An all-star cast brought what was considered an unfilmable James Jones novel to the screen with skill and grace. The story involves the loves, hopes, and dreams of those in a close-knit army barracks in Hawaii shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Montgomery Clift portrays a former boxer who refuses to fight after blinding a friend in the ring and is sent to the remote outpost as punishment for his insubordination. Love and tragedy abound in this unflattering look at American military life before the war. Fred Zinneman's sweeping film also stars Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, and Frank Sinatra.