This beautiful, offbeat story offered Tyrone Power a chance to show new facets of his acting ability -- especially in comedy -- to his audience: He is funny, very warm and tender, a masterful but understanding leader, and a man so embedded in family traditions that fitting into West Point -- which reeks with tradition -- is a natural for him.
He and Maureen O'Hara play off each other as if they'd been doing it for years. O'Hara also, by the way, gets a rare chance at this point in her career to show her comedic talents, and her brilliant performance makes obvious the reason why John Ford adopted her as a favorite and a member of his stock company.
The supporting cast -- for the most part -- measures up to the very high standards set by the leads, especially Donald Crisp, Ward Bond, O'Hara's brother Charles Fitzsimons, and the huge cast of excellent young actors who play so many cadets, well known and otherwise. The only fly in the ointment is the completely wooden but very pretty Robert Francis, whose film career was extremely short and totally undistinguished by any acting at all.
"The Long Gray Line" is a film worth seeing again and again!!!
He and Maureen O'Hara play off each other as if they'd been doing it for years. O'Hara also, by the way, gets a rare chance at this point in her career to show her comedic talents, and her brilliant performance makes obvious the reason why John Ford adopted her as a favorite and a member of his stock company.
The supporting cast -- for the most part -- measures up to the very high standards set by the leads, especially Donald Crisp, Ward Bond, O'Hara's brother Charles Fitzsimons, and the huge cast of excellent young actors who play so many cadets, well known and otherwise. The only fly in the ointment is the completely wooden but very pretty Robert Francis, whose film career was extremely short and totally undistinguished by any acting at all.
"The Long Gray Line" is a film worth seeing again and again!!!