Based on Ernest Hemingway's series of semi-autobiographical short stories, "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" is a fitfully entertaining road movie that was based on the Nobel Prize winning author's coming of age during the early 20th century. Adapted by A.E Hotchner from ten of the two dozen "Nick Adams" stories, the film's episodes are linked by Richard Beymer as the Nick Adams character, who sets out from a smothering home to liberate himself and become a writer. Along the road to manhood, Nick interacts with a distinguished cast of fine character actors.
Raised in Northern Michigan, where he is trapped by a domineering mother, a weak father, and the prospect of a loveless marriage and uninspiring job, Nick hits the road. Accompanied by a home-town companion, Michael J. Pollard, the pair heads towards New York City, where Nick hopes to find work as a news reporter. Pollard quickly tires of the vagabond life and returns home. Undaunted by hardship or a brutal run-in with a railroad brakeman, Nick tags along with a mentally scarred former boxer, the Battler, and his friend, Bugs. However, the often-confused Battler sours on Nick, and Bugs asks the young man to continue on without them. Further East, Nick encounters Billy Campbell, an itinerant vaudeville player, who hires him for a stint that eventually gets him to New York. However, the big city is un-welcoming, and, lacking experience, Nick is rejected by the newspapers. World War I is waging in Europe, and, while peeling vegetables and bussing tables in an Italian restaurant, Nick is inspired by a beautiful Italian Nationalist, and he volunteers to be an ambulance driver. Sent to Northern Italy during the Italian campaign against the Austrians, Lieutenant Adams is stationed alongside Eli Wallach, under the command of Ricardo Montalban. When he is wounded, Nick recuperates near Verona under the care of Susan Strasberg. The star-studded episodes are of varying length and credibility, but the extended Italian sequence is arguably the most entertaining and encompasses battle, romance, and tragedy; the war episode plays like a brief recap of "A Farewell to Arms," which was also inspired by Hemingway's World War I experiences and his romantic affair with a Red Cross nurse.
Although generally well acted, like any film with a star-laden cast, the performances vary in quality with some stand outs. The film rests on the shoulders of 24-year old Richard Beymer, who bears a passing resemblance to the young Hemingway; as Nick Adams, Beymer appears in every sequence, and his performance is adequate, if not memorable. Not surprisingly, the performances that linger are those of Paul Newman, who triumphs over heavy unflattering make-up as the Battler; Jessica Tandy, who rehearses the stern possessive mother she would play a year later in "The Birds;" and Dan Dailey, whose career started in vaudeville, as the colorful drunken vaudevillian, Billy Campbell. Veterans and newcomers Arthur Kennedy, James Dunn, Susan Strasberg, Eli Wallach, Ricardo Montalban, Michael J. Pollard, Diane Baker, and Corinne Calvet provide solid support and hold audience attention throughout a rambling 2 ½ hours. Mostly entertaining, "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" was helmed by Martin Ritt, who directed several of Paul Newman's best performances; beautifully photographed, especially the Autumn scenes in Northern Michigan, by Lee Garmes; and scored by Franz Waxman. Obviously a prestige production for 20th Century Fox, the film failed at the boxoffice and has been unjustly neglected since release; while a must for students of Ernest Hemingway, Paul Newman completists, and fans of Martin Ritt, the flawed, but worthy, "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" definitely merits rediscovering.
Raised in Northern Michigan, where he is trapped by a domineering mother, a weak father, and the prospect of a loveless marriage and uninspiring job, Nick hits the road. Accompanied by a home-town companion, Michael J. Pollard, the pair heads towards New York City, where Nick hopes to find work as a news reporter. Pollard quickly tires of the vagabond life and returns home. Undaunted by hardship or a brutal run-in with a railroad brakeman, Nick tags along with a mentally scarred former boxer, the Battler, and his friend, Bugs. However, the often-confused Battler sours on Nick, and Bugs asks the young man to continue on without them. Further East, Nick encounters Billy Campbell, an itinerant vaudeville player, who hires him for a stint that eventually gets him to New York. However, the big city is un-welcoming, and, lacking experience, Nick is rejected by the newspapers. World War I is waging in Europe, and, while peeling vegetables and bussing tables in an Italian restaurant, Nick is inspired by a beautiful Italian Nationalist, and he volunteers to be an ambulance driver. Sent to Northern Italy during the Italian campaign against the Austrians, Lieutenant Adams is stationed alongside Eli Wallach, under the command of Ricardo Montalban. When he is wounded, Nick recuperates near Verona under the care of Susan Strasberg. The star-studded episodes are of varying length and credibility, but the extended Italian sequence is arguably the most entertaining and encompasses battle, romance, and tragedy; the war episode plays like a brief recap of "A Farewell to Arms," which was also inspired by Hemingway's World War I experiences and his romantic affair with a Red Cross nurse.
Although generally well acted, like any film with a star-laden cast, the performances vary in quality with some stand outs. The film rests on the shoulders of 24-year old Richard Beymer, who bears a passing resemblance to the young Hemingway; as Nick Adams, Beymer appears in every sequence, and his performance is adequate, if not memorable. Not surprisingly, the performances that linger are those of Paul Newman, who triumphs over heavy unflattering make-up as the Battler; Jessica Tandy, who rehearses the stern possessive mother she would play a year later in "The Birds;" and Dan Dailey, whose career started in vaudeville, as the colorful drunken vaudevillian, Billy Campbell. Veterans and newcomers Arthur Kennedy, James Dunn, Susan Strasberg, Eli Wallach, Ricardo Montalban, Michael J. Pollard, Diane Baker, and Corinne Calvet provide solid support and hold audience attention throughout a rambling 2 ½ hours. Mostly entertaining, "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" was helmed by Martin Ritt, who directed several of Paul Newman's best performances; beautifully photographed, especially the Autumn scenes in Northern Michigan, by Lee Garmes; and scored by Franz Waxman. Obviously a prestige production for 20th Century Fox, the film failed at the boxoffice and has been unjustly neglected since release; while a must for students of Ernest Hemingway, Paul Newman completists, and fans of Martin Ritt, the flawed, but worthy, "Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" definitely merits rediscovering.