In 1898, Irish immigrant Martin Maher is hired as a civilian employee at West Point where, during a 50-year career, he rises to the rank of NCO and instructor.
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Title: The Long Gray Line (1955)
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1 nomination.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Tyrone Power | ... | Martin 'Marty' Maher | |
| Maureen O'Hara | ... | Mary O'Donnell | |
| Robert Francis | ... | James N. Sundstrom Jr. | |
| Donald Crisp | ... | Old Martin | |
| Ward Bond | ... | Capt. Herman J. Kohler | |
| Betsy Palmer | ... | Kitty Carter | |
| Philip Carey | ... | Charles 'Chuck' Dotson (as Phil Carey) | |
| William Leslie | ... | James Nilsson 'Red' Sundstrom | |
| Harry Carey Jr. | ... | Dwight Eisenhower | |
| Patrick Wayne | ... | Abner 'Cherub' Overton | |
| Sean McClory | ... | Dinny Maher | |
| Peter Graves | ... | Cpl. Rudolph Heinz | |
| Milburn Stone | ... | Capt. John Pershing | |
| Erin O'Brien-Moore | ... | Mrs. Koehler (as Erin O'Brien Moore) | |
 |
Walter Ehlers | ... | Mike Shannon (as Walter D. Ehlers) |
Learn more
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
The life story of a salt-of-the-earth Irish immigrant, who becomes an Army Noncommissioned Officer and spends his 50 year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This includes his job-related experiences as well as his family life and the relationships he develops with young cadets whom he befriends. Based on the life of a real person. Written by Dennis Huffman<dhuffman11@kc.rr.com>
Taglines:
Warms Your Heart! STIRS YOUR BLOOD! and fires your imagination! See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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Cpl. Rudolph Heinz: This is the United States Military Academy.
Martin 'Marty' Maher: [glances around] What a fine ruin it would make!
See more »
(uncredited)
Traditional
Music Arranged by Charles Villiers Stanford
Lyrics by Alfred Perceval Graves
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In addition to his younger brother Dinny who is featured in the film, Marty Maher had an older brother Joseph and a third brother William, younger than Dinny, all of whom came over from Ireland and enlisted in the US Army like Marty. All four brothers are buried with their own spouses and some of their children at West Point Cemetery. While, as noted in the Goofs section, Marty and Mary's son Martin III was fictitious and never existed, Marty did have a nephew also named Martin, Joseph's son, who was born in 1897 and died in 1910 and is also buried at West Point. According to his headstone, in real life, Dinny also married an Irish immigrant named Mary O'Donnell, although she was 24 years younger than Dinny and it is unknown whether she was a blood relative of Marty's wife of the same name. See more »Goofs
Red's Medal of Honor that Kitty shows to Marty and Mary is the current design that goes around the neck. In the story, Red earned it during World War I and at that time the Medal of Honor was on a suspension ribbon like most other US medals. It wouldn't be redesigned for around the neck wear until 1944. See more »Quotes
Martin 'Marty' Maher: What is this place? Is it maybe a prison, or is it a looney house?Cpl. Rudolph Heinz: This is the United States Military Academy.
Martin 'Marty' Maher: [glances around] What a fine ruin it would make!
See more »
Soundtracks
Father O'Flynn(uncredited)
Traditional
Music Arranged by Charles Villiers Stanford
Lyrics by Alfred Perceval Graves
See more »
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See more on IMDbPro »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
4 January 1955 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
The Long Gray Line See more »Filming Locations:
United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USAEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$1,748,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
This movie is one of John Ford's best. I have seen this movie many times, and it only improves with age. A truly heart warming story of a man who came from Ireland and found a new home at West Point, home of our oldest Military Academy. If you like tradition and biographies, this movie is one that you can't help but to love. The only bad thing about the movie is that it is not shown enough and doesn't get the credit it deserves.