This fascinating film takes us back to March 1942 in Melbourne, Australia, where US troops were mobilizing to fight the Japanese.
Ironically, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was playing in a local movie house when Eddie Leonski started undergoing his own transformation from fun-loving party animal to ruthless serial killer, strangling local women as he demanded, "Sing for me! I want your voice."
This based-on-fact production features a gripping performance by Reb Brown as deeply troubled Eddie, and fine work by James Coburn as his military-assigned lawyer, Maj. Patrick Dannenberg. Dannenberg could see how ill Eddie was -- seemingly, he thought he'd be returning to service a year after his execution! However, amid tensions at the time, mitigating factors didn't seem to enter the courtroom. Seemingly, the locals Down Under were uneasy with the Yanks' tent city in their environs, and there was no mood for mercy after three women died. Just months after the killings, the US Army hanged the 24-year-old.
This movie does a nice job of conjuring pop-cultural influences of the time, as strains of the Andrew Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and jitterbugging enliven local night spots. My only quibble is inclusion of a gun battle at the train station that seemingly leaves scores of soldiers dead. The customarily ethical Dannenberg issues an order that "this never happened," leaving the viewer entirely befuddled. Exactly WHAT didn't happen? I tried to find out on Wikipedia, but came up empty. However, I did note that Eddie's real-life lawyer was such an ardent advocate for him that Gen. Douglas MacArthur had him court-martialed for insubordination!
This story is tragic all around. One can only hope that fairness in the courtroom will always be there for our warriors.
Ironically, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was playing in a local movie house when Eddie Leonski started undergoing his own transformation from fun-loving party animal to ruthless serial killer, strangling local women as he demanded, "Sing for me! I want your voice."
This based-on-fact production features a gripping performance by Reb Brown as deeply troubled Eddie, and fine work by James Coburn as his military-assigned lawyer, Maj. Patrick Dannenberg. Dannenberg could see how ill Eddie was -- seemingly, he thought he'd be returning to service a year after his execution! However, amid tensions at the time, mitigating factors didn't seem to enter the courtroom. Seemingly, the locals Down Under were uneasy with the Yanks' tent city in their environs, and there was no mood for mercy after three women died. Just months after the killings, the US Army hanged the 24-year-old.
This movie does a nice job of conjuring pop-cultural influences of the time, as strains of the Andrew Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and jitterbugging enliven local night spots. My only quibble is inclusion of a gun battle at the train station that seemingly leaves scores of soldiers dead. The customarily ethical Dannenberg issues an order that "this never happened," leaving the viewer entirely befuddled. Exactly WHAT didn't happen? I tried to find out on Wikipedia, but came up empty. However, I did note that Eddie's real-life lawyer was such an ardent advocate for him that Gen. Douglas MacArthur had him court-martialed for insubordination!
This story is tragic all around. One can only hope that fairness in the courtroom will always be there for our warriors.