Back from eternity was fine, but five came back was really something special. Its a collection of character actors for a b movie that should be appreciated more. After their airplane crashes in the south american jungle, the passengers and crew must survive until the repairs can be made. Twelve people are aboard coast air lines flagship the silver queen enroute to south america when the airplane encounters a storm and is blown off course. Five came back 1939 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Toronto film society presented five came back 1939 on monday, january 14, 2019 in a double bill with escape as part of the season 71. Dec 28, 2019 five came back fullclassic movie1939hdchester morris, lucille ball change youtube language english to watch video. Mark harris tells how hollywood changed world war iiand vice versathrough the stories of five legendary american film directors. Five came back 1939 may not be a film in the mount rushmore of top films of 1939. Five came back is a 1939 american blackandwhite melodrama from rko radio pictures, produced by robert sisk, directed by john farrow, that stars chester morris and lucille ball. Nov 11, 2016 five came back 1939 hollywood wasnt betting on the massive success of a piddly little rko adventure film starring the likes of chester morris and lucille ball. Five came back dvdr 1939 warner archive collection mod. Five came back 2017 tvma 1 season documentaries five acclaimed contemporary directors tell the story of five legendary hollywood filmmakers who enlisted in the armed forces to document world war ii. The birth of the disaster film genre the powerful melodrama, cowritten by dalton trumbo, makes its longoverdue debut from the warner archive collection.
When it opened, the rialto in new york went on a 24hour schedule to accommodate the crowds, lucille ball wrote in her autobiography, love, lucy. Five came back is considered a precursor of the disaster film genre. Five came back, directed by john farrow, starring lucille ball and chester morris the flying deuces, directed by a. The aircraft featured unusual twin horizontal tail structures supported by three vertical tail surfaces. One does not think of five came back when discussing hollywoods greatest year of 1939. In 1948 five came back was remade differing only in minor details as the. A precursor of the disaster films of the seventies, it told a highly effective and gripping story. John ford, william wyler, john huston, frank capra, and. A plane carrying twelve passengers crashes in a south american jungle. As part of a talented cast, american character actor joseph calleia is a scene stealer. This movie also proves you can have a very good film with a blended cast. Five came back tells an inspiring story to captivating effect, offering viewing that should appeal to historians and film buffs in equal measure. Five came back is an early version of the disaster movie, telling the story of a group of travelers who crash in the middle of the south american jungle. This familiarity works against five, but if a viewer can overlook the predictability factor, he is very likely to find himself hooked and enjoying it, even as.
While working to repair the plane, they discover that it will only carry five back to safety. Copilot joe kent taylor visits marshal crimp john carradine and his charge vasquez joseph calleia, gangster pete allen jenkins with his bosss son casey johnson and peggy lucille ball with pilot bill chester morris, en route to panama in john farrows five came back, 1939. In rkos dick tracys dilemma 1947 the xc12 was shown somewhat dismantled, and in daredevils of the clouds 1948, after which it was apparently scrapped. Apr 22, 2019 five came back is not to be confused with the 2017 netflix documentary series about five noted hollywood filmmakers who made propaganda movies for the u. Imdb, the worlds most popular and authoritative source for movie, tv and celebrity content. See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. Apart from the two pilots there is an elderly couple, a gangster traveling with a young boy, a bounty hunterdetective returning with a criminal, a young couple who are eloping and an attractive young woman with a mysterious air about her. The wartime contributions of five prominent hollywood film directors during world war ii are profiled. Passengers get ready for the illfated flight foreshadowed in the films title five came back. It became a surprise box office hit for rko studios in the summer of 1939. Toronto film society presented five came back 1939 on monday, january 14, 2019 in a double bill with escape as part of the season 71 monday evening film buff series, programme 4. When the plane is repaired it can only carry five people back to safety.
Released 1939, five came back stars chester morris, lucille ball, wendy barrie, john carradine the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 15 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Five came back is packed with true stories that, according to the proverb, are stranger than fiction. Five came back was remade a couple of times in the 1950s, but the film it most reminded me of was 1965s flight of the phoenix, about a group of soldiers who crash in the desert and have to scavenge together a makeshift plane out of the wreckage of their old one. Five came back was a major critical and financial success for the beleagured rko. Films would be run as much as five times a day for a week, like a movie theater. Now in active service, each director learns his cinematic vision isnt always attainable within government bureaucracy and the variables of war. The old maid 1939 official trailer bette davis, miriam hopkins movie hd duration. At least ive seen three of the five joseph calleia made, including juarez and the. Five came back, a junglesurvival melodrama with lucille ball, chester morris, and john carradine. This is my first kent taylor of 1939, even though he made seven films that year. Each of the five nominees for best director of 1939 went on to become a legendary film director with multiple acclaimed films to his credit. Five came back 1939 stream and watch online moviefone. Five came back, by mark harris, has all the elements of a good movie.
Notes about five came back, 1939, directed by john farrow, with chester morris, lucille ball, wendy barrie, available from turner classic movies. Turner classic movies presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from one of the largest film libraries in the world. Apart from the two pilots there is an elderly couple, a gangster. Cast and crew credits for five came back, 1939, directed by john farrow, with chester morris, lucille ball, wendy barrie, at turner classic movies. As world war ii begins, five of hollywoods top directors leave success and homes behind to join the armed forces and make films for the war effort. Actress lucille ball died 49 years and 307 days after this film s april 23, 1939 premiere, if anyone is interested in. Five came back 1939 enoch pratt free library calendar. Judson and alice, a rich young man and his girlfriend who are eloping because their parents dont approve of the match. This precursor of the disaster picture has been remade several times and even had a star trek episode based on its plot. Farrow remade the film in 1956 as back from eternity.
