Paths of Glory *****

I died on May 16, 1955. I was 46. My youthful demise was the result of a rather rambunctious life. At the end I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure what was on the other side and I wasn’t what you would call “Heaven material.” After a couple of years in Purgatory and a good word or two from a few friends, I made it.

Overall its been a pleasant experience, I got to meet a lot of my heroes at first, then as the years went on, some of my old friends came up to join me. Looking back, there was no need to be afraid at all.

The only time I feel any regret is when I see one of my old friends struggling with a problem and I can see they need an encouraging word or some support. I try to give it from here, but sometimes you need to see someone in the flesh. It’s those times, when I’m the outsider looking in, that are the toughest.

I first felt this sensation in 1960 when Kirk Douglas was just putting the finishing touches on Spartacus and he was deciding whether or not to give screenwriting credit to Dalton Trumbo, one of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten, who had not had his name on a screenplay in years. Trumbo was still working, but he would also have to use pseudonyms. He actually won an Oscar for the Brave One using the name Robert Rich. I knew Dalton was a member of the Communist Party for a while. I don’t think he was very involved. Most theatre and film guys weren’t. Anyway, Trumbo wouldn’t rat anyone out like Budd Schulberg did, so Dalton took the hit.

In 1960, Stanley Kubrick, being Stanley Kubrick, wanted to be credited as the screenwriter of Spartacus. Kirk, who was producer, wasn’t comfortable with this and started to toy with the idea of giving Dalton credit. The advisors in his company said he was crazy and this move would force the company into bankruptcy. Kirk, being Kirk, did it anyway and that broke the blacklist. When Dalton and I spoke later, he said he was so proud of Kirk for giving him his name back. So am I.

I want to celebrate the independent spirit of Kirk Douglas here, but not by looking at Spartacus, which was never one of my favorites. I want to look at another movie that would have never been made without Kirk Douglas – Paths of Glory.

In 1952, Kirk and I were in Havana drinking Hurricanes at the Copacabana. It was a vacation and I had worked in Havana years earlier, so I was the de facto tour guide. Kirk needed some time away because he was getting frustrated with the studio system. Back then, you signed a seven year contract with a studio and that was it. You did whatever they asked you to do – or else.

Kirk had just finished Big Trees, which wasn’t what you would call a classic. He couldn’t understand this. He just had four or five monster hits in a row, pulling down a couple of Oscar nominations in the process and he’s relegated to this drivel. As the night progressed, I said if he was so unhappy, he should break away and start his own company. Now before anyone thinks I’m giving myself credit for this, I was joking. It was unheard of to break away back then. It wasn’t even discussed. But Kirk didn’t take my quip as a joke. He said he was going to do it and once I got over my shock, I started to egg him on, telling him what a perfect idea it was and what great movies he could make.

One of the first films he made was Paths of Glory. The film was adapted from a book and based loosely on a true story. It takes place during World War I where a French general (George MacCready), seeking a promotion, sends three of his regiments on a suicidal mission to take a hill. One third of the soldiers do not leave the trench, some because of the unreasonableness of the order and some because of they can’t get past the German shelling.

The general orders one of his artillery to execute the straggling men. The soldier refuses to do so without the order in writing. Instead the general decides to court-martial 100 men for cowardice. That number is lowered to three – one from each regiment. The first soldier (Ralph Meeker) is chosen because he doesn’t get along with his captain. The second soldier (Timothy Carey) is picked because he does not fit in with the other men. The third soldier is chosen randomly and he just happens to be one of the most decorated in the unit. The colonel, who led the men (Douglas), defends his soldiers during the trial. I’ll stop there, so as not to give up the ending. But I’ll give you a hint; this ending would not have taken place today.

Without Douglas, this movie would not have taken place at all. The only star here is Douglas. All the other roles are filled by talented actors who usually only do bit parts. This is a dark grim movie that tells an important story from a unique perspective. The plotting of the film is different in almost everyway from any type of movie you’ve seen before.

This was one of Kubrick’s earlier films. I’m not a big Kubrick fan. He has a few great films, but most of those were early in my opinion. This film is probably one of his best, if not the best. Every shot is utilized in telling this story. It almost feels like a documentary. There’s no extra flourish here. If Kubrick using a tracking shot, it’s meant to convey an emotion or catch another side of a person, it’s meant to push along the story.

I like Kubrick’s work here, but I still don’t like him. Another blacklisted writer Jim Thompson did a lot of work on this screenplay, but his name couldn’t be used in the credits. Guess whose name was used? I have one other regret about being dead; that I couldn’t be in the room when Kirk told Kubrick to go to hell in 1960.