''What Price Glory'' is a 1952 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

based on a 1924 play by

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

and

Laurence Stallings Laurence Tucker Stallings (November 25, 1894 – February 28, 1968) was an American playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, literary critic, journalist, novelist, and photographer. Best known for his collaboration with Maxwell Anderson on the 1924 pl ...

, though it used virtually none of Anderson's dialogue. Originally intended as a musical, it was filmed as a straight comedy-drama, directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

and released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

on August 22, 1952, in the U.S. The screenplay was written by Phoebe and

Henry Ephron Henry Ephron (May 26, 1911 – September 6, 1992) was an American playwright, screenwriter and film producer who often worked with his wife, Phoebe (née Wolkind). He was active as a writer from the early 1940s through the early 1960s. Ea ...

, and stars

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Plot

Upon the United States entry into World War I, the first American units to arrive at the front in France are veteran Marine

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

, one of which is commanded by

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Flagg, along with his lieutenants, Moore and Aldrich. Flagg has developed a romantic relationship with the daughter of the local innkeeper, Charmaine, and resumes their relationship after returning from the front. However, he lies to her and tells her he is married when she wants to come with him on his leave to Paris. Replacements arrive and their lack of discipline and knowledge infuriate the captain. But he is expecting the arrival of a new top sergeant, who he hopes will be able to train them properly. However, when the sergeant arrives, it is Quirt, Captain Flagg's longtime rival, and their rivalry quickly re-ignites. Flagg leaves for Paris, and while he is away, Quirt begins to romance Charmaine. At the same time, another of the new arrivals, Private Lewisohn, begins a romance with a young woman of the village. When Flagg returns, he is approached by Charmaine's father, Whiskey Pete, who expresses concern over his daughter's relationship with Quirt. Flagg becomes angry, as Quirt has moved in on other girlfriends of Flagg in the past. But he sees this as an opportunity to get even with Quirt once and for all, by using Pete's concern to force Quirt to marry Charmaine, taking him off the market once and for all. As the wedding approaches, the unit receives orders to move back to the front lines. Flagg sees an opportunity to add insult to injury by not informing Quirt of the impending deployment, until after the wedding, which would mean sending Quirt into battle immediately after the ceremony. As he sets up Quirt's wedding, Flagg is approached by Lewisohn, who wants to marry Nicole Bouchard, a local girl he has known for eight days. Flagg convinces him to wait. General Cokely visits the unit shortly before deployment, promising Flagg that if they can capture an

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...

officer, he will allow the company to retire from the front, as well as giving a week's leave to Flagg. Flagg's surprise is spoiled, and Quirt refuses to marry Charmaine, offering Flagg the choice of taking him into battle or sending him to headquarters to be

court-martialed A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of mem ...

. Flagg realizes Quirt's value in battle and takes him to the front lines. At the front, Flagg's attempts to capture a live German officer lead to the death of Lieutenant Moore, after which a wounded Aldrich goads Flagg and Quirt in attempting to capture the officer themselves. On their way behind enemy lines, they both realize they love Charmaine, which once again re-heats their rivalry. The two do manage to capture a German colonel, but as they are bringing him back to the American lines, they are hit by a German barrage, killing the colonel and wounding Quirt. Quirt taunts Flagg with the fact that he will be going back to the village first, giving him the first shot at Charmaine. Right after he leaves for the base hospital in the village, Lewisohn brings a German lieutenant he has captured to Flagg. The joy is short-lived however, as Lewisohn is almost immediately killed by a German barrage after handing his prisoner over. Flagg calls Cokely to tell him of the officer's capture, only to have Cokely renege on his pledge to withdraw Flagg's company from the front. As Flagg leads his Marines deeper into enemy territory, Quirt begins to woo Charmaine. Before the two can marry, Flagg returns from the front, confesses to her that he is not married, and proposes to her. Charmaine cannot decide between the two men, leading to a fight between them. The two decide to play cards for the right to marry Charmaine. Flagg wins, after bluffing Quirt, but before he can marry Charmaine, Sergeants Lipinsky and Kiper arrive and let Flagg know they have been ordered back to the front. After initially balking at the order, Flagg realizes he cannot desert his men. As the Marines move out, Flagg tells Kiper that he has been discharged, and that he has kept the discharge hidden from him for over a year. Rather than become angry, Kiper slings his weapon over his shoulder and joins the Marines marching out. Quirt, meanwhile, can stay behind, due to his injury, but he also picks up his rifle and joins his company.

