This week’s mystery movie was the 1944 Twentieth Century-Fox picture The Eve of St. Mark, with Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Michael O’Shea, Vincent Price, Ruth Nelson, Ray Collins, Stanley Prager, Henry (Harry) Morgan, Robert Bailey, Joann Dolan, Toni Favor, George Mathews, John Archer, Murray Alper and Dickie Moore.
Screenplay by George Seaton.
Based on a play by Maxwell Anderson.
Photography by Joseph LaShelle.
Art direction by James Basevi and Russell Spender.
Set decorations by Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes.
Edited by Louis Sackin.
Costumes by Bonnie Cashin.
Makeup by Guy Pearce.
Photographic effects by Fred Sersen.
Sound by Eugene Grossman and Harry M. Leonard.
Music by Cyril J. Mockridge.
Musical direction by Emil Newman.
Produced by William Perlberg.
Directed by John M. Stahl.
The AFI Catalog has an excellent history of the film, which was strongly opposed by the Breen office.
The Eve of St. Mark is not commercially available as far as I can determine.
::
I picked The Eve of St. Mark by going through the trades and I must say it was a frustrating experience to see how many films sounded interesting but weren’t in the Daily Mirror vault or lurking online anywhere.
As Howard pointed out, this is a poetic take on war and interesting in that aspect. The ending was changed from the play so that some of the soldiers survive combat. Vincent Price is quite good despite his dreadful attempt at a Southern accent, the same one he used so dismally as Shelby Carpenter in Laura. If there is a list of worst Southern accents in film, Price would have to be among them.
Because of its Broadway origins (with Martin Ritt in the cast!), I’m going to guess Bosley Crowther liked it, but quibbled with the revised ending.
I missed that one by a mile. He hated it. (The New York Times, May 31, 1944):
It was two years ago, come October, that Maxwell Anderson’s play The Eve of St. Mark was hailed in the Broadway theatre as a profoundly moving drama of the war — and that only goes to show you how relativity works on stage and screen. For the almost exact duplication of the play, which Twentieth Century-Fox delivered to the Roxy Theatre’s screen, seems a brashly theatrical picture of events more than two years old and an undistinguished repetition of other films that have gone before.
In its telling of a group of American soldiers from their pre-Pearl Harbor training days to their final distressing decimation by the Japanese and malaria in the Philippines, it covers some well-worn territory in a dramatically fulsome way and bears an embarrassing resemblance in certain details to previous films.
For Monday, we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Joann Dolan, from the Broadway production, though her role was toned down considerably by the censors.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman and a mysterious companion.
Update: This is Michael O’Shea, also from the Broadway production, with Joven E. Rola.
Note to Greg: No, but she will show up later in the week.
For Wednesday, we have a mysterious sergeant.
Update: This is, from left, Michael O’Shea, John Archer, George Mathews and Stanley Prager.
Brain Trust roll call: B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s mystery fellow).
Half-credit to Earl. The movie was accused of being a combination of that film and another one.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious soldier.
Update: This is Harry (Henry) Morgan.
We also have these mysterious folks.
Update: This is, from left, Ray Collins, Dickie Moore, Ruth Nelson and Jimmy Clark.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Greg (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery soldiers), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Jenny M. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have two mysterious dogfaces.
Update: This is William Eythe, left, and Vincent Price.
And this mystery couple.
Update: This is Anne Baxter and William Eythe.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Incredibleinman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Dan Nather (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and Friday’s mysterious leads).
ladailymirror.com 
adele mara?
LikeLike
A great guess! But, alas…
LikeLike
This is not from CROSSFIRE, is it?
LikeLike
Alas, it’s not….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks sorta like Anne Baxter but, alas, I don’t really think so.
LikeLike
Steve Brodie.
LikeLike
After “Donovan’s Brain,” we’re giving Mr. Brodie the week off.
LikeLike
Michael O’Shea
LikeLike
I’ll play ChatGPT and hallucinate BATAAN, 1943
LikeLike
D’oh! I had the Tuesday guy on Tuesday, but didn’t think he would be that early. THE EVE OF ST. MARK. Joann Dolan Monday with Vincent Price and William Eythe behind her, Joven E. Rola and Michael O’Shea Tuesday, and today, O’Shea, George Matthews, and Stanley Prager.
LikeLike
Wednesday’s soldiers are, from left, Michael O’Shea, John Archer, George Matthews, and Stanley Prager. The movie is The Eve of St. Mark from 1944
LikeLike
The Eve of St. Mark (1944)
Monday: Joann Dolan
Tuesday: Joven E. Rola; Michael O’Shea
Wednesday: Michael O’Shea, John Archer, George Mathews, Stanley Prager
LikeLike
The Eve of St. Mark
LikeLike
Michael O’Shea, George Mathews, Stanley Prager in EVE of St. MARK.
LikeLike
“The Eve of St. Mark” 1944
Monday – Joann Dolan, I think. There’s also a woman named Toni Favor in this picture. Haven’t been able to find a definite other source. Let’s stick with Joann. I think she’s looking at Vincent Price OS screen left.
Tuesday – still working on the guy, but the woman playing “Pepita” (saw a clip where she’s called by name) is Joven E. Rola.
Wednesday – George Matthews. I think the guy screen right is Stanley Prager, but not sure.
Apparently a lot of this cast came into the movie from stage play. Mr. Matthews was my key. Remember him from “Up in Arms”.
LikeLike
Tue – Michael O’Shea
Wednesday – George Mathews
Movie – The Eve of St. Mark
LikeLike
Harry Morgan; Ray Collins, Dickie Moore, Ruth Nelson, and Jimmy clark.
LikeLike
Harry Morgan; Ray Collins, Dickie Moore, Ruth Nelson, Jimmy Clark.
LikeLike
Harry Morgan, Ray Collins and Dickie Moore are among the members of today’s crowd, making this “The Eve of St. Mark.”
LikeLike
Harry Morgan and Ray Collins in The Eve of St. Mark (1944)
LikeLike
Harry Morgan, Ray Collins, Dickie Moore, and Ruth Nelson.
LikeLike
The Eve of St. Mark (1944) w/Anne Baxter, Dickie Moore, Ray Collins, Harry Morgan, William Eythe, Michael O’Shea, Vincent Price, Ruth Nelson, Blake Edwards, John Archer, Toni Favor…
LikeLike
Given the presence of Harry Morgan, Ray Collins, and Dickie Moore in today’s installment, the picture is THE EVE OF ST. MARK (1944).
LikeLike
Thursday –
Image 1 – Harry Morgan
Image 2 – Ray Collins and Ruth Nelson as the parents. Dickie Moore and Jimmy Clark (I think) as the younger brothers to William Eythe, who will appear tomorrow with Anne Baxter.
LikeLike
William Eythe in both images. With Vincent Price at the top and with Anne Baxter at the bottom.
LikeLike
William Eythe and Vincent Price, Anne Baxter, and Eythe.
LikeLike
William Eythe with Vincent Price and Anne Baxter.
LikeLike
William Eythe, Vincent Price and Anne Baxter.
LikeLike
william Eythe, Harry Morgan, Dickie Moore and Vincent Price in THE EVE OF ST MARK 1944. A rare bird I’ve never even heard of
LikeLike
Quite rare. Never aired on TCM, not commercially available as far as I can tell.
LikeLike