Copyright 17 March 1953 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Astor: 21 May 1953. U.S. release: April 1953. U.K. release: 27 April 1953. Australian release: 28 May 1953. Sydney opening at the Century. 8,734 feet. 97 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: The story of Andrew Jackson and Rachel Robards from their first meeting in 1789 to Jackson Jackson's inauguration as seventh President of the United States in 1829.
NOTES: Nominated for prestigious Hollywood awards for Black-and-White Art Direction (lost to Julius Caesar); and Black-and-White Costume Design (lost to Roman Holiday). Boxoffice results were surprisingly healthy in the U.S.A., doubtless influenced by Hayward's previous successes, particularly With a Song In My Heart.
COMMENT: Beautifully photographed throughout in rich, glowing translucent sepia by Leo Tover. This film is always a constant joy to look at, the whole thrust of the art direction, the costumes, the sets, the lighting and the compositions being to reinforce the warm brown tones employed. All this beauty and this artistry tends to take our attention away from the story a bit - which is just as well.
The screenplay by John "Teahouse of the August Moon" Patrick is an historically inaccurate and only mildly interesting melange of familiar women's pseudo-historical movie themes from GWTW to Magnificent Doll with Susan Hayward running the gamut of every emotion from Scarlett O'Hara to Dolly Madison. The acting is only as adequate as the script is serviceable.
At least we are spared one cliché - the hero doesn't have a permanent comic sidekick and what comic relief there is, is as mildly entertaining as the rest of the film.
Levin's direction is serviceable. At least he lets the photographer have his head and the long tracking shot through the farmyard in the opening scenes gives promise of a fluid camera style that is otherwise not realized. Still it's competently put together and the action scenes are mildly exciting (making sometimes skilfull use of stock footage printed up on sepia stock in montage routines so that its age is not so apparent). Made on a big budget all the same.
SYNOPSIS: The story of Andrew Jackson and Rachel Robards from their first meeting in 1789 to Jackson Jackson's inauguration as seventh President of the United States in 1829.
NOTES: Nominated for prestigious Hollywood awards for Black-and-White Art Direction (lost to Julius Caesar); and Black-and-White Costume Design (lost to Roman Holiday). Boxoffice results were surprisingly healthy in the U.S.A., doubtless influenced by Hayward's previous successes, particularly With a Song In My Heart.
COMMENT: Beautifully photographed throughout in rich, glowing translucent sepia by Leo Tover. This film is always a constant joy to look at, the whole thrust of the art direction, the costumes, the sets, the lighting and the compositions being to reinforce the warm brown tones employed. All this beauty and this artistry tends to take our attention away from the story a bit - which is just as well.
The screenplay by John "Teahouse of the August Moon" Patrick is an historically inaccurate and only mildly interesting melange of familiar women's pseudo-historical movie themes from GWTW to Magnificent Doll with Susan Hayward running the gamut of every emotion from Scarlett O'Hara to Dolly Madison. The acting is only as adequate as the script is serviceable.
At least we are spared one cliché - the hero doesn't have a permanent comic sidekick and what comic relief there is, is as mildly entertaining as the rest of the film.
Levin's direction is serviceable. At least he lets the photographer have his head and the long tracking shot through the farmyard in the opening scenes gives promise of a fluid camera style that is otherwise not realized. Still it's competently put together and the action scenes are mildly exciting (making sometimes skilfull use of stock footage printed up on sepia stock in montage routines so that its age is not so apparent). Made on a big budget all the same.