Cast

as Captain Flagg * Corinne Calvet as Charmaine *

as 1st Sergeant Quirt *

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom '' My Three Sons'' Demarest, ...

as Corporal Kiper * Craig Hill as Lieutenant Aldrich *

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

as Private Lewisohn *

Marisa Pavan Marisa Pavan (born Maria Luisa Pierangeli; 19 June 1932) is an Italian actress who first became known as the twin sister of film star Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli) before achieving success in her own screen career. Early life and career ...

as Nicole Bouchard *

Max Showalter Max Gordon Showalter (June 2, 1917 – July 30, 2000), sometimes credited as Casey Adams, was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a composer, pianist, and singer. He appeared on more than 1,000 television programs. One ...

as Lieutenant Moore (as Casey Adams) *

James Gleason James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter born in New York City. Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold." Life and career Gleason w ...

as General Cokely *

Wally Vernon Walter J. Vernon (May 27, 1905 – March 7, 1970) was an American comic and character actor and dancer. Early life Vernon was born in New York City in 1905. He was in show business from the age of three, appearing in vaudeville and stock thea ...

as Lipinsky *

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

as Sergeant Moran (uncredited) *

Tom Tyler Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 ...

as Captain Davis (uncredited) *

Paul Fix Peter Paul Fix (March 13, 1901 – October 14, 1983) was an American film and television character actor who was best known for his work in Westerns. Fix appeared in more than 100 movies and dozens of television shows over a 56-year career b ...

as Gowdy (uncredited) *

Henri Letondal Henri Letondal (29 June 1901 – 15 February 1955) was a French-Canadian actor, critic, playwright and musician. He was born in Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous c ...

as Cognac Pete (Charmaine's father)

Production

John Ford stage show

Ford had directed the play on stage in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in 1949, as a benefit for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, of which Ford was commander. The roles of Quint and Flagg would be played by Pat O'Brien and Ward Bond respectively;

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for pl ...

played Charmaine and

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

and

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

played Lt Aldrich and Lt Cunningham. Harry Carey Jnr and George O'Brien were also in the cast. It toured throughout

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in February and March, with performances given in venues such as Pasadena, San Jose,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

and

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporat ...

Development

In June 1951 the Ephrons were reportedly working on a script, called ''Charmaine''. It was originally slated to star Micheline Presle in the title role and Wayne reprising his role from the stage play. In September producer Sol C. Siegel said the film would be done as a musical.

had signed to star and James Cagney was being sought to co star. "The music won't be obtrusive", said Siegel. Corinne Calvet then signed to costar. By October Cagney was set to star alongside Dailey and Calvet. Filming was to star December 10 at

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

. At the end of that month John Ford signed to direct and the title changed from ''Charmaine'' back to ''What Price Glory''. It was announced the film would have music in it but not be a musical. Cagney originally agreed to do the picture because it was supposed to be a musical. However, by the time he learned that Ford had decided to shoot it as a straight film, it was too late for him to back out. Barry Norton played the role of Private Lewisohn in the 1926 original. He has an uncredited role as one of the priests in this remake. Marisa Pavan, the twin sister of

Pier Angeli Pier Angeli (19 June 193210 September 1971), also credited under her real name, Anna Maria Pierangeli, was an Italian-born television and film actress who starred in American, British and European films throughout her career. Her American motio ...

made her screen debut in this film as Nicole Bouchard.

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He retu ...

filmed an appearance but it was removed from the final cut.

Other versions

The film is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

of the 1926 film also titled '' What Price Glory?'', directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

and starring

Edmund Lowe Edmund Dantes Lowe (March 3, 1890 – April 21, 1971) was an American actor. His formative experience began in vaudeville and silent film. Biography Lowe was born in San Jose, California. His father was a local judge. His childhood home was a ...

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British boxer-turned-Hollywood actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. He was known as a character actor, particularly in Westerns, and made sev ...

, and

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

. Walsh also made a musical version of the film three years later, when sound films emerged, '' The Cock-Eyed World'', again with McLaglen and Lowe playing the same characters, but featuring Lili Damita. In 1929 and 1931, Walsh directed Lowe and McLaglen in the same roles in two sequels, titled '' The Cock-Eyed World'' and ''

Women of All Nations ''Women of All Nations'' is a 1931 American pre-Code military comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe, Greta Nissen and El Brendel. It was the second of three sequels to Walsh's 1926 film, '' What Price Glor ...

'', respectively. A third sequel, '' Hot Pepper'', with McLaglen and Lowe again reprising their roles and involving a woman named "Pepper" portrayed by

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

, was directed by

John Blystone John G. Blystone (December 2, 1892 – August 6, 1938) was an American film director. He directed 100 films between 1915 and 1938. He was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack. His grave is ...

Reception

The film premiered in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, on July 25, 1952. It received lukewarm reviews upon its release, which can be summed up in this quote from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' review of August 23, 1952: "...despite some heroics and the monumental rivalry of its principals, a swiftly moving but not an especially distinguished offering."

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:What Price Glory? (1952 Film) 1952 films 1950s war films Remakes of American films American war films Western Front (World War I) films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by John Ford 20th Century Fox films Military humor in film Films about the United States Marine Corps Sound film remakes of silent films Films produced by Sol C. Siegel 1950s English-language films 1950s American films