The Young Lions (1958)

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Edward Anhalt (writer)
Irwin Shaw (novel)

Release Date:

2 April 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

Irwin Shaw's monumental best-seller

Plot:

The destiny of three soldiers during World War II. The German officer Christian Diestl approves less and less of the war...

Plot Keywords:

Anti Semitism | Soldier | Brooklyn Bridge | Nazi Soldier | WWII

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Lt. Christian Diestl
Montgomery Clift	...	Noah Ackerman
Dean Martin	...	Michael Whiteacre
Hope Lange	...	Hope Plowman
Barbara Rush	...	Margaret Freemantle
May Britt	...	Gretchen Hardenberg
Maximilian Schell	...	Capt. Hardenberg
Dora Doll	...	Simone
Lee Van Cleef	...	1st Sgt. Rickett
Liliane Montevecchi	...	Françoise
Parley Baer	...	Sgt. Brandt
Arthur Franz	...	Lt. Green
Hal Baylor	...	Pvt. Burnecker
Richard Gardner	...	Pvt. Crowley
Herbert Rudley	...	Capt. Colclough

Runtime:

167 min

Country:

USA

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 | Norway:16 | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (cut version) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #18687)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Eddie Fisher wrote in his autobiography "Been There, Done That" that he very much wanted and almost won the role of Michael Whiteacre, the part played by Dean Martin. Fisher says that producer Al Lichtman promised him a part in his next film. Unfortunately, Lichtman passed away on Feb. 20, 1958, shortly before this film was released, so that never happened.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The opening title states it's New Year's Eve 1938 in Bavaria, yet at the stroke of 12, the baby comes out with a sash that says 1938 - when it should read 1939.

Quotes:

Michael Whiteacre: Look, I've read all the books. I know that in 10 years we'll be bosom friends with the Germans and the Japanese. Then I'll be pretty annoyed that I was killed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Rat Pack (1998) (TV)

A Surprising Mix Bag

I did catch myself laughing in a couple of moments and I stopped, surprised at my own reaction. What was I laughing about? Marlon Brando for starters, his performance has the makings of a great comic creation. A relative of Cloris Leachman's Nurse Diesel in "High Axiety" The film was released in 1958, seven years after "A Streetcar Named Desire" and Brando was not only a huge star but already something of an icon. I'm trying to find out what the reaction to this performance was in its day. I thought it was outrageous, entertaining but outrageous. Montgomery Clift, a year after his nearly fatal accident shows the signs of the tragedy all over his face. Brando and Clift were the the most revolutionary actors of their generations but here they don't have a scene together. Clift plays the meek Jewish soldier that becomes a hero and he manages to be believable under the most unbelievable circumstances. Maximilian Schell, three years before his Oscar winning turn in "Judgement At Neuremberg" dominates every scene he is in. He has a scene, escaping in a motorbike with Brando that could easily have become a Saturday Night Live sketch but the intention, clearly was quite different. The biggest surprises are Dean Martin and Barbara Rush. Martin is movingly real and Rush injects a very welcome element of truth and survives triumphantly some of the impossible dialogue. I also felt the ending was unexpected and rushed. All together an oddity worth watching for the cast alone.