THE SUN ALSO RISES [1957 / 2017] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release]
See A Ravishing Ava Gardner Amidst the Lost Generation!
Adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's classic “Lost Generation” novel “The Sun Also Rises” and starring Tyrone Power as war veteran and writer Jake Barnes. Immersing himself in the bohemian circles of the 1920’s Paris, Jake Barnes continues to be obsessed by his ex-fiancée Lady Brett Ashley [Ava Gardner]. Rendered impotent by his war wound, Jake Barnes is condemned to watch her carousing with her new lover Mike Campbell [Errol Flynn], and as the doomed bohemians make their way to the Pamplona bullfighting festival; their lives begin to implode in a welter of alcoholism and recrimination.
FILM FACT: Film rights for ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ of the novel “The Sun Also Rises” were sold in the late 1920’s for a reported $10,000. These rights were transferred to Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley Richardson, by the author at the time of their divorce, so he never personally benefited from the sale. Originally the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ was going to be made at RKO, possibly starring Ann Harding. In 1940 agent-producer Charles Feldman bought the rights from Harding's one-time husband, actor Harry Bannister, for a reported $35,000. In 1948, it was announced Howard Hawks had bought the film rights and subsequently sold part of his interest to Charles Feldman, but the project did not go beyond the development stage. In 1955, Howard Hawks and Charles Feldman sold the rights of the novel to Darryl F. Zanuck at 20th Century Fox, who still hoped to use Howard Hawks as director. This was part of a deal whereby Charles Feldman sold his interest in a number of projects to 20th Century Fox – the others included ‘Heaven Knows,’ ‘Mr Allison,’ ‘The Wayward Bus’ and ‘Oh Men! Oh Women!’ Of this deal, the rights to ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ were estimated at $125,000. Darryl F. Zanuck hired Peter Viertel to write the script and Peter Viertel later reflected: “The long lapse of time since the book was published will not cause it to lose its value. The story is ageless. It should renew its impact for our modern generation. It is fascinating in its impressions of Europe after World War I, because so many of these impressions are duplicated again today.” Darryl F. Zanuck wanted the lead played by Gregory Peck, who had previously appeared in several Hemingway adaptations, including the popular ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro.’ Jennifer Jones signed to play Lady Brett Ashley. The movie ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ became the first to be produced for Darryl F. Zanuck's own independent production company following his departure from 20th Century Fox, although 20th Century Fox would still distribute the movie ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES.’ Filming started March 1957 in Morelia, Michoacán, and Mexico. It had been intended to shoot in Pamplona but the trees were not in foliage and the production could not afford to wait. There was also shooting of the film in Spain and France.
Cast: Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer, Errol Flynn, Eddie Albert, Gregory Ratoff, Juliette Gréco, Marcel Dalio, Henry Daniell, Robert Cunningham, Danik Patisson, Robert Evans, Ricardo Adalid (uncredited), Manuel Casanueva (uncredited), Ann Codee (uncredited), María Luisa Corona (uncredited), Fernando Curiel (uncredited), Julián de Meriche (uncredited), Jacqueline Evans (uncredited), Lilia Guízar (uncredited), Rebeca Iturbide (uncredited), Estela Larralde (uncredited), Lee Morgan (uncredited), Rubén Márquez (uncredited), Carlos Múzquiz (uncredited), Claudia Eckert Noonan (uncredited), Eduardo Noriega (uncredited), Carlos David Ortigoza (uncredited), Alberto Pedret (uncredited), Ignacio Peón (uncredited), Salvador Pérez G. (uncredited), Amelia Robert (uncredited), Carlos Robles Gil (uncredited), Humberto Rodríguez (uncredited), Ángela Rodríguez (uncredited), Louise Ross (uncredited), Félix Samper (uncredited) and Fanny Schiller (uncredited)
Director: Henry King
Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Screenplay: Ernest Hemingway (novel) and Peter Viertel (screenplay)
Composer: Hugo Friedhofer
Costume and Wardrobe Department: Charles Le Maire (executive wardrobe designer) and Mickey Sherrard (wardrobe) (uncredited)
Make-up Department: Jack Obringer (Make-up artist) and Gladys Rasmussen, C.H.S. (Hair stylist)
Cinematography: Leo Tover, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Special Effects: Abel Contreras (Special effects assistant) (uncredited)
Image Resolution: Blu-ray: 1080p + DVD: 1080i (Color by DeLuxe)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (CinemaScope)
Audio: English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: Blu-ray: 130 minutes + DVD: 124 minutes
Region: Blu-ray: Region B/2 + DVD: PAL
Number of discs: 2
Studio: 20th Century Fox / Signal One Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [1957] was 20th Century Fox's big-budget “prestige” film for 1957, and was based on one of Ernest Hemingway's best-known novels, shot on location in Paris and Mexico (substituting for Spain), and starring the studio's long-reigning superstar, Tyrone Power, surrounded by some of the screen's most legendary actors Ava Gardner, Errol Flynn, Mel Ferrer and Eddie Albert. With all the talent assembled in front of and behind the camera, producer Darryl F. Zanuck felt confident that the film would be an enduring classic for both his own independent company, and his studio.
