Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
1957  NR  DRAMA  1h 46min
CAST— Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum
MUSIC— Georges Auric  DIRECTOR— John Huston  BASED ON— Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (novel), Charles Shaw

     Entertaining, engrossing tale set in the days of WWII. Robert Mitchum is a US Marine adrift on the Pacific after a devastating attack by Japanese forces. He happens upon an atoll, occupied by a nun (Deborah Kerr), the island’s only inhabitant. The two try to make the best of their plight, gathering food and planning a raft for their departure. And that’s when the bombs start to fall. The Japanese soon occupy the island, Mitchum and Kerr hiding out in a cave. As the two learn about one another amidst danger, Mitchum falls for Kerr, despite the severity of her vows. Though one can pretty much tell how they’ll wind up this is a relationship one can root for. Mitchum gives a great performance as the rough talking military man, countered by a soft spoken performance by a conflicted Kerr. The film provides, not only romantic dramatics, but also plenty of action, even throwing in some suspense for good measure. All in all a pleasant surprise.
OUR RATING— ***