From Here to Eternity (1953)

In Hawaii in 1941, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second-in-command are falling in love.

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Daniel Taradash (screen play), James Jones (based upon the novel by)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr

Won 8 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Sgt. Milton Warden
Montgomery Clift	...	Robert E. Lee Prewitt
Deborah Kerr	...	Karen Holmes
Donna Reed	...	Alma aka Lorene
Frank Sinatra	...	Angelo Maggio
Philip Ober	...	Capt. Dana Holmes
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Sgt. Leva
Harry Bellaver	...	Mazzioli
Ernest Borgnine	...	Sgt. 'Fatso' Judson
Jack Warden	...	Corp. Buckley
John Dennis	...	Sgt. Ike Galovitch
Merle Travis	...	Sal Anderson
Tim Ryan	...	Sgt. Pete Karelsen
Arthur Keegan	...	Treadwell
Barbara Morrison	...	Mrs. Kipfer

Storyline

It's 1941. Robert E. Lee Prewitt has requested Army transfer and has ended up at Schofield in Hawaii. His new captain, Dana Holmes, has heard of his boxing prowess and is keen to get him to represent the company. However, 'Prew' is adamant that he doesn't box anymore, so Captain Holmes gets his subordinates to make his life a living hell. Meanwhile Sergeant Warden starts seeing the captain's wife, who has a history of seeking external relief from a troubled marriage. Prew's friend Maggio has a few altercations with the sadistic stockade Sergeant 'Fatso' Judson, and Prew begins falling in love with social club employee Lorene. Unbeknownst to anyone, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor looms in the distance.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | bugler | u.s. army | dysfunctional marriage | awol | 

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Taglines:

Pouring out of impassioned pages...brawling their way to greatness on the screen!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

De aquí a la eternidad

Filming Locations:

Diamond Head, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,650,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$30,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gladys George was offered the role of Karen Holmes until Fred Zinnemann decided that he wanted to cast actors against type.

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Goofs

When Alma and Prew are talking in her apartment, the spring clasp is visible next to the cross on Alma's necklace. When the camera returns in a subsequent angle, the spring clasp is no longer visible.

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Quotes

Angelo Maggio: Only my friends can call me a little wop!

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: SCHOFIELD BARRACKS HAWAII 1941

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Connections

Featured in Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time (2011)

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Soundtracks

Re-enlistment Blues
(1953)
by James Jones, Fred Karger, Robert Wells
Sung by men in the barracks twice
Played often in the score

User Reviews

See the Re-Release

I was a kid when I first saw the movie. All I remembered is the beach scene, and I thought it was a lot longer in duration than it actually is. I went to see the re-release this week. Wow! Has this movie held up! The few chauvinistic remarks directed at women would not be acceptable today but reflect how things were at that time. This is a top-notch film in every way! The acting by the stellar cast is close to perfection (Sinatra, Lancaster, Kerr, Borgnine, Clift--I rate them in that order, but they're all excellent). The plot has huge forward momentum, particularly when we see the page on the calendar. This is a classic! See it again!