right chemistry to make us care for these two people stranded in the Pacific.