Some Came Running (1958)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

James Jones (novel)
John Patrick (writer) ...

Release Date:

18 December 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Dave was back and the whole town knew that trouble- and women- were close behind!

Plot:

Dave Hirsch, a writer and army veteran, returns to 1948 Parkman, Indiana, his hometown. His prosperous brother introduces him to Gwen French...

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Hometown | Indiana | Veteran | Brother Sister Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Dave Hirsh
Dean Martin	...	Bama Dillert (professional gambler)
Shirley MacLaine	...	Ginnie Moorehead
Martha Hyer	...	Gwen French (schoolteacher)
Arthur Kennedy	...	Frank Hirsh
Nancy Gates	...	Edith Barclay (Frank Hirsh's secretary)
Leora Dana	...	Agnes Hirsh
Betty Lou Keim	...	Dawn Hirsh
Larry Gates	...	Prof. Robert Haven French
Steve Peck	...	Raymond Lanchak (Ginny's suitor) (as Steven Peck)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Jane Barclay (Edith's mother)
Ned Wever	...	Smitty (owner, Smitty's Bar)

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PA (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #19154) | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Jefferson County, Indiana, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

It was during the making of this film that Shirley MacLaine found herself welcomed into what would later be called the "Rat Pack" fraternity that included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, her co-stars in this film. Shirley MacLaine says the group known as the "Rat Pack" was actually called "The Clan" by the members while "Rat Pack" was a term given in the 1950s to Humphrey Bogart and his pals.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end, Jenny says she wants to go back and get her pillow; they never make it to her house. Nonetheless, in the final shot in the amusement park, there's the pillow.

Quotes:

[In reference to Dave Hirsh's Brother, Frank]
Hotel Clerk: You don't look like him.
Dave Hirsh: Thanks

Movie Connections:

References Courage of Lassie (1946)

Soundtrack:

To Love And Be Loved

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!