What Price Glory? (1952)

Well, it was inevitable that I'd come across a John Ford film that isn't very good. What Price Glory? (1952), a remake of a 1926 film by Raoul Walsh, is an awkward mix of bawdy comedy and gritty war film, and doesn't succeed at either. It has most of Ford's worst traits, and scant few of his virtues.

At the height of World War I, tough Marine Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey) is reassigned to a company commanded by his old rival, Captain Flagg (James Cagney). The two soldiers immediately butt heads over the affection of sultry French saloon girl Charmaine (Corinne Calvet), while Quirt's protege Private Lewisohn (Robert Wagner) falls for pretty schoolgirl Nicole (Marisa Pavan). Our leads are briefly sent to the front, where they engage in some heroic derring-do against the Germans, but soon enough are back on leave, fighting each other over Charmaine's affection.

What Price Glory? is a silly service comedy that showcases Ford's greatest weakness. Ford's strengths are his incredible use of landscape and cinematography, his larger-than-life protagonists, his mixture of old-fashioned patriotism and hopeful progressivism, and his mythic portrait of America. Comedy, however, was never his forte, with bawdy slapstick, goofy brawling, "humorous" ethnic stereotyping (from Mexicans to Swedes) and the hilarities of alcoholism providing the weakest parts of his films, from The Quiet Man to The Searchers. Out of the gate, with John Ford directing an entire film predicated on such "humor," we have a problem.

The story (based on a Maxwell Anderson play) is slight, with too much time devoted to shenanigans, goofing off, and Corinne's sultry sing-alongs. The love triangle is completely predictable and forced, while the sweet romance between Lewisohn and Nicole barely gets off the ground. The bawdy humor is obnoxious even by Ford standards, "climaxing" in an interminable drinking contest/poker game that goes on beyond all reason. The war segments are almost an after-thought, competently staged but marred by obvious set-work. Lame French and British stereotypes add an extra level of irritation. Overall, it's a very weak effort from Ford, lacking even his usual fine craftsmanship.

James Cagney gives a fine performance: dignified, humorous, destitute and tough at turns. The rest of the cast is more hit and miss: Dan Dailey is extremely stiff, and Corinne Calvert isn't up to much either. Robert Wagner is fine in an early star turn, and the pretty Marisa Pavan does well with a tiny role. Ford rounds out his cast with members of his usual stock company, including William Demearst, Harry Morgan, James Gleason and Jack Pennick.

I hesitate to the label this a "Bad Movie", which puts it in league with some truly abominable crap, but What Price Glory? is a very weak, mostly unfunny and wholly unsatisfying effort by one of Hollywood's great directors. The obvious solution is to watch a good John Ford film to get the bad taste out of my mouth...