(Dominic Cavendish’s article appeared in the Telegraph, 10/23.)
First published in 1951, and swiftly made into a film two years later, James Jones’s semi-autobiographical novel From Here to Eternity boasts one of the best titles ever dreamed up .
Since it deals with the tough experiences of a group of US soldiers stationed in Hawaii on the eve of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour, it also concerns one of the biggest events in 20th-century history and even if the movie – despite its eight Oscars – is now more of semi-known commodity than an enduring masterpiece, it flaunts one of the most stellar casts Hollywood ever assembled, which is quite a pedigree for a musical adaptation to live up to.