But with the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ Tyrone Power is in the lead role as Jake Barnes, the hero modelled after the author Ernest Hemingway himself. Jake Barnes received a war wound below decks just as Ernest Hemingway did in World War One. The close brush with impotence himself no doubt inspired Ernest Hemingway to write the novel “The Sun Also Rises.”
As the film starts a voice over says, “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose,” which of course is from the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:4-9 from the King James Bible.
The opening scenes begin with Tyrone Power telling a prostitute of his war-induced impotence, the prostitute, played by Bohemian singer Juliette Gréco who is given some really good screen time, especially with the fact that Juliette Gréco’s was then at the time of filming was having a very intimate relationship with producer Darryl F. Zannuck. Before filming started Darryl F. Zannuck made a series of bad casting decisions who he had originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the female lead part of Lady Brett Ashley, do figure that one out folks? Tyrone Power got the male lead part of Jake Barnes because of his contractual association to the film 20th Century Fox.
In the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES,’ the fact that Tyrone Power’s character Jake Barnes has been keeping him from resuming a very intimate relationship with the love of his life, Lady Brett Ashley as played by Ava Gardner, who in the film is a jaded sophisticate Ava Gardner who gives a great performance in the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ as always.
Lady Brett Ashley who is a woman who is beset with alcohol addiction, who in the novel is gripped by the knowledge she cannot truly have Jake Barnes because of his injury both physically and psychologically. But Ava Gardner portrayed the depth of despair that the character required, and here was a woman who could (and often did) have any man she wanted and it shows in the lack of hurt between the characters of Ava Gardner and Tyrone Power. Jake Barnes’s anguish fails to come through sufficiently to make the main thrust of the story plausible. Ernest Hemingway loved bull fighting and is the focal point of the film; and was filmed really well and made you experience the atmospheric scene especially with the actor who played the main Matador scene in the bullring and luckily we do not get to see the bull killed. But one thing I was very uncomfortable about in the part of the film, was the scenes with a drunken Errol Flynn’s and his over the top drunken antics, but they say because of his character in the film would then go on to give Errol Flynn a new lease of life in his acting career. One character I really hated and detested was Count Mippipopolous who is played by Gregory Ratoff and he was just so annoying and over the top, it really put me off what this pompous over the top character.
The Matador scenes could have been even more impressive had Darryl F. Zannuck had listened to his staff and stars who argued against his choice in Robert Evans, a suit salesman that Darryl F. Zannuck had spotted in the El Morocco. The production team had originally found a champion Matador who could have added to the gritty realism of a bullfight who wanted to seduce Lady Brett Ashley in a more believable way but Darryl F. Zannuck’s stubbornness gave us a truly unbelievable character and the fight scenes as well as his seduction of Lady Brett Ashley which the critics felt that part of the film was the poorer for it.
Ernest Hemingway again wrote in the novel “The Sun Also Rises” about a lusty young woman with all her sexual appetites intact and totally unfulfilled. All Tyrone Power can do is watching how Ava Gardner collects the men around her like a bee round a honey pot. And they do indeed flock like bees round a honey pot, like exiled Count Gregory Ratoff, a dissolute British army veteran Errol Flynn, self-conscious Jew Mel Ferrer, and eager young bullfighter Robert Evans, but none of them measure up to all that much, because the character played by Tyrone Power can't give the lady what she most needs.
