Until They Sail (1957)

Until They Sail (1957), directed by Robert Wise.

A minor, well-made melodrama of four sisters in New Zealand dealing with American Marines while their men are away at the war.

It has unusually blunt sexual content, with the women policing each others behavior, not always successfully. Wartime changes the old standards.

I review this one for the talent.

The crew:

• Directed by Robert Wise, a famous counter-example to the auteur theory in film. I'm compelled to see all of his movies.

• Photographed by Joseph Ruttenberg.

• Score by David Raksin.

• From a story by James A. Michener.

The women:

• Jean Simmons is the sensible sister, making allowances and trying to keep everyone together.

• Joan Fontaine is the oldest, monitoring the others and trying to maintain standards.

• Piper Laurie is the man-crazy sister who marries in haste.

• Sandra Dee (age 15, her film debut) is the youngest, always excited and large hearted.

The men:

• Paul Newman is an American officer who drinks at night so he doesn't have to think about women. Jean Simmons, the war widow, tweaks him about that: Isn't it cowardly? The others make mistakes but at least they are involved.

• Charles Drake was a familiar face as a supporting actor during those years. I remember him best as the sheriff in It Came from Outer Space (1953). Here he has a good role as a polite, decent Captain from Oklahoma.

Available on DVD. No subtitles, but I found a track online.