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Hemingway's Adventure's Of A Young Man was still in the making when word of Papa Hemngway's suicide broke on the world. We'll never know what he would have thought of this film, he was not fond of most of the films done from his work. In fact since it's initial release, this film has not been exhibited too often for some reason.

The film is based on Hemingway protagonist Nick Adams and his coming of age as an ambulance driver in World War I. Ernest Hemingway's first experience with love and death came during those years when he was serving on the Italian front in their army as an ambulance driver. Watching this film you'll see the origins of the stories in The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell To Arms.

Hemingway's sparse style has always really been difficult to capture on film and the same is true here. Richard Beymer is the callow Nick Adams who is from a small town in rural Michigan which even today is as rural as you can get in the USA. Beymer does his best, but the part seems to have been tailor made for the late James Dean had he only lived. Hemingway's Adventures Of A Young Man would have been a well remembered classic with Dean in the title role.

The rest of the cast has some well placed cameos along Beymer's journey of life. Juano Hernandez and Paul Newman play a trainer and a long past his prime boxer who Beymer meets while bumming it to New York. This rarest of Newman films affords his fans a chance to see him in something totally different than anything he ever did before or since. Newman had done The Battler for a television film based on that particular Nick Adams story, but this is still a revelation.

In war Beymer's two closest companions are Ricardo Montalban his commanding officer and Eli Wallach as his interpreter/orderly. They will also be memorable as will Susan Strassberg in whom the origin of Catherine Barkley from A Farewell To Arms is found.

As they do with just about all film adaptations Hemingway purists will find fault with this film, but Hemingway's Adventures Of A Young Man will give one a good introduction to what was the origin of Papa.

Beautifully produced version of Hemingway's saga of his early journey towards manhood. Amazing supporting cast is a mix of veterans and rising talent of the time with assured direction. The entire cast does well but there are a few standouts. Paul Newman does good character work as a punch drunk has-been boxer, Eli Wallach has some fun with his conscripted soldier and Arthur Kennedy offers his usual thoughtful work as the lead's goodhearted but dominated father. Also kept an eye out for a blink and you'll miss her appearance by Sharon Tate in her screen bow.

The problem lies in Richard Beymer in the lead. He's not bad but he's just sort of there lacking the charisma to anchor such a pageant over its extended running time. Someone with the ability to hold the camera's gaze is needed, either Steve McQueen or Albert Finney who were the proper age at the time would have been better casting. As it stands the film is good but missing the key element that would have made it more.

A naive young from Middle America named Nick Adams , Ernest's pseudonym : Richard Beymer undertakes a voyage to learn about vital experiences . He asks for a job as a reporter at a known newspaper but he is rejected . He then gets a job as a barman and at a drafting convention takes a decisive decision . In order to get some life adventures he decides to join the armed forces during WWI. As he was drafted into the Italian Army as a Lieutenant. Eventually , he falls in love for a beautiful girl : Susan Strasberg , who meets and heals him after being injured .Young Man in a Hungry Hurry . For the young men of all generations .. and the young women who love them..

This is a semi-self-biography of the great and restless adventurer writer from his rural Michigan to the Italian front . Along the way he grows to camaraderie, manhood , comradeship and friendship . Richatd Beymer gives an acceptable acting as the stubborn , inmature young who embarks on an eventful cross-country trip and subsequently enlisted in the Italian front against the Austrian army , as an ambulante driver .Support cast is frankly magnificent such as : Arthur Kennedy as an upright but weak father , Jessica Tandy as domineering mother , Paul Newman as a deformed and punch-drunk boxer , Joaquin Martínez as his coach , James Dunn as a likeable telegrapher , Dan Dailey as a drunken advert-man for a burlesque show run by Fred Clark , Corinne Calvet as a Countessa , Elly Wallach as a soldier colleague and Ricardo Montalban as an Italian General, among others.

Thus thoughtful motion picture was well directed by Martin Ritt . This great director was an expert on well-crafted dramas , such as : Stanley and Iris , Nut , Norma Rae , The Front , The sound and the Fury , Black Orchid . Although he also made other genres, including films as The Spy who came in from Cold , The Great White Hope , Mafia. And he worked with Paul Newman in three Westerns : Hombre , Hud , Outrage and this one in which he plays splendidly a beaten boxer. Rating 7/10 . Better than average . Notable

In this classic episodic drama, Richard Beymer sinks his teeth into the meaty role of young Ernest Hemingway. Technically, he has a different name, but Papa's not fooling anyone with this story. It's no wonder that this movie drew together an all-star cast to be a part of the titular young man's adventures, and the result is a top-notch film.

