THE LONG GRAY LINE
DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD
PRODUCED BY ROBERT ARTHUR
ROTA PRODUCTIONS
COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION
For continuity this movie can still be discussed here:-
Maureen O'Hara- The Long Gray Line
Information from IMDb
Plot Summary
Based on a real life story, and ordinary down-to-earth
Irish immigrant, who joins the Army, as a non-commissioned officer.
He goes on to spend 50 years, at Westpoint,
and film evolves around his interaction, with the people around him.
Written by ethanedwards
Full Cast
Tyrone Power .... Martin 'Marty' Maher
Maureen O'Hara .... Mary O'Donnell
Robert Francis .... James 'Red' Sundstrom, Jr.
Donald Crisp .... Old Martin
Ward Bond .... Capt. Herman J. Kohler
Betsy Palmer .... Kitty Carter
Philip Carey .... Charles 'Chuck' Dotson (as Phil Carey)
William Leslie .... Red Sundstrom
Harry Carey Jr. .... Dwight Eisenhower
Patrick Wayne .... Abner 'Cherub' Overton
Sean McClory .... Dinny Maher
Peter Graves .... Cpl. Rudolph Heinz
Milburn Stone .... Capt. John Pershing
Erin O'Brien-Moore .... Mrs. Koehler (as Erin O'Brien Moore)
Walter D. Ehlers .... Mike Shannon
Willis Bouchey .... Maj. Thomas
Don Barclay .... McDonald (uncredited)
Mary Benoit .... Bit (uncredited)
Richard Bishop .... (uncredited)
Dona Cole .... Peggy (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney .... Whitey Larson (uncredited)
Ken Curtis .... Specialty (uncredited)
Lisa Davis .... Nell (uncredited)
Diane DeLaire .... Nurse (uncredited)
Harry Denny .... Priest (uncredited)
Mimi Doyle .... Nun (uncredited)
Jack Ellis .... Bit (uncredited)
Robert Ellis .... Cadet Short (uncredited)
Bess Flowers .... Football Fan, Army/Notre Dame Game (uncredited)
Fritz Ford .... Bit (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman .... (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy .... Cadet Dotson (uncredited)
John Herrin .... Cadet Ramsey (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy .... Cadet Kennedy (uncredited)
Philip Kieffer .... Superintendent (uncredited)
Robert Knapp .... Lieutenant (uncredited)
Leon Mc Laughlin .... Bit (uncredited)
Martin Milner .... Jim O'Carberry (uncredited)
Jean Moorhead .... Girl (uncredited)
Jack Mower .... Bit (uncredited)
Donald Murphy .... Army Captain (uncredited)
James O'Hara .... Cadet Thorne (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley .... Priest (uncredited)
Jack Pennick .... Recruiting sergeant (uncredited)
Russell P. Reeder .... Commandant of Cadets (uncredited)
Robert Roark .... Cadet Pirelli (uncredited)
Mickey Roth .... Cadet Stern (uncredited)
Keith Schultz .... Kitty's Infant Son (uncredited)
Kevin Schultz .... Kitty's Infant Son (uncredited)
Jim Sears .... Knute Rockne (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson .... New York policeman (uncredited)
Elbert Steele .... The President (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook .... Waiter (uncredited)
Norm Van Brocklin .... Notre Dame quarterback (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Nardi Reeder Campion book Bringing Up the Brass
Edward Hope
Marty Maher book Bringing Up the Brass
Original Music
W. Franke Harling (song "The Corps")
Cinematography
Charles Lawton Jr.
Charles Lang (uncredited)
Trivia
John Ford originally wanted to cast John Wayne as Marty Maher.
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Average Shot Length (ASL) = 13 seconds
Location filming at West Point was done during the summer when most cadets were gone with the exception of new "Plebes" so as not to disrupt normal activities.
Walter Ehlers (Mike Shannon) received the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism on July 9/10, 1944 at Normandy France. He was a Staff Sergeant in the 18th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division.
Goofs
Factual errors: According to the plot line of the movie Martin "Marty" Maher retired from the Army in the 50's (Eisenhower was President), in real life Maher retired from the Army in 1928 and stayed at West Point as a civilian employee in the athletic department and retired from that in 1946. He died on Jan. 17, 1961, at the age of 84 and is buried in the West Point cemetery.
Anachronisms: Red's Medal of Honor that Kitty shows to Marty and Mary is the current design that goes around the neck. In the story, Red earned it during World War I and at that time the Medal of Honor was on a suspension ribbon like most other US medals. It wouldn't be redesigned for around the neck wear until 1944.
Factual errors: In the film, Mary O'Donnell Maher dies sometime before Christmas 1944 while World War II is still raging. In real life, according to her headstone at the West Point cemetery, she died in 1948.
Continuity: In the scene where Martin meets Mary outside the gymnasium, he is carrying an armful of boxing gloves, and drops one or two. The dropped gloves change in number and position on the floor as the scene progresses, even Mary gets in the act, changing her position on the floor and relative to the gloves on the floor, and the hat on her head changing its tilt and position from scene to scene.
Revealing mistakes: On Armistice Day, when the cadets are celebrating the end of the war, all of the surrounding trees are full of green leaves. On November 11 in West Point's location, there would have been some combination of fall colors and already-bare trees.
Continuity: When the Cadets are building the bonfire and celebrating the Armistice ending World War I, the background landscape is lush and green - not likely for November 11th.
Factual errors: Cadets and officers are shown at chapel on December 7, 1941, a Sunday. An announcement is made that Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was attacked at 7:55 AM, Hawaii time, which is 12:55 PM New York time, with chapel services already having concluded.
Anachronisms: In the scene where Marty Maher (Tyrone Power) is giving swimming instructions to the West Point cadets, cadet James Nilsson 'Red' Sundstrom (William Leslie) dives into to the pool, swims the length of the pool and does a flip turn to swim a return lap. The flip turn in swimming was not in use in the era represented in this part of the film - pre-World War 1. The flip turn was developed by Tex Robertson of the University of Texas while training Adolph Kiefer for the 1936 Olympics.
Continuity: Marty's farewell parade is held under overcast skies, but when Kitty and James are conversing at the same parade it is sunny and the sky is cloudless.
Factual errors: According to the storyline, Maher arrived at West Point no earlier than 1902, but George Koehler was football coach from 1897-1900.
Filming Location
United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA
For continuity this movie can still be discussed here:-
Maureen O'Hara- The Long Gray Line