{"id":81535,"date":"2022-02-21T22:36:57","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T05:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81535"},"modified":"2022-03-16T21:30:22","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T04:30:22","slug":"long-gray-line-the-1955","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81535","title":{"rendered":"Long Gray Line, The (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Maher, you&#8217;re a rotten soldier &#8212; no soldier at all. Slovenly, undisciplined, insubordinate, bad-tempered, and full of cute tricks.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster-203x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-81547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster-203x300.png 203w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster-693x1024.png 693w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster-87x128.png 87w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster-183x270.png 183w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Poster.png 747w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn a meeting with President Eisenhower, Irish immigrant <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Martin_Maher_(soldier)\">Martin &#8216;Marty&#8217; Maher<\/a> (Tyrone Power) reflects back on his many years of service at West Point Academy, where he began by waiting tables, then was brought on by the Master of the Sword (Ward Bond) to teach athletics. After marrying an Irish maid (Maureen O&#8217;Hara) who he falls in love with at first sight, Marty brings his dad (Donald Crisp) and brother (Sean McClory) over from Ireland, and he and his wife enjoy a long career serving as informal parents and mentors to West Point cadets &#8212; including introducing one cadet (William Leslie) to a pretty tutor (Betsy Palmer) who he soon marries.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Betsy Palmer Films<\/li>\n<li>Biopics<\/li>\n<li>Donald Crisp Films<\/li>\n<li>Flashback Films<\/li>\n<li>John Ford Films<\/li>\n<li>Maureen O&#8217;Hara Films<\/li>\n<li>Military<\/li>\n<li>Tyrone Power Films<\/li>\n<li>Ward Bond Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nIn between <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=78957\"><em>Mogambo<\/em> (1953)<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81085\"><em>Mister Roberts<\/em> (1955)<\/a>, John Ford directed this adaptation of a memoir by Marty Maher, a devoted employee and retiree of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Military_Academy\">West Point Academy<\/a> who was apparently beloved by many, and gave hair-growing advice at one point to young Eisenhower (Harey Carey Jr.). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-1024x401.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"251\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-1024x401.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-128x50.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-768x301.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-1536x602.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz-604x237.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Fuzz.png 1661w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s410gray.html\">DVD Savant<\/a> describes this &#8220;pure John Ford&#8221; film perfectly as &#8220;overlong, episodic, and weighed down by cartoonish characterizations and an excess of sentimentality.&#8221; Yep. Diehard Ford fans may be delighted by the overload of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/81751\/the-long-gray-line#articles-reviews?articleId=161247\">&#8220;blarney quotient&#8221;<\/a> present, but it&#8217;s impossible not to view this movie as simply a vehicle for unrealistic adulation of the military. The worst scenes are near the beginning, as Power and O&#8217;Hara engage in an extended meet-cute that defies all credibility:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-1024x402.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"251\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-1024x402.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-128x50.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-768x302.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-1536x603.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute-604x237.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Meet-Cute.png 1663w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the up side, Power does a fine job with his Mr. Chips-like role, and keeps us reasonably invested throughout. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tyrone Power as Marty<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-1024x408.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"255\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-1024x408.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-768x306.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-1536x613.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young-604x241.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Power-Young.png 1657w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles Lawton Jr.&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-1024x411.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"257\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-1024x411.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-768x308.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-1536x616.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death-604x242.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Long-Gray-Line-Death.png 1647w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; you can skip this one unless you&#8217;re a Ford completist. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0048312\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1955\/02\/11\/archives\/screen-long-gray-line-tinted-green-movie-of-west-point-honors-irish.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/81751\/the-long-gray-line#articles-reviews?articleId=161247\">TCM Article (spoiler alert) <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s410gray.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-long-gray-line-1\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Maher, you&#8217;re a rotten soldier &#8212; no soldier at all. Slovenly, undisciplined, insubordinate, bad-tempered, and full of cute tricks.&#8221; Synopsis: In a meeting with President Eisenhower, Irish immigrant Martin &#8216;Marty&#8217; Maher (Tyrone Power) reflects back on his many years of service at West Point Academy, where he began by waiting tables, then was brought on by the Master of the Sword (Ward Bond) to teach athletics. After marrying an Irish maid (Maureen O&#8217;Hara) who he falls in love with at&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81535\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81535"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82222,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81535\/revisions\/82222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}