The location CinemaScope cinematography is filmed brilliantly in really great locations from Paris to Mexico which is substituted for Spain especially for the famous bull fighting scenes and the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona. I'm guessing that director Henry King was not allowed to film in Spain because the Francisco Franco dictatorship did not want a film that glorified the days before his dictatorship even under the monarchy which Francisco Franco swore to restore. Ernest Hemingway the author being a veteran for the Republic Party who did not look too kindly on the Francisco Franco dictatorship.
Ernest Hemingway has had accusations of him being anti- Semitism hurled at him and no doubt because of the way Mel Ferrer's character Robert Cohn is written where he has sustained a lot of negative prejudice in his life; he became a boxer in college to help deal with it. Robert Cohn's also a bumptious sort; and we see Tyrone Power tolerate him to an extent and even sometimes likes him on a certain level. The others in the group make it plain every way they don't want Robert Cohn around, but he's under the spell of Ava Gardner's character and there's no talking to him out of being obsessed about Lady Brett Ashley. In many ways Mel Ferrer does his best in the film.
Unsurprisingly, as we know Ernest Hemmingway hated the film and was said to have walked out of viewing the film after twenty five minutes whilst others associated with the film production question if he ever saw any of it at all. Ernest Hemmingway was never impressed with the screenplay and the casting must have made him shudder. Despite Darryl F. Zannuck’s insistence that he would make a movie true to the “The Sun Also Rises” novel but some people accused Darryl F. Zannuck of falling at the very first hurdle. Ernest Hemmingway’s characters in the “The Sun Also Rises” novel were young Americans wandering aimlessly between France and Spain, living fast and loose in an attempt to bury the memories of the war and all of its horrors. They say that Darryl F. Zannuck gave us characters that were middle aged and middle class, but does that really matter, as I personally thought all the main characters in the film were perfect for the period the film is set in.
‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ marks Tyrone Power's farewell film at the studio 20th Century Fox which carefully nurtured his stardom? It also was his ninth and last film with director Henry King. It was at 20th Century Fox where Tyrone Power got his breakthrough role in 1936 film ‘Lloyd's of London,’ which was also directed by Henry King and they both had quite a screen partnership team.
It has been suggested this film could stand a remake, but where could you get a top cast as classy as this group today to be making ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES.’ It's a kind of roller-coaster ride at first where the individuals seem so intent on taking from life all they can get from it, as if they were soon to leave it all behind, an aftermath and no doubt after the First World War when most had no tomorrows to live or plan for. This is one movie that I can easily recall most scenes because they are so much a part of how real life was in that time period and not how we wish it could be. The film is a thoughtful tale of life's genuine experiences. At the end of the film we hear the voice of Tyrone Power who says, “One generation passes way, and another generation comes, but the Earth provides forever, and the sun also rises,” so my friends, this quote sums up the film in general.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – 20th Century Fox and Signal One Entertainment presents us the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ with a stunning Color by DeLuxe 1080p image and is also enhanced with a 2.35:1 CinemaScope aspect ratio. The detail will knock your socks off. You'll be able to see every colour possible, especially with the flesh tones were very smooth and natural, while the buildings in Paris really stood out and made you want to have visited the city in which the period of the film was set in. What is also gorgeous is the wonderful stylish clothes worn by the men and women of that special period in time, which is very sad that it is not the style of clothing today, but they do say “style” never really goes out of fashion, and of course it just adds to the superb atmospheric ambience of the film in general. The restoration made the colours really stand out especially when the film transfers to Spain and the dramatic bullfighting scenes and the amazing colourful costumes the Matadors wear which really stood out in a spectacular way in Color by DeLuxe. The restorations really made the film take on a life form all of its own. This is definitely a brilliant Blu-ray image and shows you how crisp and clear a Blu-ray disc can be especially with older films and with its upgrade has been done by Signal One Entertainment. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 20th Century Fox and Signal One Entertainment brings us the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ with an equally impressive 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience. Dialogue sounds very natural, and the pitch is perfect and has that dynamic audio range in full and it is in very good shape, a damage-free restoration with consistently clear dialogue and a better than average dynamic range than I would expect of a film of this vintage and of course the Hugo Friedhofer's composed film score sounds exceptionally really good tor the age of the film, so all in all, this is a really good audio performance.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
High-Definition Transfer + UK Blu-ray Premiere
