Until They Sail

Plot

The film opens in a Wellington courtroom, where testimony prompts Barbara Leslie (Jean Simmons) to flash back to the events that led to the trial. She and her sisters Anne (Joan Fontaine), Evelyn (Sandra Dee), and Delia (Piper Laurie) live in Christchurch, where most of the male residents, including their brother Kit and Barbara's new husband Mark, are preparing to leave for World War II duty. Delia announces her engagement to Phil Friskett (Wally Cassell), known as "Shiner", who is one of the city's few remaining bachelors, but word of Kit's death dampens the celebration. Repressed and judgmental spinster sister Anne disapproves of the upcoming nuptials, but Barbara defends Delia's decision.

Within weeks of the marriage, the sisters come to resent Shiner's abuse and are happy to see him leave for active duty. Delia moves to Wellington to work for the Navy. When several hundred United States Marines are shipped to Christchurch following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the lonely local women are flattered by the attention they pay them. When Evelyn invites Capt. Richard Bates (Charles Drake) to dinner, he declines the offer, but not without attracting Anne's eye.

Concerned about Delia, Anne sends Barbara to Wellington, where she discovers her sister is registered at the St. George Hotel under her maiden name. Shiner is now a prisoner of war, and Delia has become involved with an American lieutenant named Andy. She plans to divorce Shiner and emigrate to the United States. Andy introduces Barbara to his friend Jack Harding (Paul Newman), a Marine investigating the prospective New Zealand brides of American soldiers. Although Barbara intends to remain faithful to her husband, she finds herself attracted to Jack.

Back in Christchurch, Anne is outraged by the lewd comments made by American servicemen in the lingerie shop where she works and writes a letter of complaint to the local paper. Following its publication, Richard is sent to the Leslie home to deliver a formal apology on behalf of the Marine Corps. Anne invites him to dinner, and Richard arrives with a gift of perfume for each sister. Anne accuses him of trying to seduce them.

Soon after, Barbara and Anne learn of Mark's death in North Africa and Richard's departure for active duty. He eventually returns to New Zealand to recuperate from an injury, and a romance between him and Anne blossoms. He proposes, but before the required marital investigation can take place, he is given offshore duty, leaving Anne expecting their child and unsure of what the future holds for them.

Jack arrives at the Leslie home to conduct his investigation of Anne, and he advises her that wartime romances stem from loneliness rather than love. Barbara tells him his assessment is heartless. Shortly after she discovers Richard's name on the latest casualty list in. Weeks later, Jack meets Barbara at a local dance, where she suggests he uses alcohol to avoid intimacy. He breaks down in her arms, and a strong friendship between the two blossoms.

Jack celebrates Christmas Eve with the Leslie family, which now includes Anne's newborn son. When he announces his imminent departure, he and Barbara share an amorous embrace. Months later, Evelyn's sweetheart Tommy returns from war and proposes to her. Barbara sees an ad from Richard's mother in a newspaper column containing personal notices from American families and writes to her. Mrs. Bates sends money to finance Anne and her baby's move to Oklahoma to live with Richard's family.

As Anne's departure approaches, and the aftermath of the end of the war, Delia goes to Wellington to see her off, only to meet Shiner, who has just returned from war. He accuses her of infidelity and she demands a divorce so she can leave for America with her lover. Infuriated, Shiner kills his wife with a Japanese sword he brought back from the war.

Weeks later, during the murder trial, Jack is forced to reveal his investigation report detailing Delia's many affairs with American soldiers. Upset that her sister's infidelities seemingly have justified her savage murder, Barbara refuses Jack's invitation to leave New Zealand with him. Upon reflection, she packs her belongings and arrives at Jack's hotel to tell him she's ready to embark upon a new life with him.

Cast

Music

The score for the film was composed and conducted by David Raksin. The title song included lyrics by Sammy Cahn and was performed under the main titles by vocalist Eydie Gorme.

The complete score was issued on CD in 2009, on Film Score Monthly records.

Production

Robert Wise and Mark Robson had originally purchased the rights for Michener's story when they were at RKO. Casting problems forced them to delay the filming when the rights went to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions who were going to cast Burt Lancaster. When the company made The Kentuckian instead, MGM acquired the rights, first intending their contract lead Glenn Ford playing the lead Marine. Robert Wise then reacquired the film through MGM in his last film of his contract with the studio.

Wise visited New Zealand to familiarise himself with the nation and the people, but filmed the movie on the MGM back lot. He had originally intended to shoot the film in colour.

It was Sandra Dee's first film. (The 1957 Soviet animated feature "The Snow Queen" is often listed as Dee's first film credit, because she and other Hollywood stars did the voices for the English-language version, but that English-language audio was not actually made until 1959.)

Stewart Granger was once announced for the lead.

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $745,000 in the US and Canada and $675,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,055,000.

Critical reception

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times observed, "The genuine tugs at the heart are few and far between in this bittersweet but basically restrained chronicle. Robert Anderson's adaptation . . . is honest and straightforward . . . Unfortunately there is a good deal of introspective soul-searching before this narrative arrives at its sad and happy endings."

William K. Zinsser of the New York Herald Tribune said the film "has moments of genuine tenderness and truth."