All My Sons (film)

All My Sons is a 1948 film noir drama directed by Irving Reis and starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster. The supporting cast features Louisa Horton, Mady Christians, Howard Duff, Arlene Francis, and Harry Morgan. The film is based on Arthur Miller's 1946 play of the same name. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

Plot
Joe Keller is sorry to hear son Chris plans to wed Ann Deever and move to Chicago, for he hoped Chris would someday take over the manufacturing business Joe built from the ground up.

Ann's father Herb was Joe’s business partner, but when both men were charged with shipping defective airplane parts that resulted in wartime crashes and deaths, only Herb was convicted and sent to prison.

Another son of the Kellers' is in the Army air corps, missing in action and presumed dead. Ann used to be engaged to him and her engagement to his brother upsets Kate Keller, who hasn't yet accepted that son Larry is gone for good.

Ann's attorney brother George strongly discourages her from marrying a Keller, and many in town still whisper that Joe was responsible for the death of twenty-one pilots. A war widow even calls Joe a murderer to his face in a restaurant.

On a visit to Ann's father in prison, Chris hears how Joe called in sick on the one day the Army came to pick up the airplane parts. Joe admits to Chris that he knew they were defective, but repairs would have been costly and could have bankrupted the business. Chris strikes his father in anger at hearing this.

A letter from Larry reveals that he knew of his father's guilt and intended to go on a suicide mission in a plane, no longer wanting to live with the family's shame. This is the final disgrace for Joe, who shoots himself. Chris and Ann leave together with Kate's blessing to their future.

Cast

 * Edward G. Robinson as Joe Keller
 * Burt Lancaster as Chris Keller
 * Louisa Horton as Ann Deever
 * Mady Christians as Kate Keller
 * Frank Conroy as Herb Deever
 * Howard Duff as George Deever
 * Lloyd Gough as Jim Bayliss
 * Arlene Francis as Sue Bayliss
 * Harry Morgan as Frank Lubey
 * Elisabeth Fraser as Lydia Lubey
 * Jerry Hausner as 	Halliday
 * William Ruhl as 	Ed
 * Herbert Heywood as McGraw
 * Herb Vigran as 	Wertheimer
 * Charles Meredith as	Ellsworth
 * Walter Soderling as 	Charles
 * Pat Flaherty as	Bartender
 * Harry Harvey as Judge

Production
Reportedly Burt Lancaster postponed his own first production, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands in order to take the role of Chris, an ex-GI who initially idolizes his father, not knowing what he has done.

Box Office
The film made a relatively small loss for Universal.

Critical response
In his film review, critic Bosley Crowther contrasted Arthur Miller's play to the screenplay. While stating that the screenplay was more restrained, he praised the acting. He wrote, "In the role of this rugged individualist, Mr. Robinson does a superior job of showing the shades of personality in a little tough guy who has a softer side. Arrogant, ruthless, and dynamic in those moments when his 'business' is at stake, he is also tender and considerate in the presence of those he loves ... As the right-thinking son of this corrupt man, Burt Lancaster is surprisingly good and, although he appears a bit dim-witted at times, that is not implausible. Louisa Horton is natural as his sweetheart and Mady Christians plays the mother intensely. Irving Reis' direction is slightly stilted in some scenes but generally matches the tempo of a fluid script".

Accolades
Nominations
 * Writers Guild of America Award: Best Written American Drama - Chester Erskine; The Robert Meltzer Award (Screenplay Dealing Most Ably with Problems of the American Scene) - Chester Erskine; 1949.

Streaming audio

 * All My Sons on Screen Directors Playhouse: December 2, 1949