Special Feature: Audio Commentary by Patricia King Hanson and Frank Thompson [Audio only] [2017] [1080p] [2.35:1] [130:06] With this featurette, we get to hear this audio commentary by Film Historians Patricia King Hanson and Frank Thompson. As the film starts Frank Thomson mentions the composer of the 20th Century Fox anthem and mentions that the fanfare was composed in 1933 by Alfred Newman, a long-time head of 20th Century Fox's music department from 1940 to 1960. In 1953, an extended version was created for CinemaScope films, and debuted on the film ‘River of No Return.’ Frank Thomson also mentions that he is a writer and a film historian and mentions that he has written many books, especially the one on Henry King and would come in handy if you was interested on the director of this film. Next up to introduce themselves is Patricia King Hanson who was Executive Editor of the AFI Catalogue who devoted over a quarter century to leading its prestigious, rigorous history-telling and comments on the voice over at the start of the film and that it was a quote from the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:4-9 from the King James Bible and is a biblical solace which means “To delight in; rejoice oneself in.” Frank Thomson says that several Ernest Hemmingway films use various voice overs of several kinds, but no one actually uses Ernest Hemmingway’s words from his novels and the only time they tried was in ‘The Adventures of a Young Man’ a 1962 American adventure film directed by Martin Ritt and was based on Ernest Hemingway's semi-autobiographical character Nick Adams and Ernest Hemingway chose not to follow the mantra of the film, but to actually die, but film makers still want to use generic voice overs from Ernest Hemingway's novels. Frank Thompson says the film was directed by Henry King in 1957 and the screenplay was by Peter Viertel who is now the husband to the actress Deborah Kerr and he quotes that Peter Viertel has worked on an incredible amount of films and especially a couple of Ernest Hemingway films that includes ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [1957] and ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ [1958]. Patricia King Hanson says that quite a few of Ernest Hemingway’s novels have been made into several feature films, but the most famous ones were ‘For Whom the Bells Tolls’ [1943], ‘A Farewell to Arms’ [1932 and 1957], ‘To Have and Have Not’ [1944], ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ [1953] and of course ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [1957] and at the height of Ernest Hemingway’s vogue period in terms of film titles in the early 1930’s right through to the 1950’s and it was reported that Ernest Hemingway was never very happy with the way they treated his novels and eventually being brought to the silver screen and he rarely put a happy endings to his novels, but Hollywood loves to do that and they kind of do it with the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES.’ They both comment with the scenes set in Paris that is set just after the First World War, but in fact the actual setting is supposed to be around the 1950’s, and they both say the wonderful thing about this film we are talking about, is that the city scene we are viewing was entirely filmed on location in Paris and the settings are beautifully rendered, but it was also filmed in Biarritz an elegant seaside town on southwestern France’s Basque coast and Pamplona which is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain and a great deal of the film was shot in Mexico. At a certain point in the film, they both we are introduced to the actor Tyrone Power as Jake Barnes, but they say that unfortunately the actor was a tad too old for the part of his character and the feel he actually looks too old for his part in the film for that character, but they say on the other hand they do say he gives a fine performance, but sadly they feel he is not ideally cast for the character Jake Barnes and they also day that sadly this film was Tyrone Power’s last penultimate or “next to last” film and not long after shooting this film, he sadly passed away on the 15th November, 1958 in Madrid, Spain not long after finish shooting the film ‘Solomon and Sheba’ [1959]. Now we are introduced to the actor Mel Ferrer asleep on a couch in Tyrone Power’s office, who they say was a very prolific actor and directed several films and also some screenplays and of course was married to Audrey Hepburn. We find out that the original script for the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ would not be given the green light by the MPPDA [Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America] and popularly called the Hays Office for its first director, Will H. Hays, codified the complaints of local censoring boards and informed producers of their views, long before any film was shot, which was quite a long gap before filming started, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck assured the Hays Office that he would not use the word “Impotent” or refer to it throughout the film , but eventually they did use that word and really got away with it, but it was hinted early on in the film that the words “I was injured in the war” is mentioned and were very straight forward about it, but over time the film did get very progressive. They both talk about the art direction of the film and the music as well, because we are now seeing scenes in the jazz club and is now set in the 1950’s and at one point we come upon the actor Marcel Dalio as Zizi, who for me personally I did not like this actor in this film, but both of them praise the atmosphere in the jazz club. We then come upon the first romantic clinch between Ava Gardner and Tyrone Power, but for some unknown reason both of them make no comment at all about their performance in this particular scene in the film, but hark, suddenly both of them start commenting about Ava Gardner and says that when the actress eventually came to Hollywood started out in working type Hollywood films and at first did not make many films, but at the height of Ava Gardner’s fame was able to pick and choose what film the