Main Cast: Dana Andrews, Dorothy McGuire, Farley Granger, Peggy Dow, Robert Keith
Release Year: 1951
Country: US
Run Time: 66 minutes
Plot
Upon beginning production on his Korean-war drama I Want You, producer Sam Goldwyn lamented "I've just brought those boys back from the war, and now I have to send them out again!" Goldwyn, of course, was referring to his Oscar-winning "homecoming" drama Best Years of Our Lives. He'd hoped that I Want You would be 1951's "answer" to that post-WW II classic, and while the later film falls short of that goal, it still has much to recommend it. The scene is a small town in the Eastern United States, where the outbreak of hostilities in Korea has a profound effect on several people. WW II veteran Martin Greer (Dana Andrews) wants to re-enlist, much to the dismay of his wife Nancy (Dorothy McGuire). Draftee Jack Greer (Farley Granger) fears that his military service will permanently shelve his plans to marry Carrie Turner (Peggy Dow). Jack's mother Sarah (Mildred Dunnock), having already lost one son in the war, resents the pro-American jingoism of her husband Thomas (Robert Keith). And George Kress, Jr. (Martin Milner) must contend with his possessive father George Kress, Sr. (Walter S. Baldwin), who'll do anything to keep his son out of uniform (Incidentally, both Dana Andrews and Walter S. Baldwin had previously appeared in Best Years of Our Lives). Screenwriter Irwin Shaw adapted I Want You from a series of human-interest articles by Edward Newhouse, which first appeared in The New Yorker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
I Want You is frequently compared to the far superior The Best Years of Our Lives, not least because producer Samuel Goldwyn willingly courted such comparisons, but it's perhaps unfair to foist such comparisons upon the later film. Best Years is about the reorientation of homecoming soldiers and their families after a war that was popularly supported on the homefront; Want deals with breaking up families at the start of a war that does not enjoy the same level of support, and so the two films should more properly be contrasted than compared. Still, even taken on its own terms instead of in comparison with the other film, Want is lacking. It's not a bad film by any means, merely adequate. An exceptional screenplay or keen direction would have made Want something special; instead, what we have on both counts is acceptable, but no more. As a result, there's none of the depth (or sweep) that would make Want stand out. The issues raised are important, but they're handled in a fairly flat, predictable manner, with dialogue that gets the job done but doesn't raise the proceedings to a new level. Want does boast some very good performances, with Dana Andrews the rock upon which much of the film rests and with a lively and determined performance from Dorothy McGuire to back him up. Farley granger and Peggy Dow disappoint, but Robert Keith is very good as the World War I veteran who has not been totally honest about his military career, and Mildred Dunnock is simply smashing as his wife. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Mildred Dunnock - Sarah Greer; Ray Collins - Judge Jonathan Turner; Martin Milner - George Kress, Jr.; Jim Backus - Harvey Landrum; Marjorie Crossland - Mrs. Celia Turner; Walter S. Baldwin - George Kress, Sr.; Walter Sande - Ned Iversen, the bartender; Peggy Maley - Gladys; Jerrilyn Flannery - Anne Greer; Erik Nielsen - Tony Greer; James Adamson - Train Porter
