From Here to Eternity (miniseries)

From Here to Eternity
VHS box art
Written by	Harold Gast Don McGuire Daniel Taradash
Directed by	Buzz Kulik
Starring	Natalie Wood William Devane Kim Basinger Steve Railsback Joe Pantoliano
Music by	Walter Scharf
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Harve Bennett Harris Katleman
Producer	Buzz Kulik
Cinematography	Gerald Perry Finnerman
Editors	Les Green Michael B. Hoggan Robert L. Swanson
Running time	6 hours
Production company	Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	February 14 – 28, 1979

From Here to Eternity is a 1979 American three-part, six-hour television miniseries and a remake of the 1953 film From Here to Eternity based on the 1951 novel of the same name. All three conclude with the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The miniseries originally aired in three two-hour installments on three consecutive Wednesdays on NBC on February 14, 21 and 28, 1979.

The story details the men and families of G Company, 24th Infantry Division, United States Army. There are two main sub-plots: First Sergeant Milt Warden’s (William Devane) ongoing affair with Karen Holmes (Natalie Wood), the wife of his commanding officer, and Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt's (Steve Railsback) affair with Lorene Rogers (Kim Basinger), a local prostitute.

Plot

It is April 1941 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt is new to G Company. He is a skilled boxer who unintentionally severely injured a fellow soldier in an exhibition boxing match. As a result he refuses to be a boxer anymore. This places him at odds with his company’s commanding officer, Captain Holmes, who uses the reputation of many of the sergeants in his company as skilled boxers to further his military career. Facing pressure from the fascist Gen. Barney Slater, Captain Holmes has many of his sergeants harass and abuse Prewitt in an attempt to pressure him to join the company's boxing team. Prewitt is tough and refuses to bend to the pressure. The company's First Sergeant, Milt Warden, attempts to help Prewitt, but there is only so much he can do.

Prewitt becomes involved with Lorene Rogers, a local prostitute. Prewitt's friend, Private Angelo Maggio, is sent to the stockade after being court martialed for getting drunk and fighting with MPs. Things take a turn for the worse when Pvt. Prewitt is sent to the stockade for a few months of what turns out to brutal mistreatment at the hands of the Sergeant of the Guard at the stockade, Sgt. Fatso Judson, a bully and a sadist. While in the stockade, Prewitt reunites with Maggio and finds that he has been nearly beaten to death by Judson. Maggio dies after panicking and falling out of the ambulance on his way to the hospital. After Prewitt is released from the stockade he tracks downs Judson and kills him in a knife fight. Prewitt is wounded in the fight and he takes refuge at Lorene's house while he heals.

Captain Holmes is promoted to major and leaves the company. The new company commander does not care about the boxing team. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks. First Sergeant Warden organizes the men of his company. He and the other sergeants of the company go to the armory and get Browning Automatic Rifles (B.A.R.s) and .30 caliber Model 1919 machine guns and return fire to the attacking Japanese warplanes. Warden and his men shoot down one of the Japanese "Zeros".

Wanting to join in on the upcoming war, and with Warden promising to help smooth things over regarding Fatso's murder if he reports back, Prewitt attempts to rejoin the company but is mortally wounded by a nervous sentry that same evening. As he lays dying, he says he knows that Sgt. Warden will take care of his body (make sure his death is marked "line of duty") and makes sure that it gets a military burial. After he dies, Warden assures the guilt-ridden sentry that Prewitt's death was going to happen one way or another. When asked by the other soldiers if Prewitt was a good soldier in his company, Warden replies, "Hell, he was the only soldier."

Main cast

Actor	Role
Natalie Wood	Karen Holmes
William Devane	1st Sgt. Milt Warden
Kim Basinger	Lorene Rogers
Steve Railsback	Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt
Joe Pantoliano	Pvt. Angelo Maggio
Roy Thinnes	Capt. Dana Holmes
Peter Boyle	Fatso Judson
Andy Griffith	Gen. Barney Slater

Awards

Natalie Wood won the 1980 Golden Globe for Best TV Actress - Drama.

Series spinoff

For the 1980 series spinoff, see From Here to Eternity (TV series).

External links

• From Here to Eternity at IMDb