Robert Francis 1930-1955

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “…equipment was shipped to West Point for location filming….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “Tyrone Power takes direction from four-time Oscar winner John Ford during the West Point location filming….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “…HOLLYWOOD GROUP - Harry Carey, Jr., Donald Crisp, Martin Milner, Bill Leslie, Phil Carey and Peter Graves pose for the photographer against a Hudson River background while on location….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “ATHLETE - Bob Francis makes use of the cadet gym facilities while on location at West Point….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 Bob at West Point gym

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 Bob at West Point gym and swimming pool

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “ATHLETE - Bob Francis makes use of the cadet gym facilities while on location at West Point….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 Bob at West Point gym and swimming pool with unidentified man (swimming coach or trainer?)

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “FRANCIS AT WEST POINT - Bob Francis makes friends with 'Pancho,’ one of the Army mules, while on location….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “OFF-DUTY - Bob Francis (right) plays a game of cribbage with Major George Pappas between shooting scenes on location….”

Publicity Photos, Columbia Pictures, West Point, N.Y. Bob and Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne. John Ford and John Wayne had a long productive relationship as actor and director in classic westerns as well as films like The Quiet Man (1952), co-starring Maureen O’Hara.

(Cadet uniform, first uniform for Bob in this film.)

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954 “A SECRET - Betsey Palmer whispers something to Bob Francis between scenes on location at West Point….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954. Bill Leslie, unknown woman, Donald Crisp, Bob Francis

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954. Bob in grandstands at West Point Stadium

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954.

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954. “While wardrobe man Forrest Butler checks his script, tailor Max Zenzipper fits Bob Francis' cadet uniform at West Point during the location filming….”

Publicity Photo, Columbia Pictures, West Point, 1954. Bob’s second unifom (soldier) in The Long Gray Line

Officer uniform, Bob’s third uniform for this film.

Promotional materials for The Long Gray Line, Columbia Pictures, 1954.

Magazine Advertisement, The Long Gray Line, Columbia Pictures, 1954.

Promotional Materials, Columbia Pictures, 1954.

Promotional Materials, Columbia Pictures, 1954.

Promotional Materials, Columbia Pictures, 1954.

Invitation for New York opening of The Long Gray Line, Feb. 10, 1955.

Washington premiere, Feb. 1955. Bob Francis, unidentified man, Maureen O’Hara, Bill Leslie, Harry Carey, Jr.

Screen: 'Long Gray Line' Tinted Green; Movie of West Point Honors Irish Hero

By Bosley Crowther

Feb. 11, 1955

If the green of the shamrock seems to color Columbia's "The Long Gray Line," which trooped with pennants snapping into the Capitol yesterday, it is not in the least surprising. This film tells the story of Marty Maher, a much-beloved athletic trainer and instructor at West Point for fifty years. The role of the Irish hero is played by Tyrone Power. And the picture is lustily directed by that most positive Hibernian, John Ford.

As a consequence, this rich and rousing tribute to West Point and Sergeant Maher, to the Academy's deep traditions and to its long line of loyal cadets, tends somehow to leave the impression that the Irish captured the Point when Marty Maher took up residence and that it continued that way for fifty years. This notion, while slightly misleading so far as the facts are concerned, is not in the least disturbing to the entertainment at hand. For the Irish—at least, the John Ford Irish—are a lively and colorful lot, and they lend a tone of proper feeling to this jocose and sentimental film.

From the moment that Marty Maher enters as an Irish lad fresh off the boat, arriving to take a job as waiter in the Academy dining hall, the jokes fly with nimble wit and clarity in a variety of Irish brogues. And the heart strings are tugged on frequent occasions with a fearless lack of restraint.

There are others than Mr. Power to do it. Maureen O'Hara as the Irish servant girl whom Marty marries and has as helpmate and companion in his years at West Point contributes a share of golden laughter and gallantly choked-back tears. Donald Crisp as his proud and willful father is amusing and touching, too. Ward Bond as the physical director—the Master of the Sword—is the gruff type of military softie. Even he, though his name is Koehler, speaks with a trace of brogue. And then there are endless files of cadets—Sundstroms and Dotsons and Eisenhowers—to be chewed out, cajoled and deeply cherished by Marty Maher and, in turn, to shower affection on him.

If the character that emerges in this picture from a series of human episodes is strongly reminiscent of another "father" to lots of boys, Mr. Chips, that is not to his discredit. Marty Maher was that at West Point—perhaps not so polished and pedantic, but still Mr. Chips with a brogue. And this is the character screenwriter Edward Hope has obviously strived to distill from "Bringing Up the Brass," Nardi R. Campion's biography of the West Point figure. In any event, it is a character that is mawkish at times but always warm, occasionally farcical and ridiculous but always lovable. The talent for giving a mawkish incident a genuine throb is a gift of Mr. Ford. He frequently does it in this picture, which just misses going overboard. He also has set the personal story in the big, warm frame of a West Point that looks beautiful in CinemaScope and color and has the excitement of parading cadets and thumping bands.

Duty, pride and honor are the virtues that glow warmly in this film, which might better be titled "The Long Green Line"—especially when the customers start flocking in.

THE LONG GRAY LINE, screen play by Edward Hope, based on the biography of Sgt. Marty Maher by Mr. Maher and Nardi R. Campion; directed by John Ford; produced by Robert Arthur for Columbia Pictures. At the Capitol.

Marty Maher, Tyrone Power

Mary O'Donnell, Maureen O'Hara

James Sundstrom Jr., Robert Francis

Old Martin, Donald Crisp

Capt. Herman J. Koehler, Ward Bond

Kitty Carter, Betsy Palmer

Charles Dotson, Phil Carey

Red Sundstrom, William Leslie

Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Carey Jr.

Cherub Overton, Patrick Wayne

Dinny Maher, Sean McClory

Cpl. Rudolph Heinz, Peter Graves

Capt. John Pershing, Milburn Stone

Mrs. Koehler, Erin O'Brien Moore

Mike Shannon, Walter D. Ehlers

Major Thomas, Willis Bouchey

McDonald, Don Barclay

Jim O'Carberry, Martin Millner

Whitey Larson, Chuck Courtney

A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 10, 1955 of the National edition with the headline: Screen: 'Long Gray Line' Tinted Green; Movie of West Point Honors Irish Hero.

DVD: The Long Gray Line

Actors: Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Francis, Ward Bond

Directors: John Ford

Producers: Robert Arthur

Format: Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (Unknown)

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai

Dubbed: French

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR Not Rated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (Columbia Pictures)

DVD Release Date: January 1, 2002

Run Time: 137 minutes