Never So Few [Blu-ray]

Director: John Sturges

Overview

Action director John Sturges had a few good films behind him (Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral) and a few more to come (The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven) when he put together this colorful story of wartime romance. In addition to his talents as a director, this saga of an American Captain stationed with his Allied command in Burma during World War II is helped by a stellar cast. Frank Sinatra is Captain Tom Reynolds who is supposed to be battling the Japanese in Burma but gets side-tracked when his unit and his Kachin allies are attacked by Chiang Kai-shek's forces. In supporting roles are Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen (about to make his mark on the big screen), Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Brian Donlevy, and several others. After General Chiang's attack, Captain Reynolds leads the remainder of his men into Nationalist Chinese territory for a fast retaliation -- basically a wholesale slaughter. He is called on the carpet for this action later, and his would-be love, Carla Vesari (Lollobrigida) is suddenly faced with a decision to stay with her current man (Paul Heinreid) or take off for the unknown USA with the American Captain.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/07/2018
UPC:	0888574645335
Original Release:	1959
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:04:00
Sales rank:	19,378

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Frank Sinatra	Actor
Gina Lollobrigida	Actor
Peter Lawford	Actor
Steve McQueen	Actor
Paul Henreid	Nikko Regas
Brian Donlevy	Gen. Sloane
Dean Jones	Sgt. Jim Norby
Charles Bronson	Sgt. John Danforth
Philip Ahn	Nautaung
Robert Bray	Col. Fred Parkson
Kipp Hamilton	Margaret Fitch
John Hoyt	Col. Reed
Whit Bissell	Capt. Alofson
Richard Lupino	Mike Island
Aki Aleong	Billingsly
Maggie Pierce	Nurse
Ross Elliott	Dr. Barry
Leon Lontoc	Laurel
Charles Bateman	le pilote
John Bryant	l'aide du général Sloan
Spencer Chan	le marchand
Henry Amargo	Actor
Rayford Barnes	Actor
W.T. Chang	Actor
Isabel Cooley	Actor
Richard Johnson	Capt. Danny de Mortimer
Noel De Souza	Actor
Hugo Friedhofer	Composer
Harold Fong	Chinese Peasant
James Hong	General Chao
George Khoury	Headwaiter
Guy Lee	Bye Ya
Rollin Moriyama	Scout
Leo Needham	Pilot
George Takei	Soldier in Hospital
Irene Tedrow	Head Nurse

Technical Credits

Millard Kaufman

Tom T. Chamales

John Sturges	Director
Millard Kaufman	Screenwriter
Edmund Grainger	Producer
Robert R. Hoag	Special Effects
Lee LeBlanc	Special Effects
Tom T. Chamales	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

From all reports, the book from which Never So Few is adapted is a gripping read, and one that raises some interesting questions about appropriate behavior during times of war by men in dangerous and stressful situations. Unfortunately, the film of Few is at best only a moderately effective war movie, and one which pays only lip service to the ethical quandaries it raises. Part of the problem is that the film keeps working in fits and starts without ever really catching fire, and most of those fits and starts are due to the filmmakers' decision to let a ridiculous love story keep interrupting the action. Things are not helped by the fact that there is next to no chemistry between the purported lovers, Frank Sinatra and Gina Lollobrigida. Sinatra also seems a bit uncomfortable in the film, as if he didn't really "get" the role and so alternates between overdoing and shrugging his way through it. The rest of the men are good, including Peter Lawford and Richard Johnson. But it's some of the (then) "smaller" names that get the attention here, including a very young Dean Jones (far from his Disney self) and Charles Bronson. But the best performance by far is from Steve McQueen; it's only a supporting role (originally intended for Sammy Davis Jr.), but he grabs hold of the screen when he's on it and makes a very definite impression. Director John Sturges finds some moments that are memorable, but this is far from his best work.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler