On H List of Movie Reviews
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Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
4/14, 2/24
4/14:
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is a superb Robinson Crusoe type of picture that features a Marine and a nun
hiding from the Japanese soldiers during WWII.
Deborah Kerr is fair herself and does what she can. Anyone could've played her role just the same. The real
reason why the film gets an '8' from me is Robert Mitchum who was surprisingly not Oscar-nominated. He's very
good, engaging, human, and personable.
The best scene is when Robert Mitchum, in his camouflaged face, snuck inside the storeroom of canned victuals
but got trapped at the top of the shelf. It's done with high tension, making the whole thing highly memorable.
Of course, a great deal of credit goes to John Huston for his innate knack of making wonderful films.
All in all, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is a must-see because of the outstanding performance by
Robert Mitchum.
2/24:
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is Robert Mitchum's movie, so why was Deborah Kerr nominated for an Oscar
but not him?
That's hard to believe. Robert Mitchum stole the show in every scene. All Deborah Kerr could do is to be awed
of him. The best part is when he's inside the building to get food for her. It's the most intense acting ever.
The other is when he performed many stunts; that's when I knew he was doing it for real, especially when the
waves were crashing against his body.
The whole thing looks real because John Huston made sure of no fakery. Hence, it was shot on location in Trinidad
and Tobago. What's nice is the nun was never in love with Mr. Allison. She held fast to her beliefs while
he had a hard time dealing with the fact but got over it. No matter what, it's an exicting WWII adventure that's
set in the South Pacific.
All in all, Robert Mitchum is brilliant in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, a top five performance of his career.