I Want You (1951) – full review!

Producer Samuel Goldwyn’s greatest success was the Academy Award winning Best Picture The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) a mature drama about the post World War II climate and what happened when soldiers returned home to their families wives girlfriends and lives. The story is told through three main male characters; one of which was played by Dana Andrews. Four years later America was having to rearm itself because of the conflict in Korea which affected Goldwyn and his family personally. So the producer decided to make a similar drama about patriotism the draft and its affect on the men (their families wives girlfriends and mothers) that were called into action for the very first time or to serve again; one of these is played by Dana Andrews. Irwin Shaw (The Talk of the Town (1942)) wrote the screenplay (based on stories in The New Yorker by Edward Newhouse); Mark Robson directed it. Though the Americana portrayed (and the draft?) may be long gone the issues of service character and (the film’s expressed) values are as timeless as ever. The film received an Oscar nomination for its Sound Recording.

Andrews plays Martin Greer who after his service during WW II and some years afterwards finds himself a successful engineer and the main cog in the machinery of the family contracting business started by his father (Thomas Keith). Martin and his wife Nancy (Dorothy McGuire) have two children one of each and live in a small town community where his younger brother Jack (Farley Granger) is a part-time mechanic. Jack’s high school girlfriend Carrie (Peggy Dow) went off to college at the urging of her father Judge Turner (Ray Collins) who doesn’t really approved of Jack a boy he finds directionless.

When the North Koreans cross the 38th parallel the United States is faced with another war. Young men must decide whether to enlist right away to join the fight or wait to see if they’re drafted. Twenty year old George Kress Jr. (Martin Milner) still wet behind the ears decides to go even though his father George Sr. (Walter Baldwin) asks Martin who employs them both to sign a paper stating that his son is essential to the business. Knowing that it’s not true and that the son wants to serve Martin refuses to request a waiver for George Jr.. When Carrie returns home from college Jack can’t wait to see her much to the chagrin of her father. Jack is of course hoping not to be drafted; instead he’s concerned with getting Carrie to agree to marry him. But even though she feels more mature per her college experiences Carrie thinks that she is too young to get married for several years. The Judge is on the review board that helps to set the standards for who can/can’t be drafted and suddenly Jack’s trick knee can no longer be used as an excuse to keep him out of the war.

The subject of Korea arises during a dinnertime conversation at the younger Greers’ home that causes Nancy to accuse Jack of being irresponsible about not wanting to do his part for the war effort. The row creates a rift between Nancy and her mother-in-law Sarah (Mildred Dunnock) who is naturally protective of her son (and his life!). When the older Greers return home the truth of Mr. Greer’s service record is revealed. Still upset Sarah rages at her husband’s phony war memorabilia knowing full well that he’d been in Paris an adjunct to an officer throughout WW I. While he’s hurt he also seems grateful even relieved for the airing; it wasn’t his fault where he was assigned and he hopes that he would have fought heroically if asked. Meanwhile news that Kress’s son George is missing in action then confirmed dead reaches the community and Martin’s friend and former commanding officer Harvey Landrum (Jim Backus) requests that he reenlist because of the need for experienced officers in the conflict.

Naturally military training makes a man out of Jack and he’s permitted to marry Carrie who’d decided to leave college to do her part (support him) just as Martin is off to rejoin the service.