Product Description

James Cagney and Dan Dailey are soldiers during World War I, fighting for the same lovely French woman. Phoebe and Henry Ephron wrote the script.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38134 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Customer Reviews

Rolicking, fanciful view of WW One Marines
The movie focuses on a Marine rifle company resting and training behind the front in WW One France. Cagney and Daly turn in fine performances as the Company Commander and his 1st Sgt, respectively. They are both career Marines of long service and have developed a professional respect for each other rivaled only by their personal dislike. They both vie for the affections of the inkeeper's daughter with predictable results. The integration of fresh-faced replacements with the battleworn veteran Marines brings some lighthearted moments. The tone is more serious in the few short battle scenes and the ending where Quirt leaves Charmaine to rejoin the company moving out for the next push is one easily related by any Marine viewer. It is a remake of an earlier silent film and I regret I have been unable to obtain a copy of the original as I am sure it is excellent. However, I feel Mr. Maltin in his review above dismisses it without even viewing it. The review and synopsis don't even get the right war, referring to WW2, and seem to not realize they players are Marines. It may indeed not measure up to the silent original, but this is an entertaining movie in it's own right.

Easy to recommend war movie
Taking place in World War I is the James Cagney-Dan Dailey drama "What Price Glory" made in 1952 by the legendary director John Ford. Essentially the movie is a classic love triangle story set against the backdrop of the ravaged French countryside of 1918. Cagney plays the part of Capt. Flagg, a commander in charge of a ragtag group of conscripts who must rely on the brash and disrespectful Sgt. Quirt to whip them into shape. Trouble brews though when Flagg and Quirt both fall for the same girl. The movie is a triumph for all concerned both in strong performances from the actors (including a young Robert Wagner) and a technical masterpiece from the crew. The same cannot be honestly said for the DVD. Although the picture and sound are both acceptable the quality of the overall print shows some wear and there are noticeable fluctuations in the color balance. Still for such a low price it is a title that is easy to recommend.

Typical John Ford Movie: Terrific!
1952 movie directed by John Ford starring James Cagney as Captain Flag, a 'tough-as-nails' Marine company commander in World War One. Just after returning from the front line trenches to rest and refit his company, he receives a new top sergeant, Sergeant Quirt played by Dan Dailey, to get his new replacements ready for the next tour on the lines. Sergeant Quirt is probably the best in the Marines, but he's also a wild rival to Captain Flag and they soon show their stuff after Quirk's arrival with a quick fistfight in Flag's office.

The Marine company is full of senior battle-hardened veterans portrayed in an entertaining manner by numerous actors including William Demarest (Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons") and Henry Morgan (Colonel Potter from "M.A.S.H."). A youthful Robert Wagner stars as one of the newly assigned juniors who falls in love with a local girl during the company's training period.

John Ford did masterful job rolling in humor, drama and romance. The film is well balanced and portrays the Marines as colorful hard-core types that do more than their share for the war effort, as well as play hard in their off time. There's good action when the company returns to the front and captures some elements of hardship in World War One's trench warfare. It's a romantic and entertaining feature that rivals Ford's other well-known feature "The Quiet Man."

The DVD edition is finally here and it's a nice improvement over previous VHS formats.