This mini-series was MUCH closer to the original book than the original movie. The book was quite raunchy, but had to be "cleaned up" for the original movie. The 1979 mini-series was free to explore the dark underside of the story. And as always, Natalie Wood was superb! RIP, Natasha!
This is more true to the novel since it discusses the stuff they couldn't before like her having VD, the New Congress actually being a brothel, the homosexual meeting, as well as Capt Holmes being promoted out of the company rather than fired etc. Although I still like the atmosphere of the Burt Lancaster version because it was actually filmed at Schofield and had real soldiers in it.
+C Chen You're right. I've read the novel a couple of times and it's gritty. The first movie version was so stifled by the censorship of the day. Considering those constraints, it was well made. I just wish they could've cut loose with the original cast. Wouldn't that have been something!
Oh, Hannah you are so right! There was magic in that old cast. Even Mr. Borgnine made his role irreplaceable. Glad to see that I am not the only lover of the style of yesteryear.
WOW!! What a story..... Love Natalie Wood and the actor that played the Warden...awesome part he played. You feel like one of the Soldiers like Pru.......and his soldier friend he assisted. I was surprised to see Andy Griffith playing a top ranking officer....what he replied to the question, " How do we control these men?" (Soldiers) the answer he gave made me 'liv-id.'
Demaggio and Prewit will always be Frank Sinatra and Montgomery Clift to me. Love William Devane in anything, he as good in this as Burt Lancater was in the movie.
I'm too old! As much as I love Natalie Wood Sgt. Warden will always be Lancaster, Robert E. Lee Pruit, Montgomery Clift, Maggio, Sinatra,etc.although the original was sanitized from the book. And Donna Reed will always toss her lei into the surf at the end of that beautiful film. Sigh.
When the 9th ID was training (BUT-AUT) at Ft. Riley, KS.circa 1966. They would play the original at Junction City - Drive In, every night. Have not seen the original again and this is first peek at remake. Truth is even stranger than fiction.
I remember watching this when it was on NBC in the spring of 79. That was before I saw the movie with Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster. I still think it did honor to the story and the pre WW2 Army that was not held in high esteem by the country. To this day I don't know why they attempted to make it a night time soap opera. As for the complaints, the TV sound and picture were sharp.
I watched it with my parents as a teenager, I remember it was a ritual, I forget what night it was on, we’d all sit in the lounge, and I enjoyed it. I was struck by the army bullying of Pruett. I have learned since that stuff like that really goes on in organisations like the military and the police force, power corrupts I suppose. People thought it was long and drawn-out. I remember my mum saying, it’s about time it wrapped up, and dad said, the tv commentator (as they had back then) said he thought it was going to go on till eternity.
When the officer says this Warden could soon be an officer, I couldn't help see the edge, the sharpness of Lancaster in the part, a degree of class that this one lacks.
OH ELLEN YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE HAD ME DO UP LAUGHING AT THE VIDEO S OF DOGS and Films from here to Eternity ,wow you are so funny.You LIVED MY DAY I HAD MY TORTURE POSSED P HIS O THERE POST HERE TODAY AND WAS NT AWAY OF THE C READING BONES
Question here; has this version been released on DVD? Checked Amazon and it's only available on VHS there. And are there two versions of the remake, one long, one short?
I was born in Hawaii and they were filming the movie at the time and we would watch them filming to original. Of Course I was just 1 yr old! The book is a fantastic read as well!
Can anybody else remember the scenes where Maggio got beaten by Fatso in his cell? I'm sure I saw those when I saw this in 1979! Fatso was very sadistic, at the beginning Maggio was though, but as time went on he would beg Fatso not to beat. Have those scenes been cut out? Anybody remember them???
U know what would have made this great if Pru went to the general and said ok I will fight if I can pick my sparring partners And give him a list of all those who bullied him
Excellent tv mini series adaptation. Thanks for posting. In my opinion after reading the book and loving the movie, Steve Railsback better than Monti as the perfect Pru, Frank Sinatra perfect as Maggio, Burt Lancaster THE sergeant Warden. Ernest Borgnine and Peter Boyle equally menacing as Fatso. Debra Kerr is well, the fabulous Debra Kerr.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. First, I think Devine is a good actor but he was miscast here. New York accent with beaver teeth, having an affair with a classy woman. Natalie too was out of place. Secondly, the movie, plot itself. Makes one wonder how the military functions at all with such apathetic louses. And no redeeming ending. No James Michener here. Anyway that’s my opinion. Yet it was interesting to watch.
As soon as I saw Devane's name in the opening credits, I went to another movie. Could never accept him as anything more than a character actor....at best.
Of course I know that this movie is made in a time, when men could say things about women, while watching them, purely from sexual interest, in movie scenes. Besides, there's little esthetics, or refinement in it, and hardly any romance. It's all quite business like. That's why I can't appreciate this movie, watching part of it in 2024. 🖐👩🌾
Lo siento no cambio la real de AQUI A LA ETERNIDAD, CON ARTISTAS DE CATEGORIA ESTA PELICULA ES FICCION...MONTY TOCA LA CORNETA COMO REAL LO TOCAN....NO LA CAMBIO POR NADA.
Oh Damn! I thought this was gonna be the original "silly me" I've seen the original 6 or 7 times. This I'm sure is gonna be cute, But it's gonna make crave Montgomery Cliff and the old gang. (gotta watch something else}
Something was seriously wrong with the army if the considered being a boxer more important than being a good soldier. If there was any justice Holmes would've have been booted from the army for what he did to Prewitt, just like in the old movie version.
