Copyright jointly by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. and Walter Wanger Pictures, Inc., 24 June 1948. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 25 August 1948. U.S. release: August 1948. U.K. release: 31 January 1949. Australian release: 2 December 1948. U.S. and Australian release through Universal-International. U.K. release through J. Arthur Rank-General Film Distributors. U.K. and U.S. length: 109 minutes. 9,789 feet. Australian length: 9,431 feet. 105 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: The Civil War. Seceding from Mississippi, the Dabneys of Lebanon Valley try to hold out against Southern troops.
NOTES: Location exteriors filmed in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
COMMENT: A cut-price Gone With The Wind, ambitious yet overlong, with all the action saved for the last reel. Rather splendidly and expensively staged the action is too. Those viewers with stamina and patience enough to endure the slow-moving, long-winded plot, the cardboard characters and the posturing ("acting" is too generous a word) of such players as Susan Hay ward, Van Heflin, Ward Bond and Whitfield Connor, will doubtless enjoy the sudden excitement. A few may resent being roused from their slumbers.
But most cinemagoers will not bother to see the film at all. A wise decision - they will avoid boredom and ennui - but they will miss out on some grand scenery, colorfully photographed by Winton Hoch. The interiors lit by Lionel Lindon are attractive too - glossily picturesque to contrast with the more rugged work of Mr Hoch. Technicolor also enhances the costumes and sets leaving little to the imagination, though Miss Hayward is not always seen at her best.
Perhaps the blame for the mechanical performances of the principals must be largely apportioned to George Marshall who directs throughout in a rather static, lifeless style. He is not the right man for period soap opera. Comedy is his forte. Some of the support players are more fluent, particularly Julie London who steals every scene in which she is allowed to appear. Karloff has an odd role as a friend-of-the-family Choctaw Indian. He is miscast - but we enjoy seeing him anyway.
SYNOPSIS: The Civil War. Seceding from Mississippi, the Dabneys of Lebanon Valley try to hold out against Southern troops.
NOTES: Location exteriors filmed in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
COMMENT: A cut-price Gone With The Wind, ambitious yet overlong, with all the action saved for the last reel. Rather splendidly and expensively staged the action is too. Those viewers with stamina and patience enough to endure the slow-moving, long-winded plot, the cardboard characters and the posturing ("acting" is too generous a word) of such players as Susan Hay ward, Van Heflin, Ward Bond and Whitfield Connor, will doubtless enjoy the sudden excitement. A few may resent being roused from their slumbers.
But most cinemagoers will not bother to see the film at all. A wise decision - they will avoid boredom and ennui - but they will miss out on some grand scenery, colorfully photographed by Winton Hoch. The interiors lit by Lionel Lindon are attractive too - glossily picturesque to contrast with the more rugged work of Mr Hoch. Technicolor also enhances the costumes and sets leaving little to the imagination, though Miss Hayward is not always seen at her best.
Perhaps the blame for the mechanical performances of the principals must be largely apportioned to George Marshall who directs throughout in a rather static, lifeless style. He is not the right man for period soap opera. Comedy is his forte. Some of the support players are more fluent, particularly Julie London who steals every scene in which she is allowed to appear. Karloff has an odd role as a friend-of-the-family Choctaw Indian. He is miscast - but we enjoy seeing him anyway.