actress wanted to appear in and after this film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ decided to have a yearlong break before appearing in front of the camera with the following three films ‘The Naked Maja’ [1958], ‘On The Beach’ [1959] and ‘The Angel Wore Red’ [1960] and also tended to not act much in front of the camera, and they also mention comments in her biography “Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations” [1998] why the actress wanted out of her acting career, but does mention that the actress would not appear in any film as a hooker or a fallen woman, but they both mention that in the Ernest Hemingway novel “The Sun Also Rises” that the character that Ava Gardner plays in the film, but in the novel she is a 100% slut and very promiscuous, but of course in the film version she is a 100% alcoholic. We now get to a scene in the film where Tyrone Power in his bedroom with his blue stripped pyjamas on and they both comment that Tyrone Power looked totally World weary and he was only 41 or 42 years old in ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and felt he looked very tired, but despite this they also both say he looked the part in this film. Now both comment that in the novel the characters Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner have a great deal of confrontations, but of course you do not get to see this in the film, and at chapter 4 we see a certain unique carpeted staircase where Ava Gardner is running up the stairs to Tyrone Power and they inform us they had to search all over Mexico to find this unique staircase and also comment on the wonderful unique patterned carpet on the stairs and feel it was a great use of colour, but they also say that they found wonderful locations for this film. They both now start talking about the CinemaScope aspect ratio and mentions that it is an anamorphic process that compresses an image during filming and uncompresses it when projected onto the silver screen. The process involves squeezing a wide image onto 35mm film so that it fits the physical celluloid's square frame and was used from 1953 to 1967, and was of course invented by French inventor Henri Chrétien developed and patented a new film process that he called Anamorphoscope in 1926. In developing this system, 20th Century-Fox not only drew on prior art in the field, but needed to create a manufacturing and merchandising structure to successfully market the product that led to the premiere of the first CinemaScope film as ‘THE ROBE; and was shown at the Roxy Cinema in New York on the 16th September, 1953. They also inform us that Henry King adapted to it instantly and liked the aspect ratio very much, but by the end of the 1960’s CinemaScope started to fade away, and editing a film became far more important than composition, but with two actors on the screen facing each other, can stand quite apart from each other and still be in the frame and they do not have to with other aspect ratios and don’t have that unnatural up close and personal situation in the frame of the film, and on top of all that, CinemaScope was a stance against the old aspect ratio 4 x 3 television screens and they were wanting more people to go to the cinema to experience the full glory of the wonderful CinemaScope spectacular and again both comment on viewing this film in CinemaScope you get such wonderful composition images of the film in the CinemaScope experience, especially when we see Tyrone Power and Eddie Albert look across the magnificent skyline of Paris before them. Then we get to see Tyrone Power and Eddie Albert in a fishing scene, and Eddie Albert wants a drink of coffee that was brewing, and Eddie Albert says, “Caffeine is good for you,” well to me that comment my friends is a right load of “Old Tosh” because people over do it with coffee and is definitely not a healthy beverage and is definitely not good for you either and another reason I hate coffee is that it leaves a really nasty taste in your mouth and will also give you bad breath. When we get to chapter 6, they comment that the bullfighting scene in the ring was actually filmed in Mexico and the way they painted the bullring was to make it look like it was filmed in Pamplona which is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain and of course it is best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) in the month of July and both of them day that the American public learnt all about bullfighting by viewing this film, and they say normally they would actually film the festival and bullfighting in 16mm film, but with this film they wanted it to look spectacular and of course with all the pomp and splendour and of course had stock footage of the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) of course the quality would be very poor quality image, and seeing the splendour in the CinemaScope and makes it even more colourful and even more spectacular, and both say it looks really great and beautiful in CinemaScope and beautiful colour. At chapter 6 we are at the open air café and seated there is Eddie Albert, Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Errol Flynn and Mel Ferrer, and they say that Errol Flynn and the character he plays was very much what he was like in real life, a little world weary, often drunk, and Errol Flynn wrote a remarkably candid (if often wildly inaccurate) autobiography, “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” [1959], and it was said that he had a touch of nasty cruelty, especially like his Mike Campbell character in the film, which again caused by his excessive drinking habit, and they also say this film was near then end of Errol Flynn’s acting career and sadly the actor died on the 14th October, 1959 from myocardial infarction due to coronary thrombosis and coronary atherosclerosis, with fatty degeneration of liver and portal cirrhosis of the liver significant enough to be listed as contributing factors and again sadly