Marlon Brando

Montgomery Clift

Dean Martin

Hope Lange

Barbara Rush

May Britt

Maximilian Schell

Dora Doll

Lee Van Cleef

Liliane Montevecchi

Parley Baer

Arthur Franz

Hal Baylor

Richard Gardner

Herbert Rudley

Michael Smith

Paul Comi

John Alderson

John Banner

Milton Frome

Sam Gilman

L.Q. Jones

Alberto Morin

Norbert Schiller

Harvey Stephens

Stephen Bekassy

Dagmar Biener

Paul Bradley

Joe Brooks

Julian Burton

Robert Burton

Wade Cagle

Ann Codee

Bud Cokes

David Dabov

Ann Daniels

Joan Douglas

Larry Duran

Robert Ellenstein

Harry Ellerbe

Norman Grabowski

Joe Gray

Stan Kamber

Craig Karr

Kurt Katch

Kenner G. Kemp

Hubie Kerns

Nicholas King

Gil Lasky

Gustave Lax

George Meader

Gordon Mitchell

Clive Morgan

Monty O'Grady

Ann Paige

Christian Pasques

Michael Pataki

Voltaire Perkins

Mary Pierce

Art Reichle

Otto Reichow

Edward Rickard

Gene Roth

Gerald Rowe

Henry Rowland

Jeffrey Sayre

Kendall Scott

Ann Stebbins

Vaughn Taylor

Alfred Tonkel

Ivan Triesault

Blaine Turner

Lee J. Winters

Doris Wiss

Ashley Cowan

Edward Anhalt

Al Lichtman

Edward Dmytryk

Joseph MacDonald

Dorothy Spencer

Irwin Shaw

Hugo Friedhofer

Carey Loftin

Helen Turpin

Adele Balkan

Addison Hehr

Walter M. Scott

Warren B. Delaplain

Ben Nye

L.B. Abbott

Stuart A. Reiss

Alfred Bruzlin

Lyle R. Wheeler

Ben Chapman

Lionel Newman

Ad Schaumer

Edward B. Powell

Charles LeMaire

Drama

Action

The Young Lions

20th Century Fox

United States of America

_**Outstanding WW2 DRAMA (with Some Action)**_

"The Young Lions" is a black & white 1958 WW2 drama featuring Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift.

The film attempts to show the German, American and French sides of the war. Brando stars as a young German officer who becomes increasingly disillusioned with Hitler's regime and the world war he started. Meanwhile Martin plays a worldly Broadway musician who struggles with cowardice whereas Montgomery Clift's character is a poor, naive Jewish American who falls in love with with a winsome lass (Hope Lange) and fights the anti-semitic guys in his platoon.

Marlon's performance illustrates why he's considered the greatest actor in cinema; he's just captivating. Most reviewers note that Brando's German storyline is more interesting than the two American story lines, which is true, but repeat viewings grant the viewer more appreciation for the latter.

There are three stunning women featured in the picture: Barbara Rush, May Britt and Liliane Montevecchi. Rush is Martin's marriage-minded gal, who flirts with Brando early on; Britt plays the luscious sexpot wife of Brando's captain (Maximilian Schell); and Montevecchi performs as a French girl who initially insults Brando's character (because he's a German invader).

It should be pointed out that "The Young Lions" is not a war action film, but rather a powerful war DRAMA. Yes, there's quite a bit of action (France, Northern Africa, etc.), but the emphasis is on the characters and their stories. The climax involves a horrified and utterly disillusioned Brando, leaving a strong impact.

FINAL WORD: If you're looking for a mindless action flick this is not the one to see. This perhaps explains some of the less-than-stellar reviews. Yet, make no mistake, "The Young Lions" is without a doubt a WAR film. It's also a masterpiece of cinematic art, not to mention one of Brando's most mesmerizing performances.

The film runs 2 hours, 47 minutes.

GRADE A-

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The Young Lions - Trailer