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All the Brothers Were Valiant
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Wikipedia article
'All the Brothers Were Valiant' is a 1953 Technicolor adventure drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), based on the 1919 novel 'All the Brothers Were Valiant' by Ben Ames Williams.
The 1953 MGM film is a remake of the 1923 silent film that starred Lon Chaney and made by Metro Pictures (a forerunner of MGM), that is now considered lost; as is the 1928 MGM version, 'Across to Singapore', which starred Ramon Novarro. The 1953 version is directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by Harry Brown. The music score is by Mikls Rzsa, the cinematography by George J. Folsey and the art direction is by Randall Duell and Cedric Gibbons.
It stars Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger and Ann Blyth, with Betta St. John, Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore, Kurt Kasznar, Lewis Stone (his final film, released posthumously), John Lupton, and Michael Pate.
Plot
Seafaring saga of two brothers and the woman they both love. Set against South Pacific islands, this love triangle pits the good brother against the bad as they squabble over a woman and a bag of pearls on the floor of a lagoon; the bad brother redeems himself, however, by helping fend off a mutiny.
Cast
Production
MGM bought the rights to the novel in 1936. Following the success of 'Captains Courageous', they announced they would make the film with Robert Taylor and Spencer Tracy. However, plans were postponed.
In November 1951, the film was reactivated as a vehicle for Taylor and Stewart Granger. Elizabeth Taylor was originally announced for the female lead.
Filming started on location in Jamaica in early 1953 with Granger and Betta St John. While the unit was on location, Elizabeth Taylor, who had just given birth, was replaced by Ann Blyth.
Granger later called the film a "crappy melodrama" and said the studio made him do this instead of the role he really wanted, the lead in 'Mogambo'. He said he had been promised the latter but Dore Schary had reneged and given the role to Clark Gable. Granger enjoyed working with Robert Taylor, saying he "was the easiest person to work with but he had been entirely emasculated by the MGM brass who insisted that he was only a pretty face. He was convinced he wasn't really a good actor and his calm acceptance of this stigma infuriated me. He was such a nice guy, Bob, but he had even more hang-ups than I had."[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2195/All-the-Brothers-Were-Valiant/articles.html "All the Brothers Were Valiant", 'Turner Classic Movies'] at Turner Classic Movies
Lewis Stone died six months after completing filming.
Reception
The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Color Cinematography, (George J. Folsey).
Stewart Granger later called the film "bad" but admitted "I had an OK villain's part."Brian MacFarlane, 'An Autobiography of British Cinema', Methuen 1997, p. 230
Bosley Crowther in 'The New York Times' panned the film: "What it all boils down to, in essence, is a lot of pseudo-salty South Seas whoop-de-do, put together with little distinction and without going off the studio lot."
Box-office
According to MGM records it made $2,004,000 at the North American box-office and $2,624,000 elsewhere. It recorded a profit of $958,000.In France, it recorded admissions of 1,909,704.[http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.boxofficestory.com/&prev=search Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France] at Box Office Story
Proposed follow-up
In July 1953, MGM announced it had optioned another sailing adventure novel by Ben Ames Williams, 'Black Pawl', which they intended to film as a follow up, also starring Taylor and Granger. It was never made.References
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