died in an apartment in Vancouver while on a trip to sell his beloved yacht due to debts. But just before that tragic incident, Errol Flynn made a very cheaply filmed paean to Fidel Castro entitled ‘Cuban Rebel Girls’ [1959], which was his last movie. But we are informed in the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ that Tyrone Power was only five years younger than Errol Flynn. They both say that the press release for the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ that they hired over 5,000 extras to be in the street scenes and of course it probably included mostly with all of the spectators as well as all the musicians we see marching about the streets now and again, but with especially the bullfighting scenes supposedly in Pamplona, director Henry King said that they hired 3,000extras for the crowds watching the bullfighting, so who knows, they comment. When we get to chapter 7, we get to see the great dramatic scene of the running of the bulls and because of this movie, they say it encouraged the crowds even more to go and watch the bullfighting and we actually see Errol Flynn and Eddie Albert join the throng and the crows with the running of the balls scene in the film, and both say that at the time of filming, Errol Flynn was in very serious financial problems with massive debts, on top of all that we eventually see a massive crowd inside the bullring and a very seriously mad raging bull charging into people in a very serious way, but luckily the bull had a rubber ball on each of its horns so all the loony men in the bullring with the mad bull did not get hurt, but now and again we see men fall to the ground and the mad bull tries to butt its head against their body of the man on the ground, which is so ridiculous and totally foolish, because you get to see that the bull is very very angry and I suspect the bull was hoping to cause real damage to the foolish reckless men in the ring and they say director Henry King brought with him three CinemaScope cameras to just to film the bullring scenes which was a lot in 1957. They both say that in the studio press book with the release of the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ it said it hired 5,0000 extras, but someone told Henry King that all of those extras would of done those scenes for free. They both now talk about the Matadors costumes and they were very authentic and they feel they look totally spectacular for this film. They also say that the close-up of the actor Robert Evans as one of the main Matadors and they say the editor did a really excellent job with the scene with Robert Evans in the bullring, but as to the actor performing with the bull, this was done with a stand in extra Matador for Robert Evans who supposedly is performing with the bull. They also say that director Henry King said that he thought Ava Gardner was very inventive as an actress, and director Henry King also said, “She was one of those people who on the set didn’t seem to be doing anything, and it wasn’t until you actually looked at her on film, that you saw what she had actually done.” They both inform us that Ernest Hemingway was a really close friend to actress Ava Gardner and requested that Ava Gardner should star in the film ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ [1952] and for the actress to play a similar character in the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and they both say that Ava Gardner was very successful in the film ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ and again it was directed by Henry King. At chapter 11, they both say we are watching people leaving the stadium where the bullfighting had just finished, and also say that in a sense it is nearing the end of the film and that everyone’s situation has changed dramatically. Patricia King Hanson says that the composed music score was by Hugo Friedhofer but the conductor was Lionel Newman who was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer and also won the Academy Award® for Best Score of a Musical Picture for Hello Dolly! with Lennie Hayton in 1969. But of course Lionel Newman is a member of a very famous Hollywood family dynasty and is the brother of Alfred Newman and Emil Newman, uncle of composers Randy Newman, David Newman, Thomas Newman, Maria Newman, and grandfather of Joey Newman and some of the family were also involved with hundreds of films and on top of all that Lionel Newman's tenure with Twentieth Century Fox spanned 46 years with over 200 films to his credit, and was also an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer and on top of all that, Lionel Newman actual conducted the 20th Century Fox Fanfare that you hear every time you view the start of a 20th Century Fox. But they both say on top of all that, Alfred Newman was the one that composed the Century Fox Fanfare music score that you get to hear every time you view a 20th Century Fox film past and present. When we see Tyrone Power talking to Errol Flynn in the bedroom scene and that Errol Flynn getting excessively drunk as we slide to the end of the film and Patricia King Hanson says that it is so sad to see actor Errol Flynn so drunk in this film and is almost Errol Flynn’s last starring role in a film and feels his fictional character role in this film and they both feel he is really terrific in this bedroom scene getting drunk and say please note Errol Flynn’s melancholy and snideness (unpleasant criticism). At chapter 12 we are informed we are back in Madrid and it is the 1920’s and they say director Henry King thought that all the main actors performed really well in ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and was also very proud of their performances, and not long after that comment, we then hear them say, “I’m Frank Thompson and I am Patricia King Hanson and we thank you very much,” and at that precise moment the audio commentary by Film Historians Patricia King Hanson and Frank Thompson comes to an end.
