All My Sons (1948)

When an ex-soldier (Burt Lancaster) announces his intention to marry his late brother's girlfriend (Louisa Horton), it throws his family into turmoil and opens up wounds regarding the patriarch's (Edward G. Robinson) culpability in the death of many soldiers during WWII. Based on the Tony award winning play by Arthur Miller (DEATH OF A SALESMAN) and directed by Irving Reis (THE BIG STREET). Miller's first theatrical success after two flops makes for a strong film adaptation although there are some subtle shifts from the original source material. Robinson turns in a strong performance and while not ideally cast, one must admire Lancaster's desire to move beyond the film noirs he had been making till that point and take more risks as an actor. The film is an absorbing look at moral responsibility as Robinson's character justifies his despicable actions because it was his duty to put his family first. The oddest change from the play is the character of the doctor's wife (Arlene Francis). In the play, she's an angry and resentful woman but in the film, she's been changed to a cheerful and gabby housewife. There's a strong underscore by Leith Stevens. With Howard Duff, Mady Christians, Elisabeth Fraser, Harry Morgan, Lloyd Gough and Frank Conroy as Robinson's former partner (in the play, he's never seen just talked about).