What Price Glory
Legendary Western director John Ford takes a sabbatical from the sagebrush and helms this World War I drama about two American doughboys (James Cagney and Dan Daily) in France who both fall in love with the same innkeeper's daughter (Corinne Calvet). Question is, will they kill each other before they even get to the Germans? Based on the Broadway play by Maxwell Anderson.
Member Reviews
Not a Classic - MovieProf
I am always leery when I see comedy interspersed with war. There have, on occasion, been positive results. This is not one of them.
During the First World War, two soldiers in the U.S. army—Captain Flagg (James Cagney) and Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey) compete for the affections of a French girl named Charmaine (Corinne Calvet). The results here range from mildly interesting to juvenile annoyance. The slapstick humour that dominates the first hour or so of the film is generally uninteresting, but it does allow us to meet our two stars and the girl in question. The second half suddenly jumps into battle, and we are shown images of war—soldiers shooting at one another, explosions, and so forth—but all this seems to contradict the first hour in such a ways that I couldn’t ultimately figure out what kind of film this is.
Regardless, I expected more from Cagney, a screen legend. As well, this is certainly a low point for John Ford, director of numerous john Wayne classics.For Fans of Ford or Cagney - Patrick_Conejo
Raucous, bellicose comedy periodically interrupted by the horrors of war, placed in an unabashedly unreal studio-bound version of WWI France, shot in blazing Technicolor. Its broad tone resembles the The Quiet Man more than it does Ford's delicate, elegaic masterpieces, like My Darling Clementine. Worth a look if you're already a fan of Ford or Cagney.
Member Reviews
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Not a Classic - MovieProf
I am always leery when I see comedy interspersed with war. There have, on occasion, been positive results. This is not one of them.
During the First World War, two soldiers in the U.S. army—Captain Flagg (James Cagney) and Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey) ...For Fans of Ford or Cagney - Patrick_Conejo
Raucous, bellicose comedy periodically interrupted by the horrors of war, placed in an unabashedly unreal studio-bound version of WWI France, shot in blazing Technicolor. Its broad tone resembles the The Quiet Man more than it does Ford's delicate, elegaic ...