SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (1963) Allied Artists. Director : Ralph Nelson.

There can be little doubt that this still largely unknown little film is one of the most moving I have ever seen...Whenever I mention it to people they are first of all surprised to know that there's a film Starring Steve McQueen, Jackie Gleason and Tuesday Weld that they haven't seen or heard of, OR if they HAVE SEEN IT,  the memory of it has stayed with them throughout the years.


Where can I begin....what starts out as if it's going to be in a typical service comedy in the vein of a NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS goes in distinctly different and off beat directions. The plot is not as important in this film as are the CHARACTERS, their relationships to each other and the numerous subtle touches from the entire cast and all concerned in making the film. Not mention the bittersweet feelings generated that are peculiar to this film which is totally UNLIKE any other...and for all these reasons and the contributions I will enumerate below is my own personal top favorite film. All the other films I have cited in this blog, in one way or another have already been written about extensively elsewhere and have become universally recognized in varying degrees as classics. Beyond one appreciation in AMERICAN DIRECTORS (edited by Jean-Pierre Corsodon in the 80's) I have never seen that happen with THIS film, "surely far and away the best film Ralph Nelson ever signed as a director," I believe was the quote in the monograph in the aforementioned book.


His direction here is almost totally out of character with the rest of his oervre. The other films of his that I still like include REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT, LILIES OF THE FIELD, DUEL AT DIABLO, ONCE A THIEF, CHARLY, FLIGHT OF THE DOVES and THE WRATH OF GOD and less so SOLDIER BLUE which is hampered by excessive violence and a truly terrible pair of performances from Candice Bergen and Peter Strauss . Other films include his only sci-fi/horror title EMBRYO (which so little is thought of that only has had public domain releases from horrible pan and scan prints). The IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT clone ."..tick...tick...tick" with a great cast given little to do (including George Kennedy, Frederic March and Jim Brown), FATHER GOOSE (with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron and Cy Coleman's amateurish score), and THE WILBY CONSPIRACY.
This film almost universally dismissed as a service comedy gone awry (admittedly true...because the service comedy is a mere pretext for something much better) needs to be seen by more people who I'm sure would be similarly affected if they'd seen it.  I must make mention of the contributions of DP Philip A. Lathrop who's cinematography has always been underrated and one of Henry Mancini's finest scores which UNFORTUNATELY in it's CURRENT video incarnation is severely altered from the main title sequences musical substitution. (more below).

The ORIGINAL video release of this title from ALLIED ARTISTS video in the earliest days of VHS contained the original score INTACT. There is possibly the MOST HAUNTING and SOMBER piece of music he ever wrote, that was the main title and it's absence is achingly missed. It is a trumpet lead (perfectly chosen as the lead instrument for the melody which foreshadows the later sadness in the film) which is over a primary chord of the minor ninth which is AUTOMATICALLY gonna hit one instinctively to the heart. Additionally the harmonic movement behind the melody is unlike anything I have ever heard anywhere else. 

The current WARNER VIDEO ARCHIVE collection DVD contains what is a television reissue print struck sometime in the eighties after the video release. It was reissued by 20th Century Fox's subsidiary VHS label by KEY VIDEO with a LORIMAR sub-ownership and I have no idea which print this was. But chances are it is the same reissue print with the substituted main title music because I have seen this print on televison with that LORIMAR LOGO and every subsequent issue of the film has been this way. I have never understood what could be behind this. It can't have been a "rights" problem, as is often the case because the rest of Mancini's score is in place. Let me be more specific. The piece of music that has been substituted is from later in the body of the film. On one of Mancini's RCA compilations of themes, the cue itself is entitled "Bird Brain." It is much more typical of a comic film in substance, tone and effect than the original piece which is much better for any number of reasons even INHERENTLY better. Hopefully I am not boring you all with this but for those who have seen the film and DO LOVE IT this can only be some corporate a**hole that decided the film needed to have a "jokier" musical opening and axed Mancini's original theme  as "too sad"and replaced it with the cue as I've just described. I am being kind when I tell you I would like to tar and feather this cretin whoever he/she may be. This music was so distinctive to the experience (and inherently marvelous on it's own) that only someone with no sensitivity could have done such damage in thinking "they know better" than the filmakers who originally made the film.


Every subsequent telecast (including on TCM, along with FOX MOVIE CLASSICS the last bastions of respectful film broadcast on cable) has been with this unforgivable alteration. I had posted this lamentable fact on TCM's Message board after it was last telecast and it was abruptly gone the following day! All this controversy notwithstanding, PLEASE TRACK THE FILM DOWN and SEE it. It is a truly amazing little film. And as usual reading is cool, but post if you so desire, to this blog...I'D LOVE TO HEAR from people who have seen these films and appreciate them too. Or even if you hate them for whatever reasons.