In the small town from which Richard dreams of fleeing, his dad Arthur Kennedy is an alcoholic doctor and his mom Jessica Tandy never stops browbeating him. His girlfriend Diane Baker is pleasant enough, but Richard doesn't want to settle down and turn into his father. So, he buys a railroad ticket from James Dunn and leaves town. Along the way, he hitchhikes, walks, hops a train, fights in the war, and of course, falls in love with a nurse. This is Ernest Hemingway, after all.

Susan Strasberg plays the love of his life, and while she effectively tries out an Italian accent, it makes you wonder why they didn't just pick an Italian actress, especially since there were so many to choose from during that era. You'll get to see Dan Dailey, Eli Wallach, Fred Clark, Ricardo Montalban, Whit Bissell, and Corinne Calvert in the supporting cast as well. The star of the show, however, is the segment "The Battler" starring Paul Newman and Juano Hernandez. Originally a tv special in 1955, Paul Newman's unrecognizable and heartbreaking performance was so well received, Hollywood decided to make the entire movie of Hemingway's episodes. I'm always shocked by the incredible acting chops Paul shows when given the chance. He was pigeon-holed as Hud for the vast majority of his career, but the few chances he had to branch out were marvelous. Set to the lovely music of Franz Waxman, this long drama is not to be missed.

1st watched 2/6/2010 - 7 out of 10 (Dir-Martin Ritt): Well executed drama about the life of a young man and how he became an adult thru his various experiences. The movie is based on some of Earnest Hemingway's stories and is somewhat autobiographical(which it seems like most of his stuff is). Anyway, this one is about a 19-year old boy named Nick Adams, played by Richard Beymer of West Side Story fame, who runs away from home in an attempt to get to New York and become a newspaper writer. He has no idea what he's getting into but he knows his experiences will help him somehow be what he wants to be. He eventually makes it there(after a couple of adventures with various characters), but is turned down by the newspaper companies saying he needs more experience of the work and life kind. He then ends up volunteering for the Italian army as an ambulance driver(mostly for the life experience but also because a pretty girl initiates the request) and gets more than he ever expected. People die near him, he falls in love and loses her to death, he gets wounded and all of the sudden you have a very experienced man by the time it's all over. The acting is first-rate throughout the whole movie and the direction is perfect for the story -- letting us follow it without too much added un-necessary touches. It's done very simply without much of a soundtrack either making it like we're watching life unfold before our eyes. The story overall is not that uplifting but it's real -- which is usually pretty hand to find in American productions. An overall very well made movie that keeps you interested throughout with many well laid-out characters on this Hemingway story turned to film.

Holy smokes, what movie are you people watching, because it sure isn't this one. Maybe if I'd seen it when I was ten I would have been taken with it - that's what seems to happen. Someone sees something when they're young and because they liked it or it touched something, the film becomes a "timeless classic." It's never been a timeless classic and it never will be. It's too long, it episodic in the worst way, and it gives lethargy a whole new name. It was a critical and box-office failure but NOW - now it's a "timeless classic." Not for this kid.

That said, there are some nice performances, a lovely score by Mr. Waxman, and it's well photographed. The DVD presentation is top notch.

"Ernest Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" is one of the many motion pictures I saw during my adolescence in one of the cinemas in the neighborhood where I grew up, the colonial part of the city of Panamá. Somehow I completely forgot what it was about. Last night I sat to check the opening credits for nostalgia reasons. The film began and although I am not a Franz Waxman specialist, I instantly said to myself "Waxman...", and it was him!, his music, so instead I ended watching the complete film again.

I was surprised to find out it is an entertaining road movie, and have no explanation why I could not remember a single scene from it. Maybe I was too young to care about the ideas being voiced, even if they were neither too profound nor developed enough. Maybe Richard Beymer (as Nick Adams), Susan Strasberg and Diane Baker (as his love interests) were neither strong nor charismatic young performers to watch a whole film with them as leads...

This of course is not true considering, for examples, their contributions to "West Side Story", "Taste of Fear" and "Strait-Jacket", respectively, but I realized that it was mostly the fine performances by the rest of the cast what smoothly carry the narration along. In the first act, Arthur Kennedy as Nick's father is very good; then Paul Newman, Juano Hernández, James Dunn, Dan Dailey and Fred Clark give strong support during Nick's trip from Michigan to New York; Ricardo Montalbán and Eli Wallach follow during the third section, and Jessica Tandy does her fine act as a bitter mother (repeated a year later in "The Birds") in the resolution.

Thanks to good art direction evoking the first years of the 20th century and beautiful location shooting in Italy and Wisconsin, one can overlook the carelessness of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Lee Garmes here and there, with shadows of the camera and light equipments all over the place in different scenes.

However, the movie is a work dominated by good acting. Martin Ritt was an excellent director of actors and it is quite evident in this film, which also covers some of the social and political issues he would later treat at length in his filmography, mostly in "Hud", "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", "The Front", "Norma Rae", "Sounder", "Conrack", and "Stanley and Iris".

