Arizona, 1944, Colfax Army Air Force Base. Josiah Newman, MD (Gregory Peck) needs help, space, and time. As head of the hospital’s psyche ward he has six weeks to either cure, ship back, or ship out his ever-growing number of patients all suffering from varying degrees of “Combat Fatigue.”
Newman turns to an opportunistic orderly (Tony Curtis), and a caring nurse (Angie Dickinson) for help. Three cases take up much of Newman’s time. Highly decorated, Colonel Norval Algate Bliss (Eddie Albert) has gone mad, calling himself “Mr. Future,” and threatening bodily harm to anyone who touches him. Captain Paul Cabot Winston (Robert Duvall), a member of a wealthy family is catatonic after spending eighteen months in a French cellar, hiding from Germans. Corporal Jim Tompkins (Bobby Darin) carries a terrible secret Captain Newman’s treatment will ultimately reveal.
Gregory Peck is occasionally stiff, but his performance is earnest. Tony Curtis eventually wears out his welcome with an over-the-top comedic approach, something he was doing a lot of at the time. The best performance comes from Eddie Albert, who makes the most of limited screen time. Bobby Darin received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his showy performance.
Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Kino’s Blu-ray provides a strong image. Unlike the 2008 DVD, there are few instances where the alignment is incorrect. Grain is pleasing, and the image itself is clean.
Kino has provided a DTS-HD dual-mono track. The score by Frank Skinner sounds strong throughout. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise. Overall, viewers should be very pleased with this presentation.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- NEW! Audio Commentary with Film Historian Sammy Deighen
- Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:20)