Special Feature: The Old Men and The Bulls: The Making of ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1 / 1.37:1] [21:11] With this featurette, all the contributors talk about Ernest Hemmingway’s great works, but they feel the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ was not a good interpretation compared to the novel “The Sun Always Rises,” but despite this, they thought the film was very interesting, but they say that ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ could not be made for a modern audience, and they warned Ernest Hemmingway about the problem with the film, but as usual Ernest Hemmingway still wanted the film project to go ahead as planned. But they say that there is no question it is really a Darryl F. Zanuck film and it was muted that Howard hawks wanted to direct the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ in the 1950’s because it related to the end of the First World War, but was obviously turned down. But the reason Darryl F. Zanuck wanted to be the producer for the film, because he wanted to reflect the true spirit of Ernest Hemmingway’s novel, and Darryl F. Zanuck felt also he was in the spirit of Ernest Hemmingway, because Darryl F. Zanuck fought if the First World War, he loved to hunt, to box, loved the outdoors. They mention that the hero in the novel had very serious problems that he cannot make love to the women who is was love of his life Lady Brett Ashley and of course with the period the film is set shot initially made serious sexual problems for the censors. They also feel the character Jake Barnes had very serious deep psychological problems, but Ernest Hemmingway informed Screenwriter Peter Viertel that the reason he could not make love to Lady Brett Ashley because Jake Barnes got his cock shot off in the First World War, and of course if this had been mentioned in the script, then of course the censors would not of allowed those words to be mentioned in the script, so that is why they had to say that Jake Barnes had a very serious deep psychological problems. But they felt that that the screenplay should have been 100% like the novel, as they feel it could have been an even more wonderful film. They say the novel “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemmingway was about helping a lost generation after the First World War, and about the young people feel totally aimless after the First World War and Ernest Hemmingway’s mid 20’s age and when he returned to America the public did not understand his rage and the emotions he was experiencing and the loss of his true friends. Darryl F. Zannuck cast all of the older major male actors in the film who were close to Darryl F. Zanuck’s age, on top of all that he wanted to cast Marilyn Monroe as Lady Brett Ashley and they seriously told Darryl F. Zanuck he was absolutely crazy, because the general public viewing the film would laugh out loud that Marilyn Monroe was cast as Lady Brett Ashley who was 100% English aristocracy. But with casting of the older male actors, they feel they have cast the perfect cast of actors to act out their characters in the film, on top of all that Darryl F. Zanuck had actually read the novel “The Sun Also Rises,” so knows what their characters what their inner thoughts were in the film. We find out at the time of filming, the actress Juliette Gréco who appears in the early start of the film as a French prostitute who hooks up with Tyron Power and the reason for this is because Darryl F. Zanuck at the time of filming was having a very intimate relationship with the actress, but despite this they all thought hiring Juliette Gréco was perfect casting, but also they felt it slightly distorted the film. They also felt the actress Ava Gardner was absolutely perfect for her character Lady Brett Ashley in the film, especially as her character was an alcoholic lush, which has been caused by not having an emotional intimate sexual relationship with Jake Barnes. They all felt that the bullfighting scenes in the film was a wonderful pageant, and especially the intricacies of the Matador and what they have to perform and of course also with tragically dispatching of the bull, but they also mention the business of the Matador and his intricate stages when the bull enters the ring and the Matador’s use of the cape to encourage the bull to charge at the red cape and as the matador performs in the proximity of the bull, and especially when the Matador accentuates the validity of his performance, but they also feel bullfighting is very cruel. But the same time they think bullfighting is very good. After the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ was released, Darryl F. Zanuck said that Ernest Hemmingway said about the film to him, that it was a “splashy Cooks tour of Europe’s lost generation, nothing but bistro’s, bullfighting and more bistro’s,” and that he was very disappointed with the film. But Darryl F. Zanuck said, “Well if Hemmingway doesn’t like the film, he should go read his novel.” At that point this featurette ends. As usual, we get to view several clips from the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES.’ Contributors: David Brown [Producer], Peter Viertel [Screenwriter], Scott McIsaac [Film Historian] and A. E. Hotchner [Author of “Papa Hemmingway: A Personal Memoir”].
