The Strange One (1957)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jack Garfein

Writers:

Calder Willingham (novel)
Calder Willingham (play)

Release Date:

12 April 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"THE STRANGE ONE" IS A STRANGE ONE! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Jocko De Paris, cadet leader in a Southern military academy, so manipulates events that George Avery...

Plot Keywords:

Cadet | Military Academy | Military | Homosexuality | Military Cadet

Cast

Ben Gazzara	...	Cadet Sgt. Jocko DeParis
Pat Hingle	...	Cadet Harold 'Harry' Koble
Peter Mark Richman	...	Cadet Col. Laurie Lorger (as Mark Richman)
Arthur Storch	...	Cadet Simmons
Paul E. Richards	...	Cadet Perrin 'Cockroach' McKee
Larry Gates	...	Maj. George Avery Sr.
Clifton James	...	Col. M.N. Ramsey
Geoffrey Horne	...	Cadet George Avery Jr.
James Olson	...	Cadet Roger Gatt
Julie Wilson	...	Peonie (aka 'Rosebud')
George Peppard	...	Cadet Robert Marquales

Also Known As:

End as a Man

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Gulfport, Florida, USA

Company:

Horizon Pictures

Trivia:

Movie debut of Ben Gazzara.

Movie Connections:

Version of Sorority Girl (1957)

A strange one indeed

Film takes place at a military academy. Cadet Jocko DeParis (Ben Gazzara) concocts an elaborate scheme to get another cadet thrown out of the school. He has the unwilling help of two freshman--Simmons (Arthur Storch) and Robert Marquales (George Peppard). He orders them to keep quiet--but they're not sure if they can and Jocko is a very dangerous man...

Bizarre movie. I hated it at first--it took some time for me to get used to the characters and figure out what was going on but I eventually did. It's not an ordinary Hollywood movie--it was independently made and had trouble with the censors. There's a VERY obviously gay character named Cockroach (Paul E. Richards) who has a crush on Jocko and a shower scene that is homo erotic to a strong degree. There's also a hint of sex between some of the cadets. Pretty raw for 1957.

The acting is just OK. Gazzara and Peppard made there debuts with this film so their overly mannered performances can be forgiven. The rest of the cast is pretty good and carry the film. This was not a commercial success and is rarely screened but it's so strange and different it deserves some recognition. Worth catching if you're interested in offbeat films. A 7.