The Young Lions (1958)

The Young Lions was a novel by Irwin Shaw and a 1958 film based upon the book starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.

Directed by Edward Dmytryk
Produced by Al Lichtman
Written by Edward Anhalt
Starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Dean Martin, Hope Lange, May Britt, Maximilian Schell
Music byHugo Friedhofer
Cinematography Joseph MacDonald
Distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox
Release date(s)1958
Running time: 167 min.

Set during World War II, the story involves a Nazi (Brando) and two friends in the U.S. Army (Clift and Martin).

The film, a smashing box-office success, was the key to Martin's huge comeback in the wake of his split with partner Jerry Lewis. Tony Randall originally had Martin's role but talent agency MCA insisted that Martin replace Randall, since with Martin they'd have a quadruple threat: night clubs, recordings, television, and movies.

The agency understood that whoever played Randall's role of Michael Whiteacre opposite Brando and Clift, the 1950s' two most intriguing movie actors, would be in a completely different position from that time forward, and they were right.

This was the only movie that Brando and Clift made together. It was produced by Al Lichtman and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film in 1959.