John Paul Jones (film)

John Paul Jones is a 1959 American Technicolor biographical adventure film from Warner Bros. Pictures, filmed in the Technirama process, about the American Revolutionary War naval hero.[4][5] The film, shot in Denia (city), Spain, was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by John Farrow, from a screenplay by John Farrow, Ben Hecht, and Jesse Lasky Jr. The film is based on the story Nor'wester by Clements Ripley. The music score was by Max Steiner and the cinematography was by Michel Kelber. It was the final film directed by Farrow.

John Paul Jones
Directed byJohn Farrow
Produced bySamuel Bronston
Written byJohn Farrow
Jesse Lasky Jr.
Ben Hecht
Based onNor'wester
by Clements Ripley
StarringRobert Stack
Marisa Pavan
Music byMax Steiner
CinematographyMichel Kelber
Edited byEda Warren
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • June 16, 1959 (1959-06-16)
Running time
126 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[1] or $5 million[2]
Box office$1 million (est. US/Canada rentals)[3]

The film stars Robert Stack (in the title role), Marisa Pavan, Charles Coburn, Macdonald Carey, Jean-Pierre Aumont, David Farrar, Peter Cushing, Basil Sydney, and Thomas Gomez. The director's daughter and son Mia Farrow and John Charles Farrow also make their feature film debuts. Bette Davis made a cameo appearance as Empress Catherine the Great.[6]

Plot

On screen narration opens with a United States Navy officer telling modern sailors the story of John Paul Jones.

By age 17, John Paul (Robert Stack), a native of Scotland, is an experienced ship's navigator. In 1773, nine years later, he is master of a ship in the West Indies, but after an incident that results in the governor of Tobago advising him to leave, John Paul adds the surname Jones and goes to visit a brother who lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The brother has recently died. Jones hires his attorney, Patrick Henry (Macdonald Carey), to assist in business matters. He also takes a romantic interest in Henry's sweetheart, Dorothea Danders (Erin O'Brien).

After serving as second-in-command of a man-of-war in the Bahamas, his adopted countrymen sign the American Declaration of Independence. Jones receives his first command, sets sail towards Newfoundland and seizes eighteen enemy ships, sending their supplies to American general George Washington (John Crawford).

Washington sends the young officer to France, where he is appreciated for heroic feats at sea. Benjamin Franklin (Charles Coburn) then urges Jones to take a frigate and invade the British Isles. A new vessel is built for him at the suggestion of Marie Antoinette (Susana Canales), and the only condition of his majesty King Louis XVI (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is that Jones' ship sail under an American flag.

Jones' successes ultimately lead him to Russia in 1790 at the behest of the empress, Catherine the Great (Bette Davis). He returns to Paris ill.

A dying Jones begins to dictate to Aimee (Marisa Pavan) the type of man required and training to be given to a future United States Navy officer. The final scene dissolves to the present day of 1959, showing scenes of the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Admiral John Paul Jones gains acclaim as one of the bravest and most daring naval figures of his era and in the United States Navy of all time. (John Paul Jones' remains are located in the Naval Academy Chapel rotunda in Annapolis, Maryland.)

Cast

Production

Development

Many Hollywood studios had discussed making a John Paul Jones biopic. In 1939, Warner Bros. bought the screen rights to a Jones biography, Call to Action, and frequently announced James Cagney would star in the feature, but no film resulted.[7]

In 1946, independent producer Samuel Bronston announced that he had obtained the cooperation of the U.S. Navy during the making of the film.[8][9]

It took Bronston nine years to eventually find the financing for the project. In December 1955, Bronston announced that he had formed Admiralty Pictures Corporation, consisting of a group of New York investors, and that they had made a deal with Warner Bros. to use their long dormant Call to Action project.[1] Jesse Lasky, Jr. was writing the script and Bronston wanted John Wayne to star.[10] In January 1956, Bronston said Admiral Nimitz would act as his personal adviser on the film, which would begin in May of that year.[11]

In May 1956, Bronston announced that Glenn Ford would star, but no film followed.[12] In July William Dieterle signed to direct intending to start in August.[13] Ben Hecht was brought in to write the script.[14] By September Richard Basehart had been cast in the title role. The film would be shot in Warner Bros.' studio and off the Italian coast.[15]

In October 1956, Bronston signed a contract to shoot the feature in the Todd-AO process.[16]

Film production continued to be pushed back. By October of 1957, John Farrow was directing the film, and it was going to be shot in Spain.[17] The Navy continued to cooperate.[18] In February 1958, Bronston announced Robert Stack would play the title role.[19]

The film was made in part using funds "frozen" in Spain.[20] It was controversial at the time for Bronson to be making a film about such an American subject in Spain.[21]

Filming

Filming started January 1958 in France and ended in August in Spain. There were 107 speaking parts and a shooting schedule of 92 days. Most of the unit was based at Denia. The Spanish government allowed filming at the Royal Palace in Madrid. There were also scenes shot in Scotland and Ostia.[22][23]

Bronston and Farrow formed a company, Brofar, to make more movies.[24] Projects included Son of Man about Jesus Christ and The Story of Nelson. Nelson was never made; Son of Man would emerge as King of Kings, directed by Nicholas Ray.

