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 rose to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has also worked as a stand-up comedian and is ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. Murphy has received a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award and was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.
The year 1979 in film involved many significant events.
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Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, who had a career that lasted more than 50 years. Although he played in many genres of movies, some of his most significant roles were in the film noirs Gilda (1946) and The Big Heat (1953), and the high school angst film Blackboard Jungle (1955). However, it was for comedies or westerns that he received acting laurels, including three Golden Globe Nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy movie, winning for Pocketful of Miracles (1961). He also played a supporting role as Superman's mild mannered alter-ego Clark Kent's adoptive farmer father, Jonathan Kent, in the first film of the franchise series Superman (1978).
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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.
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Murph may refer to:
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