Having seen a ton of the classic American theater, I regret not having seen this live. Like "Death of a Salesman" and "A Long Day's Journey Into Night", every time this has been revived, it was the hottest non- musical ticket on Broadway. It also took a long time for me to get to this movie version, quite edited, but devastating and engrossing none the less.Post war America was in turmoil in more ways than just the hardships of returning soldiers. A cynical world dealt with political and social upheavals, and this powerful drama shows it through the family angle in ways that are sometimes painful to face in the way it relates to real life.Powerful munitions plant owner Edward G. Robinson has grown in success while his former partner (Frank Conroy) has gone to prison for allegedly selling the government detective airplane parts. Rather than feel any sort of guilt, Robinson has been hiding something in regards to his part in it, having been on trial and briefly imprisoned, but acquitted for any wrong doing. The whole town seems to believe he was as guilty (or more), but stands around and says nothing-for the most part.His wife, Mady Christians, delusionally believes that a son who went off to war wasn't killed as rumored; Son Burt Lancaster is now engaged to his brother's girl, and Conroy's son (Howard Duff) has come back to settle the score.What starts off as lighthearted family fare quickly turns serious as all of these secrets and more come out. Little bits by the neighbors are surprisingly fresh, real and still timely. Performances by Robinson, Christian and Lancaster are intense and filled with honest, raw emotions. This is great theater at its most consuming, although I would have loved to have seen a full version of the play with this glorious cast.

The story is wonderful. It is clean of the usual flurry of characters going in and out of the screen. There is much dialog and less time wasted on introspection and private thoughts you have no idea if they are meant to be heard by the audience of by somebody else. The actor play is quite good and the characters are drawn well with a sure hand, mostly to the credit of the play author.On the technical side I loved how the screen was also clear of most useless objects. For example the opening scene that follows into the garage. You see there are not one but two cars. The cars are big. They seem new because they are clean. And the garage is large enough for the two characters to move around with the two cars parked inside. So they are well to do. Also, later on, you realize there are two cars because only *men* drive cars. That is made clear by the remarks young women receive. So this is quite a patriarchal environment. I get to see nothing else in the garage. Not the mess of a storage shed. No other accessories.What breaks the well executed film is the end which might as well be shot afterward without director or script just to give the story an optimist look.Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

A moral dilemma is at the center of this excellent expose about an unscrupulous man that has been responsible for the death of young pilots during WWII. Joe Keller, a prosperous man, is by all appearances a successful businessman. Most people in his town think he got away with murder. Joe, in defending himself, points out that justice prevailed, feeling vindicated for the crime that sent his partner, Herbert Deever, to jail for a crime he is involved after following Joe's orders.The past comes to haunt Joe Keller as Annie Deever, the daughter of Herbert Deever comes to visit the Kellers. Kate Keller is suffering for Larry, her missing in action son, who after three years after the end of that conflict has not come back. Annie has fallen for Chris, the other son that now works in his father's business. Annie's visit proves to be the spark that marks the unraveling of Joe Keller, as he comes to term in facing his guilty conscience. Learning the real reason of Larry's fate in the war brings Joe to face a reality he did not want to deal with because he chose the status quo, knowing full well his own guilt in the tragedy he provoked.Arthur Miller wrote the play in which this film is based. The original cast included Ed Begley, Arthur Kennedy and Karl Malden, in the legendary production directed by Elia Kazan. The playwright took a hard look at the American Dream, as early as the boom years after the end of WWII, something clearly unheard of in those days. Mr. Miller became a new voice in the theatrical world by bringing forward issues that took a look at the core of the American society. The inspiration for the drama was based on a real story that appeared in a newspaper. Miller questioned many things Americans took for granted.The film version boasted an ensemble cast dominated by Edward G. Robinson, an actor that gave impressive accounts of the characters trusted to him to bring to life. His Joe Keller is a calculating man that feels he did not do anything wrong. Burt Lancaster plays Chris, the son that must fight for his right to marry Annie, the girl the Kellers did not want for him because of her involvement with Larry. Mady Christians was impressive as Kate, the wife who chose to go along with a husband she loved, but who she thought was guilty, all along. The weakest role in the film version was perhaps Louisa Horton who was miscast as Annie. In a way, this was her first screen appearance, so it might have been she felt insecure in connecting with her Annie. Howard Duff, Arlene Francis, Harry Morgan and the excellent Frank Conroy, are seen in minor roles.Irving Reis directed Chester Erskine's screen adaptation. The black and white cinematography was by Russell Metty and the music score is credited to Leith Stevens.This is a powerful drama.

I saw this movie today for the umpteenth time and it finally occurred to me... Weren't both men to blame? Wasn't Herbert Deever really just as guilty as Joe Keller? No matter who "says" they are responsible, anyone involved in knowingly shipping faulty parts that could kill people is responsible. Deever shouldn't have sent them out, no matter what he was told. Isn't that what all those Nazis claimed when asked how they could commit so many atrocities? "I was just taking orders." That doesn't wash with me or with most people. We all have a responsibility to follow our own consciences with regard to right and wrong.They were both guilty....It's a wonderful story and very well performed and written, but that fact remains to be discussed.