Some Came Running (1958)

Dave Hirsch, a writer and an army veteran winds up in his small Indiana hometown, to the dismay of his respectable older brother. He meets and befriends various different characters and tries to figure out what to do with his life.

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

James Jones (novel), John Patrick

Stars:

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Frank Sinatra	...	Dave Hirsh
Dean Martin	...	Bama Dillert
Shirley MacLaine	...	Ginnie Moorehead
Martha Hyer	...	Gwen French
Arthur Kennedy	...	Frank Hirsh
Nancy Gates	...	Edith Barclay
Leora Dana	...	Agnes Hirsh
Betty Lou Keim	...	Dawn Hirsh
Larry Gates	...	Professor Robert Haven French
Steve Peck	...	Raymond Lanchak (as Steven Peck)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Jane Barclay
Ned Wever	...	Smitty

Storyline

In the post-war, the alcoholic and bitter veteran military and former writer Dave Hirsch returns from Chicago to his hometown Parkman, Indiana. He is followed by Ginnie Moorehead, a vulgar and easy woman with whom he spent his last night in Chicago that has fallen in love with him. The resentful Dave meets his older brother Frank Hirsh, who owns a jewelry store and is a prominent citizen of Parkman that invites him to have dinner with his family. Dave meets his sister-in-law Agnes that hates him since one character of his novel had been visibly inspired on her, and his teenage niece Dawn. Frank introduces the school teacher Gwen French to him and Dave feels attracted by the beautiful woman that is daughter of his former Professor Robert Haven French and idolizes his work as writer. However, his unrequited love with Gwen drives Dave back to the local bar where he befriends the professional gambler Bama Dillert and meets Ginnie again with the Chicago's mobster Raymond Lanchak that was ...

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Plot Keywords:

indiana | veteran | soldier | midwest | homecoming | 

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Taglines:

Everyone knew Dave was back in town ... and woman-trouble must be close behind !

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Some Came Running

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh ,Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The entire cast and crew traveled to Madison, Indiana, for the majority of filming but after the town's initial excitement over Frank Sinatra's arrival, an antagonistic relationship developed between the star and the townspeople after the press reported some disparaging comments from Sinatra about their city. As Vincente Minnelli observed, "The people of Madison . . . weren't aware of what they had in their midst. They thought Frank and his friends were just plain movie stars, to be ogled and fondled. But Frank chooses the subjects of his familiarity--they don't choose him. The fireworks were inevitable." Shirley MacLaine recalled, "The people of Madison surrounded the house [where the cast was staying] night and day, sometimes four abreast, hoping and waiting to see these male movie idols. We had to keep the curtains drawn for privacy and that soon started to wear on all of us. It was like living in a tomb! It became a surreal experience as women would break through the police barricade, enter the house and target Frank and Dean, ripping at their clothes."

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Goofs

Although Sinatra's uniform appears to "lack rank insignia", it is likely that his character is a Private. in WW II a Private had no rank insignia. A single chevron indicated Private First Class until 1968. Also in WW II enlisted men did not wear collar branch insignia on class B khaki uniforms until shortly before the Korean War. Sinatra's character obviously served in the infantry, since he wears the Combat Infantryman's Badge above his left shirt pocket.

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Quotes

Gwen French: Your first novel... was a really powerful study of rejection.
Dave Hirsh: Oh, that it was. It was rejected by forty-two publishers.

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Connections

Featured in Sinatra: Dark Star (2005)

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Soundtracks

To Love And Be Loved
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen
Performed by unidentified male vocal trio and jazz combo

User Reviews

Powerful, stylish Minnelli gem!

Vincente Minelli was a master at creating powerful cinematic imagery that made unforgettable many a film which, in other hands, might have been quite ordinary. So many aspects of the story he deals with in "Some Came Running" had to be compromised because of the censorship issues that governed movies of that era. This led to some very awkward scripting, suggesting but never explicitly spelling out much that was central to the story. As a result, the drama veers into a rather dated soap-opera feel from time to time.

The wonder of this picture lies in how the director draws consistently strong performances from his cast and then, using striking visual compositions, magical lighting, stunning use of color, delivers a startlingly powerful result. Like so many of his films, this is the sort of richly satisfying visual experience that you want to re-visit again and again.

Serious home theater buffs should loudly protest that such Minnelli masterpieces as "Some Came Running", Home from the Hill" and "Lust for Life" are still unreleased as widescreen DVD's. This seems so shamefully, incomprehensibly neglectful!