Special Feature: Hemingway On Film [2006] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1 / 1.45:1] [23:16] With this featurette, we get to view an in-depth look at author Ernest Hemmingway, and with his novels you actually get to feel what Ernest Hemmingway is experiencing in the novel “The Sun Also Rises” and of course especially in the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES.’ We hear that after the First World War Ernest Hemmingway goes back to America for a while and at the same time the author gets married in 1921 to his first wife Elizabeth Hadley Richardson (1891 – 1979) and there plan is to go back to Italy, but Ernest Hemmingway attitude is to only show you so much with this special feature, but we for get to view clips from ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [1957], ‘Earnest Hemingway’s Adventure Of A Young Man [1962], ‘Under My Skin’ [2013] and The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ 1952]. Contributor: Kelly Dupuis [Author and Essayist] and Professor of Physics, Emeritus, B.S., Professor of Education, B.A., Washington State University; M.A., The Ohio State.
Special Feature: Audio Conversation with Director Henry King [Audio only] [2017] [1.78:1] [1080p] [29:53] With this special feature, Henry King talks basically about the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and also talking about his conversation with author Ernest Hemmingway on how he wanted the film to reflect on his novel in the film. One thing I did not like at all and was very off putting, is the fact the screen was 100% blank and I thought they could have had an imaged from the film at least and that is why I have not put myself out in reviewing any of their comments were and aspects related to the film and other sorts of conversations.
Special Feature: Still Gallery [1947] [1080p] With this featurette, we get to view a total of 1 images that includes images from the film a film posters.
Special Feature: Original Theatrical Trailer [1957] [480i] [2.35:1] [3:46] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and is introduced by Darry E. Zanuck.
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DVD Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Audio Commentary by Film Historians Patricia King Hanson and Frank Thompson [Audio only] [2017] [1080p] [2.35:1] [124:46]
Special Feature: The Old Men and The Bulls: The Making of ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [2017] [1080i] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1 / 1.37:1] [21:11]
Special Feature: Hemingway On Film [2006] [1080i] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1 / 1.45:1] [23:16]
Special Feature: Audio Conversation with Director Henry King [Audio only] [2017] [1.78:1] [1080p] [29:53]
Special Feature: Still Gallery [1947] [1080i] With this featurette, we get to view a total of 14 images that includes images from the film a film posters.
Special Feature: Original Theatrical Trailer [1957] [480i] [2.35:1] [3:46] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ and is introduced by Darry E. Zanuck.
Finally, ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES’ [1957] was directed by Henry King, and was made and released by 20th Century Fox, and was written by Peter Viertel, and based on the Ernest Hemingway’s novel, was shot in CinemaScope and Color by DeLuxe by Leo F Tover, is produced by Darryl F Zanuck, is scored by Hugo Friedhofer and Vicente Gómez, and is designed by Lyle R Wheeler and Mark-Lee Kirk. Ernest Hemingway disliked the film and walked out viewing room after the first 25 minutes and he heavily criticised most aspects of the film and said the only good thing was Errol Flynn’s performance. But, as Eddie Albert does not appear until the 45th minute, Errol Flynn the 54th minute and Robert Evans the 72nd minute, Ernest Hemingway probably was not the best judge. The title is from the Biblical fifth verse of the Ecclesiastes, whose first chapter is quoted on the title page of Ernest Hemingway’s novel. Despite some negative comments about the film ‘THE SUN ALSO RISES,’ I personally thoroughly enjoyed the film. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