Harriss story of five particular directors at one particular moment of history tells us much about the motionpicture industry, about the nature of filmmaking and, more generally, about the relation of art to the larger demands of society. Five came back has nothing to do with the 1939 film of the same name about five people who managed to return to civilization after their plane crashed in a jungle teeming with headhunters. The film is a remake of the 1939 film five came back, also directed and produced by john farrow. This little gem is worthy and battles all attempt to categorize it as a b movie. The plot involves a mixed party aboard a plane headed for panama city, panama. Mar 15, 2017 mark harris book five came back, about the experiences of five major hollywood directors during and after world war ii, is adapted into a threepart netflix documentary.
Five came back you are bidding on 3 original lobby cards from the 1939 rko film five came back. This is harriss second brilliant book about movies. The film is a slow burn at first and then in the last 20 minutes or so it is a race to the finish line. Jan 31, 2010 lucille ball made five and i havent seen any of the others, highlighting yet again that however many films i see from hollywoods greatest year there are always many more to find. John farrow directs this beaut of a bfilm and its remake in 1956. One of the lobby card has 2 tears along the bottom see photos. Directed by john farrow with a story by richard carroll that was scripted by jerome cady dalton trumbo and nathanael west this above average adventure drama is one of the first to put an ensemble cast of characters from varied backgrounds in peril the heart of the story shows how persons real character traits are revealed in a survival environment. Five came back fullclassic movie 1939 hdchester morris, lucille ball change youtube language english to watch video. Five came back 1939 movie clip anything but murder part of director john farrows splendid opening, introducing first patrick knowles and wendy barrie, then lucille ball, c.
Five came back passed 1h 15min adventure, drama, thriller 23 june 1939 usa a plane has engine trouble while flying over a jungle inhabited by cannibals. Five came back is an american documentary based on the 2014 book five came back. Five came back fullclassic movie1939hdchester morris. Jan 23, 2016 the ending is determined by random acts of courage, cowardice, and unexpected selfsacrifice. The capelis xc12 was a failed 1933 aircraft design that most notably was used as a prop in the films five came back, the flying tigers, the falcon in danger, and immortal sergeant. Lucille ball in dramatic role five came back movie youtube. Five came back is a 1939 american blackandwhite melodrama from rko radio pictures. Back from eternity is a 1956 american drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the south american jungle and subsequently menaced by headhunters. If the plot sounds familiar, thats partly because farrow himself remade this film in 1956 as back from eternity also for rko, partly. Five came back 1939 one of the most vivid memories of my teen years spent visiting l.
Rather, it is a deftly intercut story of five toptier directorsfrank capra, john ford, john huston, george stevens, and william wyler, who heeded the war departments request to use their. Aubrey smith and elizabeth risdon, copilot kent taylor, allen jenkins and young casey johnson, then pilot chester morris. The film was photographed by cinematographer nicholas musuraca, and written by jerry cady, dalton trumbo, and nathanael west. Sep 06, 2010 five came back was remade a couple of times in the 1950s, but the film it most reminded me of was 1965s flight of the phoenix, about a group of soldiers who crash in the desert and have to scavenge together a makeshift plane out of the wreckage of their old one. Chester morris starred in the film, and lucille ball had second billing as a wayward girl with the proverbial heart of gold. The aircraft was featured as a prop in five came back 1939, the flying tigers 1942, and immortal sergeant 1943. A story of hollywood and the second world war by journalist mark harris. Its a 1939 harrowing adventure story about a dozen people whose plane crashes in the amazon and they have to struggle to survive while hashing out. Lucille ball running and trying to save child after one of the passengers of the plane is killed in five came back. Five came back is a 1939 english film stars lucille ball, john farrow, jerome cady, dalton trumbo, nathanael west, chester morris, wendy barrie, john carradine, allen jenkins, joseph calleia, c. Frank capra, victor fleming, john ford, sam wood, and william wyler. Handsome businessman patric knowles as judson ellis and pretty blonde secretary wendy barrie as alice melbourne are going to elope.
Five came backlucille balllucychester morris3 original. This lowbudget 1939 adventure starring lucille ball, chester morris and john carradine set the standard for decades of disaster flicks. Five came back 1939 five came back is not to be confused with the 2017 netflix documentary series about five noted hollywood filmmakers who made propaganda movies for the u. Its a collection of character actors for a bmovie that should be appreciated more. The film stars robert ryan, rod steiger, anita ekberg and gene barry. The premise of five came back is one that audiences have seen countless variations on in the decades since the film was released and indeed, it probably wasnt totally fresh in 1939.
Edward sutherland, starring laurel and hardy the four feathers, starring john clements and ralph richardson gb. Crashing into jungles known to be inhabited by head hunters, pilots bill and joe race against time to fix the engines and attempt a take off. Five directors went to world war ii to tell the truth, and changed filmmaking forever. Five came back 1939 hollywood wasnt betting on the massive success of a piddly little rko adventure film starring the likes of chester morris and lucille ball.
Richard carroll, who is credited with writing the story for back from eternity, wrote the original story for five came back. Directed by john farrow, the film seemed to be a cursed production. Actress lucille ball died 49 years and 307 days after this films april 23, 1939 premiere, if anyone is interested in that rather morbid factoid. The situation brings out the best and worst in the stranded dozen as they create a.