From Here to Eternity
As an actor, Burt Lancaster projected a manliness that wasn’t bombastic like John Wayne’s. He had a silky smooth baritone voice and an athletic body that allowed him to inhabit characters that other actors couldn’t. He was truly a man in full.
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In the post-war era of the 1950s, the American man had reclaimed his place in both the household and the workplace. Although there was now peace in Europe, in the 1950s America would now go to war in Korea. The citizens had new fears, those of the bomb and communism. As in the decades before, comfort could be found in darkened movie theaters and, now, on flickering television sets. The film industry was still healthy with an average of 60 million people going to the movies per week. This was down from 80 million in the 1940s, but much healthier than the later nadir of 18 million in the 1970s. Just as in the post-World War I era, films about the second World War were still popular in the 1950s. Another genre that was ever popular was the western. Themes in both often included morality and corruption. Let’s take a look at some of the notable Academy Award winners of the 1950s.
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The Sultan of Swoon. The Voice. Chairman of the Board. Ol’ Blue Eyes. Whatever you call him, Frank Sinatra was a bonafide talent. Not only did he have one of the most impressive music careers of all time, he also made an indelible mark on film history with his many acting roles. Whether it was jovial musicals, hard-hitting dramas or Rat Pack comedies, Sinatra could do it all. He was a one-take kind of actor and required a director who knew to let the star do his thing.
In the 1940s, Sinatra was pop idol that had young women swooning across the country. But for some reason Hollywood miscast him as the awkward type, usually matched with a more aggressive love interest and overshadowed by a big movie star like Gene Kelly.
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Classic film blogger Raquel Stecher presents five great classic movies that were filmed in Hawaii!
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