Man on Fire

Bing might have been one of the most loved singers of the early 20th century but he was no great actor.

From all I've heard he was no great father either. A complete tyrant. His children must have watched this movie in awe, not even recognizing his behavior towards his son.

Bing Crosby is a "Man on fire" in this 1957 film starring Inger Stevens, Mary Fickett, Richard Eastham, and E.G. Marshall.

Crosby plays Earl Carleton, a successful businessman who has been divorced from his wife and has custody of their son Ted (Malcolm Brodrick). His wife (Fickett) left him for another man (Eastham) and Earl isn't about to forgive or forget. Angry and bitter, when she and her new husband want sole custody of Ted, Carleton fights them hard, at one point resorting to kidnapping.

Inger Stevens plays an associate in attorney E.G. Marshall's office, and she falls for Earle and wants to help him.

This film was meant to show up the problems of divorce, but mostly it demonstrates the need to move on, otherwise, your anger will devour you. It's the lesson Earle, who loves his son, has to learn, and do what's best for the boy.

"Man on Fire" was Inger Stevens' big break. A beautiful young woman, she apparently had a habit of falling for her leading men, and Crosby was no exception. She was devastated when he married Kathryn Crosby. She finally lost her life either to suicide or an overdose in 1970. Since she refused treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning on the set of "Cry Terror," saying she wanted to die, it doesn't appear that, with everything she had going for her, she was ever very happy. A real pity.

It was delightful to see soap opera star Mary Fickett in a non-soap role, and she was very effective.

Bing Crosby had an enormous effect on popular music and was one of the most popular actors in films for years and years. He was much more than a crooner. He plays the role of a difficult man very well.

The denouement was a little abrupt, but the film made its points.

A film that is rarely seen today is a must see if you get the chance. The acting is terrific with Bing Crosby giving a performance worthy of another Oscar nomination - in fact all the cast do an excellent job in this well constructed drama about the ugly side of divorce and custody. The film deals very well with these issues and is still relevant even though it was made in 1957. Also this is one of the very few films in which Bing Crosby doesn't sing - except over the titles at the start of the film. Hopefully this will eventually gain a DVD release and a chance to be seen by more people as it only achieved a limited release in 1957 and hasn't been seen a lot since.

Spirited performances by Crosby, Stevens, Seymour, and E.G. Marshall notches this one above its clinical routes. William Schallert has a wonderful bit as Judge Seymour's secretary. In many ways, a 20-year predecessor to Kramer vs. Kramer -- and in its own way, no less poignant.

A subject which is still topical today in 2022. Time has passed,but how many parents are still fighting for the custody of their child(ren)?

Bing Crosby shines in his part of a father whose wife eloped with a government man and after two years wants half of the custody ;from the very start ,the young boy hates his stepfather ,Mister Seward ,he calls "sewer" ;the best moment is the scene with the judge (at the time, there were few women judges ,;today they would not even notice it ) ; the actress,Anne Seymour, although she only has a fleeting part , displays a strong sense of psychology and humanity ,even though her verdict may seem unexpected; queen Solomon indeed :the ending bear this out.

In spite of Inger Stevens ' unquestionable talent (debut) ,her character is cardboard ; you can predict what she will do as soon as she appears; that she can blow the party single-handedly is hardly credible ;she's not a woman ,she's a good fairy with a magic wand. On the other hand ,the part of the mother (Mary Fickett) is too underwritten : she suffers too, because her boy is part of her body -and one learns a sad secret towards the end ;she and her new husband (EG Marshall ) are not the villains. The stepfather ,as the film progresses,finally wins the audience over , when he talks about the famous biblical story of the two women claiming a baby.

A hot topic ,still today.....