Reception

In his film review for The New New York Times, Bosley Crowther observed: "Stack performs the knotty little Scotsman as though he were a slightly dull but talkative member of a conservative gentleman's club".[25]

The film was a box office failure, losing $5 million. Bronston, however, managed to raise financing from many of the same investors, notably Pierre du Pont, for his later features.[26][2]

Legacy

The film led to Bronston making a number of epics in Spain and established Spain as a major production center in film making.[27]

Musician John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin), best known as the bassist of English rock band Led Zeppelin, took his stage name at the suggestion of Andrew Loog Oldham, who had seen the film's poster.[28]

Bronston went broke by 1964.[29]

Comic book adaption

Notes
  1. PASSING PICTURE SCENE: Big-Scale Features Slated by Samuel Bronston -- 'Peer Gynt' -- Addenda By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 15 June 1958: X7.
  2. Ray Tells Directing of 'King of Kings': Los Angeles Times 21 Dec 1960: B9.
  3. "1959: Probable Domestic Take", Variety, January 6, 1960 p 34
  4. Variety film review; June 17, 1959, page 6.
  5. Harrison's Reports film review; June 13, 1959, page 94.
  6. Vansittart p. 2
  7. NEW GREENE BOOK TO BECOME MOVIE: Novelist's 'Quiet American,' Indochina Story, Will Be Filmed by Mankiewicz By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times.23 Dec 1955: 14.
  8. Looking at Hollywood. Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 29 Mar 1946: 29.
  9. NEWS OF THE SCREEN: THE NEW YORK TIMES.29 Mar 1946: 29.
  10. Drama: John Paul Jones Story Aimed at Wayne; Peggy Lee Gets English Bid, Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 Dec 1955: 13.
  11. 2D MOVIE SLATED BY BRANDO GROUP The New York Times. 26 Jan 1956: 24.
  12. Drama: Ford Accepts Role of John Paul Jones Los Angeles Times 11 May 1956: A6.
  13. Drama: Dieterle Will Direct 'John Paul Jones'; Terry, Blythe Returns Unique Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 24 July 1956: 17.
  14. PRODUCERS SEEK M'CULLERS NOVEL: New York Times 27 July 1956: 13.
  15. Basehart Given Nod as John Paul Jones, Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 11 Sep 1956: 26.
  16. SIEGEL MAY GET LOEW'S TOP POST New York Times (10 Oct 1956: 47.
  17. Fitzgerald Will Star in Britain; John Kerr Will Do Cocteau Play, Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 24 Oct 1957: C11.
  18. NAVY SUPPORTS FILM ON JOHN PAUL JONES, New York Times 19 Dec 1957: 37.
  19. GRAUMAN'S CLOSES FOR ALTERATIONS New York Times 3 Feb 1958: 27.
  20. HOLLYWOOD VISTA: Three Tennessee Williams Films, Two Biographies of Christ Scheduled, by THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 30 Nov 1958: X7.
  21. Filming American History Overseas The Christian Science Monitor 4 Dec 1958: 15.
  22. FILM 'ARMADA' IN SPAIN: ' John Paul Jones' Movie Unit Takes Small Iberian Village by Storm By PHIL GERSDORFDENIA, Spain. New York Times 17 Aug 1958: X5.
  23. PASSING PICTURE SCENE: Big-Scale Features Slated by Samuel Bronston - New York Times 15 June 1958: X7.
  24. Bronston, Farrow to Repeat Abroad: 'John Paul Jones' Winds Up; Nothing New in TV Don Weis Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 27 Oct 1958: C11
  25. Pencak p. 347
  26. For Samuel Bronston: Those Hollywood Beatings Pay Off Now Chicago Tribune 21 July 1963: g27.
  27. Hollywood's lost tycoon Obituary: Samuel Bronston Turner, Adrian. The Guardian 19 Jan 1994.
  28. Thompson p. 162
  29. Bronston Productions Seemingly Loses Power In Two Partnerships: Wall Street Journal 5 Mar 1964: 8.
  31. Dell Four Color #1007 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)

Bibliography
  • Pencak, William. Pennsylvania's revolution. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2010.
  • Thompson, Gordon. Please please me: sixties British pop, inside out. Oxford University Press, 2008.
  • Vansittart, Peter. John Paul Jones: a restless spirit. Robson Books, 2004.
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