''A Stranger in My Arms'' (also known as ''And Ride a Tiger'') is a 1959 American

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Helmut Käutner Helmut Käutner (25 March 1908 – 20 April 1980) was a German film director active mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. He entered the film industry at the end of the Weimar Republic and released his first films as a director in Nazi Germany. Käu ...

and starring

June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She signed with MGM in 1943 ...

Jeff Chandler Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting ...

Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues ...

Charles Coburn Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award ("Oscar") three times – for '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941), '' Th ...

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

and

Peter Graves Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor who portrayed Jim Phelps in the television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 to 1973 and in its reviv ...

Plot

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

test pilot Major, Pike Yarnell, survives a jet crash in the Pacific Ocean, as does his navigator Donald Beasley. After 12 days on a raft, Donald dies, but Pike is rescued. Christina, the dead officer's widow, waits for a full explanation of the circumstances of her husband's death, as do his wealthy Georgia parents and sister. Pike gives them very few details, however, particularly disturbing Virginie Beasley, who wants a Congressman in the family to seek a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for her brave son. Pike begins to develop feelings for Christina. He cannot bring himself to tell her that Donald was actually a poor officer and under investigation. During the ocean flight, his navigational mistake led to the crash. While on the raft, Donald proved to be a coward. Donald revealed near the end that he never loved his wife and hated his mother. Ultimately, he used Pike's gun to kill himself. Christina, who is expected to spend the rest of her life in pious mourning for her hero husband, finds the courage to leave town with Major Yarnell and start a new life.

Cast

as Christina Beasley *

as Major Pike Yarnell *

as Pat Beasley *

as Vance Beasley *

as Mrs. Virginie Beasley *

as Donald Beasley *

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1940, a ...

as Harley Beasley *

Hayden Rorke William Henry Rorke (October 23, 1910 – August 19, 1987), known professionally as Hayden Rorke, was an American actor best known for playing Colonel Alfred E. Bellows on the 1960s American sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie''. Early life Rorke was b ...

as Marcus Beasley * Reita Green as Bessie Logan * Bartlett Robinson as Colonel Bert Wayne *

Howard Wendell Howard David Wendell (January 2, 1908 – August 11, 1975) was an American actor. Early life and career A native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Wendell was one of two sons born to Irwin Wendell and Clara Heal."Ohio, County Marriages, 1 ...

as Congressman

Production

The film was based on the novel ''And Ride a Tiger'' by Robert Wilder, author of ''

Written on the Wind ''Written on the Wind'' is a 1956 American Southern Gothic melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. It follows the complicated relationships among dysfunctional family ...

''. It was published in 1951. The ''New York Times'' wrote the book had "some dubious motivation" but was "so racily readable that you are not particularly bothered until you've stopped turning pages." Film rights were bought by Pamrick Productions, the company of star June Allyson and her husband, former actor turned producer and director,

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

. They announced they would make the film in 1956 with financing through RKO Studios. RKO ceased functioning as a financier of films, however, and the project transferred over to producer

Ross Hunter Ross Hunter (born Martin Terry Fuss; May 6, 1920 – March 10, 1996) was an American film and television producer and actor. He is best known for producing light comedies such as '' Pillow Talk'' (1959), and the glamorous melodramas '' Magnifi ...

at Universal-International, who had enjoyed a big hit with ''

'' (1956). Allyson was attached as star, but the director was Helmut Kautner, who had just made ''

The Restless Years ''The Restless Years'' is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and the drama and relationships faced by young adults. It was created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for N ...

'' (1958) for Universal. Jeff Chandler was given the male lead. The film's cast also included

and

, the latter having signed a long-term contract with Universal. Filming started December 1957. Principal photography on ''A Stranger in My Arms'' took place from late November 1958 to early January 1959. The aircraft used included

Lockheed T-33 The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

, Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star, North American CB-25J Mitchell and

North American F-86A Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

Reception

In film critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

's review of ''A Stranger in My Arms'' for ''The New York Times'', he noted: "A selfish, possessive mother is the squeaky hub around which turns a small wheel of conventional drama in ''Stranger in My Arms,'' a Universal-International picture that came to the Odeon yesterday. And a peevish and snarling Mary Astor turns up in the role. The accompanying emotional rotation, which is conspicuously ponderous and slow, is flattering neither to Miss Astor nor to the common concept of Mom."

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stranger in My Arms, A 1959 films 1950s war drama films American aviation films American war drama films Films about widowhood in the United States Films directed by Helmut Käutner Films produced by Ross Hunter Films based on American novels Korean War aviation films Universal Pictures films 1959 drama films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language war drama films