On This Day...The Pride and The Passion (1957)

The Pride and The Passion was Cary Grant's 61st full length feature film and was released in 1957, on this date.

Grant plays British naval officer, Capt. Anthony Trumball, who is landed in Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. His mission is to join up with Spanish forces to prevent a Spanish cannon, the biggest in the world, from falling into French hands.

However, the leader of the guerrilla forces, Miguel (played by Frank Sinatra) has other ideas. The struggle between the two men, also surrounds the story's love interest, Juana (Sophia Loren).

With Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren.

"One great advantage that The Pride and The Passion has over most epic films is its unity of theme: all action revolves around the gun...The English captain is skillfully played by Cary Grant...The guerrilla leader is colorfully played by Frank Sinatra." - The Commonweal

"While the gun deserves a special academy award, Mr. Sinatra must be commended for his restrained and appealing guerrilla leader, Mr. Grant for his stalwart, understated British captain, and Miss Loren for her good looks." - Saturday Review.

Frank Sinatra, apparently took the role so that he could be near his estranged wife, Ava Gardner, who was filming in Europe. His filming schedule was reduced to accommodate his personal situation.

Cary Grant on the other hand was happy to spend as long as it took, due to his estranged marriage to Betsy Drake and his pursuit of a serious romance with Sophia Loren: who by the end of filming was to marry Carlo Ponti.

It was one of the top twenty highest grossing films of 1957, but due to high production costs the film lost $2.5 million.

On 14 March 2011, BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play broadcast The Gun Goes to Hollywood by Mike Walker, imagining the behind-the-scenes of the Kramer production, from the viewpoint of script doctor Earl Felton, who had been drafted to save the day. 

The play was directed by Kate McCall and the cast included Steven Webber as Earl Felton, Greg Itzen as Cary Grant, Kate Steele as Sophia Loren, Jonathan Silverman as Frank Sinatra, and Jonathan Getz as Stanley Kramer.

Cast:

Capt. Anthony Turmbull            Cary Grant

Miguel                                       Frank Sinatra

Juana                                         Sophia Loren

General Jouvet                          Theodore Bikel

Sermaine                                   John Wengraf

Ballinger                                   Jay Novello

Carlos                                       Jose Nieto

Jose                                           Carlos Larranaga

Vidal                                         Philip VanZandt

Manolo                                      Paco El Laberinto

Enrique                                      Julian Ugarte

Bishop                                       Felix De Pomes

Leonardo                                   Carlos Casaravilla

Ramon                                       Juan Olaguivel

Maria                                         Nana De Herrera

Francisco                                   Carlos De Mendoza

French Soldier                           Luis Guedes

And the Spanish People in the tens of thousands who made the motion picture possible.

Lobby Cards:

Directed and Produced by Stanley Kramer

Distributed by United Artists

Based on the novel 'The Gun' by C.S. Forrester

Running time: 130 minutes.