Imitation General | |
---|---|
Directed by | George Marshall |
Written by | William Bowers |
Based on | Imitation General 1956 short story by William Chamberlain |
Produced by | William B. Hawks |
Starring | Glenn Ford Red Buttons Taina Elg |
Cinematography | George J. Folsey |
Edited by | Harold F. Kress |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $944,000 [1] |
Box office | $3,165,000 [1] |
Imitation General is a 1958 American black-and-white comedy war film in CinemaScope, directed by George Marshall, produced by William B. Hawks, and starring Glenn Ford, Red Buttons, and Taina Elg. The film, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is based on a short story of the same name by William Chamberlain.
In the aftermath of a big battle during World War II, Americans Brigadier General Charles Lane, Master Sergeant Murphy "Murph" Savage, and Corporal Chan Derby are cut off behind enemy lines. The general takes over a farmhouse belonging to annoyed Frenchwoman Simone. Lane determines that there is a gap in the American lines and decides to organize a defense from whatever stragglers he can gather together. Shortly afterwards, however, he is killed saving Murph's life.
The first American soldier to show up, Corporal Terry Sellers, mistakes Murph for Lane, as Murph is holding the general's helmet. This gives Murph an idea. Recalling Lane's assessment that leadership is desperately needed to rally the disorganized troops, Murph masquerades as the general, with Derby and Simone's reluctant help. Murph manages to repulse a couple of attacks spearheaded by German tanks, all the while avoiding Private Orville Hutchmeyer, who knows Murph and holds a grudge against him.
At the end of the engagement, Murph is knocked out by shrapnel, allowing him to "die" and resume his real identity.
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,915,000 in the US and Canada [2] and $1,250,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,095,000. [1]
Edward Regan Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He has received several accolades including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.
The year 1958 in film in the US involved some significant events, including the hit musicals South Pacific and Gigi, the latter of which won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-American actor. He was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and had a career that lasted more than 50 years.
That's Dancing! is a 1985 American compilation film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the That's Entertainment! series, this film not only focuses specifically on MGM films, but also included films from other studios.
Terry Moore is an American actress who began her career as a child actor. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Come Back, Little Sheba (1952).
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 American disaster drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and based on the 1997 creative non-fiction book of the same name by Sebastian Junger. The film was adapted by William D. Wittliff, with an uncredited rewrite by Bo Goldman, and tells the story of Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing vessel that was lost at sea with all hands after being caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, William Fichtner, Karen Allen, Bob Gunton, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and John C. Reilly.
The 39 Steps is a 1959 British thriller film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Kenneth More and Taina Elg. Produced by Betty Box, it is a remake of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, loosely based on the 1915 novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.
The Perfect Furlough is a 1958 American CinemaScope Eastmancolor romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and written by Stanley Shapiro. Edwards and Shapiro would re-team the following year for another Tony Curtis service comedy, Operation Petticoat.
The Sheepman is a 1958 American Western comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, and Leslie Nielsen.
Les Girls is a 1957 American CinemaScope musical comedy film directed by George Cukor and produced by Sol C. Siegel, with Saul Chaplin as associate producer. The screenplay by John Patrick was based on a story by Vera Caspary. The music and lyrics were by Cole Porter.
The 15th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film for 1957 films, were held on February 22, 1958.
Taina Elisabeth Elg is a Finnish-American actress and dancer. She has appeared on stage, television, and in film.
Advance to the Rear is a light-hearted 1964 American Western comedy film set in the American Civil War. Directed by George Marshall, and starring Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, and Melvyn Douglas. The film is based on the 1957 novel Company of Cowards by Jack Schaefer, whose inspiration was an article by William Chamberlain, published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1956. Chamberlain recounts the apocryphal Civil War stories of "Company Q", a unit composed of coward soldiers who are given a second chance to prove their bravery. The film had the novel title in pre-production and when released in the United Kingdom. However, the novel had none of the comedic elements of the film which retained only the basic idea of a unit formed out of men who had been court-martialed for cowardice and sent out west as well as some character names. The story may have been the inspiration for the later ABC-TV sitcom F-Troop (1965-1967)..
Torpedo Run is a 1958 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Glenn Ford as a World War II submarine commander in the Pacific who is obsessed with sinking a particular Japanese aircraft carrier. The film's working title was Hell Below. It was filmed in CinemaScope and Metrocolor.
White Savage is a 1943 American Technicolor South Seas adventure film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu. The film was re-released by Realart in 1948 on a double-feature with the same three stars in Cobra Woman (1944) and again in 1953, under the title White Savage Woman. It was choreographed by Lester Horton.
Gregory Gaye was a Russian-American character actor. The son of an actor, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the uncle of actor George Gaynes.
Murph may refer to:
The Americano is a 1955 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring Glenn Ford.
John Lacy Cason, also credited as Bob Cason and John L. Cason, was an American actor active in both films and television. During his 20-year career he appeared in over 200 films and television shows. He is best known for his work on the television program The Adventures of Kit Carson, where he appeared in several roles from 1951 to 1953.
The View from Pompey's Head is a 1955 American drama film, written and directed by Philip Dunne and based on the 1954 novel The View from Pompey's Head by Hamilton Basso. The film stars Richard Egan, Dana Wynter, Cameron Mitchell, Sidney Blackmer, Marjorie Rambeau and Dorothy Patrick. The film was released on November 4, 1955, by 20th Century Fox.