Never So Few (1959)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Millard Kaufman (screenplay)
Tom T. Chamales (novel)

Release Date:

7 December 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Kiss by kiss the time ran out and never so few were the moments left for love!

Plot:

Captain Tom Reynolds and his band of skilled O.S.S. operatives are in WWII Burma to train the Kachin natives in modern warfare...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Combat | Military | American Soldier | Jungle

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Capt. Tom Reynolds
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Carla Vesari
Peter Lawford	...	Capt. Grey Travis
Steve McQueen	...	Bill Ringa
Richard Johnson	...	Capt. Danny De Mortimer
Paul Henreid	...	Nikko Regas
Brian Donlevy	...	Gen. Sloan
Dean Jones	...	Sgt. Jim Norby
Charles Bronson	...	Sgt. John Danforth
Philip Ahn	...	Nautaung
Robert Bray	...	Col. Fred Parkson
Kipp Hamilton	...	Margaret Fitch
John Hoyt	...	Col. Reed
Whit Bissell	...	Capt. Alofson - Psychiatrist
Richard Lupino	...	Mike Island
Aki Aleong	...	Billingsly
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Amargo	...	Scout (uncredited)
Rayford Barnes	...	Soldier in Helicopter (uncredited)
Charles Bateman	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Chatu Singh Bedi	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
John Bryant	...	General Sloan's Aide (uncredited)
Eugene Chan	...	Scout (uncredited)
Spencer Chan	...	Merchant (uncredited)
W.T. Chang	...	Elderly Chinese (uncredited)
Kei Thin Chung	...	Boat Driver (uncredited)
Isabel Cooley	...	Shan Girl (uncredited)
Jim Cronin	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Noel De Souza	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Ross Elliott	...	Colonel Dr. Barry (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Hindu Noble (uncredited)
Harold Fong	...	Chinese Peasant (uncredited)
Martin Fong	...	Scout (uncredited)
Bhupesh Guha	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
James Hong	...	General Chao (uncredited)
Dale Ishimoto	...	Scout (uncredited)
Morgan Jones	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Clifford Kawada	...	Japanese Officer (uncredited)
George Khoury	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Robert Kino	...	La-Bung La (uncredited)
Joe La Bate	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Guy Lee	...	Bye Ya (uncredited)
Jay Lee	...	Chinese War Lord (uncredited)
Allan Liu	...	Scout (uncredited)
Leon Lontoc	...	Laurel (uncredited)
Clarence Lung	...	Scout (uncredited)
Mako	...	Soldier in Hospital (uncredited)
Paul Maxwell	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Peter Miller	...	Cargo Man (uncredited)
Rollin Moriyama	...	Scout (uncredited)
Bong Nam	...	Kachin Scout (uncredited)
Leo Needham	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Maggie Pierce	...	Nurse (uncredited)
James Shen	...	Chinese Soldier (uncredited)
Reginald Lal Singh	...	Major Domo (uncredited)
William Smith	...	MP Officer #1 (uncredited)
Roy Taguchi	...	Japanese Officer (uncredited)
George Takei	...	Soldier in Hospital (uncredited)
Irene Tedrow	...	Head Nurse (uncredited)
Marie Tsien	...	Eurasian Girl (uncredited)
Lawrence Ung	...	Chinese Lieutenant (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Millard Kaufman		(screenplay)
Tom T. Chamales		(novel)

Produced by
Edmund Grainger	....	producer

Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Addison Hehr
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(set decorations)
Richard Pefferle		(set decorations)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert E. Relyea	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Robert R. Hoag	....	special effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Cliff Shirpser	....	effects camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Rose	....	gowns: Gina Lollobrigida

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant

Music Department
Charles Wolcott	....	orchestra conductor
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• Canterbury Productions (as A Canterbury Production) (as Canterbury Productions, Inc, also)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Panavision  photographic lenses by (as Panavision®)

Also Known As:

"Campaign Burma" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1987) | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #19299) | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1960)

Filming Locations:

Burma

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Steve McQueen's role was originally going to be played by Sammy Davis Jr.. A feud had broken out between Davis and Frank Sinatra after Davis had claimed in a radio interview that he was a greater singer than Sinatra. Sinatra demanded he be dropped from the cast, and McQueen got the part.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Capt. Tom Reynolds (Frank Sinatra) is in the bungalow awaiting the visit from the head of OSS, he puts his feet in a small metal tub and begins pouring whiskey over them, apparently disinfecting his feet. The start of the sequence shows him putting his feet in the tub, then another scene from behind shows him pouring the whiskey into the tub from about chest level (as he is sitting on the couch), but we cannot see the tub or his feet but we can hear the whiskey splashing directly into the metal tub. In two subsequent scenes from a head-on frontal view, as the general and his aide come into the room, but with a small table blocking the view of the tub or feet, Capt. Reynolds is still pouring the whiskey into the tub and we can hear it still splashing into the tub, but Capt. Reynolds' legs are clearly splayed outwardly far enough that his feet are obviously not in the tub but straddling it.

Quotes:

Capt. Tom Reynolds:What would you like for Christmas?
Carla Vesari:[bored with his provincialism] A twelve-foot statue of your grandfather.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2005) (TV)

" You are a recipient of the Medal of Honor, General, I expected something more "

This is a most unheralded Hollywood vehicle and yet it contain enough heavy weight stars to garner an entire shelf at the Academy Awards. The movie deals with that portion of World War II in and around what was then called Burma. (Today the world calls it Myanmar) Nevertheless, the small native Kachin tribe have been called upon to engage the Japanese army. Along with American forces they are a small, but formidable contingent who despite their numbers, become the banner of the film. "Never So Few" is the story of the Kachin and the American commander Capt. Tom Reynolds (Frank Sinatra) and his able assistant Capt. Danny Mortimer. Combating the superb Japanese forces and their attempts to conquer Indochina, creates many losses among the allies and prompts a need for a medical officer. Capt Grey Travis (Peter Lawford) joins their group as does a spirited Hell's Kitchen warrior, named William Ringer (Steve McQueen). Betrayed by the Chineese Government after they massacre American forces, Reynolds defies his own government, kills captured prisoners and invited a court-martial. During this same period he falls for beautiful Gina Lollobrigida who plays Carla Vesari a protégé of Nikko Regas (Paul Henreid) a rich entrepreneur. Brian Donlevy as Gen. Sloan orders Reynolds to come to headquarters to explain his defiance of orders. Dean Jones is Sgt. Jim Norby and Charles Bronson as Sgt. John Danforth along with Philip Ahn (Kung Fu) as Nautaung are superior in this movie. Each adds excellence to their respective characters, creating the cornerstone of a true Classic. Well done! ****