Hemmingway's life represents the trials and tribulations of the silver spoon set of the WW1 and WW 2 eras. You can tell about a man by whom his friends are. He used to hang out with F Scott Fitzgerald and other upper middle class (or upper middle class wannabes). These people wrote about heroic struggles of others who were also silver spoons, and amazing as it might seem, these stories appealed to the great masses of both American and world readers. Why? Because everyone who is not of that class certainly aspires to it in most instances. And if you are to be of that class, then you must understand the profound problems of those in that class as well. You will not see any Angela's Ashes or Streetcar Named Desire lives in these writings. No, these are people who have the option of going to a war or leaving it as they see fit, of entering into a life of deprevation for a period of time, and then abandoning it when it becomes tiresome or boring. The other 95% of us have to play the cards we are dealt; we can not just get up and leave if we don't like the way things are turning out. That is the plight of those in the working class, and even the middle class. God forbid we should mention the poor. Hemmingway was a very competent writer, and his Young Man saga is satisfying at many levels. The acting here is so-so, but the production values are excellent. Coming of age is difficult for all classes, and everyone has passed through it before, and everyone will pass through it in the future. Hemmingway does capture that one basic idea well.

And despite all the lush Technicolor production values, director Martin Ritt had to of known he was doomed from the start. And really, when it comes right down to it, it's the main reason the film today is never revived and is justifiably forgotten. Truly a movie haunted by the tragic death of a 24-year-old genius on his way to a road race in the autumn of 1955.

To be quite honest, not everyone will be taken with this movie, particularly if they are not already familiar with the Hemingway stories. These stories were written sporadically, but most readers of the collected Nick Adams tales have not found it difficult to see in them an arc of a young man's life, from his hell-raising days in the thick woods of Michigan, through to his growing maturity in World War I. The problem, of course, is that the story format makes the whole thing highly episodic: like a photo album of significant moments.

To some extent, the movie manages to blend this away, although at cost to the integrity of the original stories. Still, it is such a help to see these stories made visual that any objections are overcome. Further, the performances of the many distinguished actors involved -- above all, Paul Newman as the punch-drunk Battler -- are truly distinguished.

I liked this movie thoroughly, although it needs to be said that "The Killers" (1946), from another of the Nick Adams stories, is undoubtedly better as an adaptation. Still, it's hard not to admire the audacity of those who put together "Adventures." It's probably about as good as it could be.

It is really very irritating, at any rate to those who know the originals, that the Region 1 version is still censored, and for absolutely no discernible reason.

Don't know how the hot headed Hemmingway felt about this makeover of his book but I sure liked it. The likable Beymer was just right as the backwoods 19 year old eager to leave the lakeside cabin and taste the world. Finally he makes his plunge and, after almost calling it quits, makes it to the big apple while meeting several interesting characters along the way. His visions of the 'new world' didn't pan out as he had dreamed and he winds up involved in a world war. This was the pivotal event which caused the boy to become a man giving him the underpinning to take on a life formerly denied because of inexperience. As always, it was fun seeing some of the old, familiar faces again. 5 stars.

This is a Hollywood Bowl of Cr*p served up in 1962 before the Old Era of Movies were being kicked out. The guy who played Nick was overacting for two plus hours.

Anyone familiar with EH will recognize the story but I can't believe how horrible this was. I fast forwarded through just to see it.

This film attempts to compile all or most of Hemingway's Nick Adams stories into one complete whole. The effect is a coming of age story that ends on a bitter/semi-sweet note. Along the way you see a series of stories populated by well known actors and actresses.

There is a sequence that reminds one of Farewell to Arms (wounded ambulance driver falls in love with nurse, who eventually dies in his arms).

There is the overbearing, controlling, religious mother and the anguished father (who eventually takes his own life).

There is the hard boiled newspaper editor, who gives sound hard boiled advice.

I liked the movie, but I am unsure whether I would recommend it to someone else.

Fifteen maybe twenty minutes at the outside of Juano Hernandez, Arthur Kennedy, and Jessica Tandy do not begin to redeem thirty of Susan Strasberg, who inherited none of her dad's physical unattractiveness or talent, to say nothing of two hour plus of Young Dick Beymer who Martin Ritt misguidedly thought was the next Gary Cooper. I mean not even at his most wooden, and he could be quite the acting lumber camp, was Coop ever this dull.

Susan Strausberg at her best. The story is taken directly from Ernest Hemmingways's life. Nick Adams plays Ernest.

Music by Franz Waxman is excellent. Jessica Tandy great performance. Arthur Kennedy is great as well. Paul Newman, don't know why he did this part, but I admire his risking, to allow us to see him, stupid and ugly.

