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 house of the movie received more letters from fans than the actors; this from all over the world.

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Goofs

Although period cars were used the Greyhound Bus Dave rides into town on is definitely ca. mid to later '50s. The windows are a dead giveaway.

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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 E! True Hollywood Story: Dean Martin (1999)

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Soundtracks

After You've Gone
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Henry Creamer
Music by Turner Layton
Performed by Shirley MacLaine and unidentified male vocal trio with jazz combo

User Reviews

Godard always had the best taste.

Typical Minnelli masterpiece, as melodramatic, emotional and stylised as his more famous musicals. Lumpen James Jones novel stripped to the bone, its macho posturings shifted to anatomy of a society. Slow, repetitive narrative mirrors stagnation of such a society. Impotence, disease and writer's block all part of a wider malaise. The psychological visuals are unsurpassed, gaudy, intense floods of light, colour and composition disrupt superficial politeness. Climax one of the greatest in American cinema; the three male leads do the most difficult work of their careers. Shirley MacLaine gets hard deal, though.