I learned a lot from this film, as I was growing up in the Midwest and understood the coming of age agony. "Splender in the Grass" goes well with this type of film, as they are the wounded human soul, and its power to withstand all pain, and be transformed into a hero. The price of wisdom is your innocence, as always.

I have seen this film 30 times and still enjoy its charming bitter sweet story. BRAVO Ernest.

I saw this movie in junior high and high school on television. I loved it very much, and it actually got me interested in Hemingway's Nick Adams stories. Jessica Tandy is at her best in this film as Nick's long suffering mom. Arthur Kennedy is good , too. It may not have won any Oscar's--the simplicity and innocence of such coming of age stories are not always artsy-artsy enough for the Hollywood crowd--but in its quiet way this is a great film. Michael Pollard as George is wonderful. Most will remember him as Moss in BARNEY AND CLYDE but he plays wonderfully opposite Beymer's Nick. Paul Newman was great as the boxer. The reason I liked this movie so much was because it was not a typical Paul Newman role. Whoever guessed that Newman can really act? He proved it in this small part. I love the film. I only wish it was available on DVD--director's cut--if it is will somebody let me know. I really don't want to buy the entire HEMINGWAY COLLECTION now being sold to get a DVD of this timeless film classic

Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962) is a movie I recently watched on my DVR after recording it on FXM. The storyline follows a young man from Michigan who decides to hitchhike to New York city in hopes of becoming a journalist. He finds his goal harder than he thought and decides to join the military which has its own series of events and experiences. After finishing his most recent tour he returns home to find a whole new world there.

This movie is directed by Martin Ritt (Hud) and stars Richard Beymer (West Side Story), Paul Newman (The Hustler), Ricardo Montalban (Escape from Planet of the Apes), Corinne Calvet (Peking Express), Jessica Tandy (The Birds) and Philip Bourneuf (Chamber of Horrors).

The storyline for this is very good, unpredictable and contains an entertaining main character. The various cameos are a lot of fun as is the depiction of the era and settings. The opening narration is very good, the landscapes are beautiful and there's some good comedy mixed in, particularly the train sequence. The war scenes were intense and the love story was a surprise and unfolds well. The movie has a very real feel to it, especially the ending.

Overall this is an underrated gem that is definitely worth a watch. I would score this a strong 8-8.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

20th Century Fox had some very fine young actors and actresses under contract. Hope Lange, Gardner McKay and Diane Baker. (Note Marilyn Monroe was also under contract at 20th bur MM was a mega star, the biggest in the wold)

Producer Jerry Was who was responsible of some great movies such as Joan Crawford's Mildred Pierce, and Jane Wyman's Johnny Belinda both of which won Oscars for Crawford and Wyman, went to 20th to Produce MM's Lets Make Love, and The Best of Everything with a cameo by Crawford and starring Hope Lange, and Diane Baker.

Martin Ritt a great Director helmed this fine movie.

Richard Beymer was given the big build up by 20th and co starred with Joanne Woodward in " The Stripper" appeared with many other stars in Zanuck's "The Longest Day" , and was on loan out to Columbia for Roz Russell's drama " Five Finger Exercise" and went to UA on loan out for Robert Wise's Oscar Winning " West Side Story". Mr. Beymer was shunned by Natalie Wood on West Side Story, very un becoming. They were suppose to be intense lovers in the movie!

Richard Beymer was cast as the star of this movie based on Hemingway's work. Richard Beymer does fine and the film is beautifully photographed and top notch production values. Paul Newman a true mega star does a cameo in this film. Diane Baker is also cast in this film

I liked this film and liked Richard Beemer's work in this and other films and wish he moved up to super star rank . Mr. Beymer worked with Paul Newman, Roz Russell, Joanne Woodward, among others and was directed by George Stevens, and Robert Wise two of the all time best. I do not know why Beymer after leaving 20th his career fizzled.

"Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man" is a movie which consists of several short stories written by Ernest Hemingway about his frequent protagonist, Nick Adams (Richard Beymer). The stories were somewhat biographical...with SOME aspects of Hemingway's own life being played out in the stories. However, it's also very important to point out that they are NOT truly autobiographical. Hemingway was only using some aspects of his young adult life in the stories and so many changes were made that you can't take this as gospel. Additionally, Hemingway had a bad habit of overinflating and playing loose with the facts when discussing his own personal life. So, take this all with a grain of sand.

Remembering that this is NOT autobiography, it's still a darned good movie. The script is very engaging, the acting is nice and the overall production values are excellent. If you keep in mind that it's not supposed to be Hemingway's life and aren't expecting this, you'll enjoy this film.

By the way, the reason I saw this film is that Paul Newman is in it. Surprisingly, his role is rather small and it's difficult to see him under all the makeup, but he did a great job playing a punch-drunk pugilist. I wonder if they chose him for the part was because of his playing a famous boxer, Rocky Graziano, in "Somebody Up There Likes Me".