Storm Warning

[melancholy]

[webmaster]

Great photo - saw it earlier and thanks for putting it in this section.

[puck]

Dorine, great to see you post my image, she looks marvelous ain't it.

[webmaster]

The only thing I don't like about that image is that it has nothing to do with the film characters they play - quite the opposite. I prefer the other images you did, especially the one we used as a banner.

[melancholy]

Well I had it in my Doris & leading men map and I just love it.Makes no differene to me wether they were enemies in the movie....
Dorine

[puck]

You right Bryan, the image has nothing to with the movie, these were only promo picture, but on this image she looks very modern, she looks so great and so confident.

[melancholy]

[webmaster]

See also: http://www.dorisday.net/storm_warning.html

I'd like to watch this film again.

[dave]

Just double-checked to see if it's still on youTube--to get the start of the movie go to

"Storm Warning Ginger Rogers" -- then choose "1951 Storm Warning.avi"

[jmichael]

Here's another one that I caught on TCM this week.

A solid drama with effective location footage and a gritty feel for small town bigotry and mob rule. Doris was fine in her rather one-dimensional role. You can witness her growing as an actress and leveraging her strong sense of truth to make the character of Lucy sympathetic, in spite of her unfortunate choices. Ginger Rogers was first rate and lovely in my estimation. She did a marvelous job in the lead role. However, Reagan was a dramatic void and Steve Cochran was just OK as the dim-witted stud married to Doris. Overall, this is a suspenseful and provocative little film.

Michael

[Jas1]

Michael

I agree - I think this film is quite under-rated and kind of stands out as a gritty (for its time) film.

[Johnny]

The more I think about this film, I appreciate it more. Imagine the Ku Klux Klan being the center of the 1951 film plot. I only recall a few films after 1951 , e;g. Mississippi Burning covering this subject.

This film is an outstanding thriller with great stars and dark moody cinematography. Storm Warning addresses the terror, hatred, and darkness of the Ku Klux Klan in the small Southern town with an ongoing and growing chill throughout the entire film .

Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Stve Cochran and Doris Day all engage the audience with their growing sense of the Ku Klux Klan' s hatred. In the beginning scene, Ginger witnesses the murder of the reporter that sets the story in motion. The tall shadows on the building are foreboding.

The teriffic screenplay is by Daniel Fuchs and Richard Brooks. It is great story telling.

I hope more people get to see this really good film. I would like it to be appreciated more.

[Jas1]

I so agree Johnny- it needs re-evaluated.

[ray]

There should be a DVD box set of Doris's drama roles. With Storm Warning, Young Man With A Horn, The Winning Team, Love Me Or Leave Me, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Julie, Midnight Lave and Young At Heart, which was a comedy drama sort of.

[Johnny]

What a great idea!

Let's hope this happens soon for Doris' fans. It would help remind audiences about her good dramatic roles and her good work in them.

[ray]

Add I'll See You In My Dreams in that drama list!

[webmaster]

"Storm Warning" is the film that Alfred Hitchcock saw Doris in and and told her he'd like to work with her:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4439#p52870

[Johnny]

Doris and Ginger Rogers look like real sisters in Storm Warning.

There were not many major female film stars that worked in Doris Day films. The ones that come to mind are, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone, Myrna Loy and Ethel Barrymore.

I would have liked to see Doris work with Jane Russell. Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood and Ava Gardiner. I think they would hav43e had a lot of fun.

[Musiclover]

Based on the critical acclaim over their careers, Eve Arden and Thelma Ritter probably also qualify as major film stars who worked with Doris.

[Jas1]

Johnny- you are so right about how Ginger and Doris look like real sisters- they had a very similar look - even Doris acknowledges this in the Mike Douglas interview [1976]- "Ginger and I look similar..." -

Am so glad Joan Crawford [supposedly] turned down the Ginger role in Storm Warning- stating to Jack Warner "come on Jack, who would beleive i had Doris Day as a kid sister" - [and vice versa Joan]!!!

The role shows the diversity of characters/ film types that Ginger was still doing into the 1950s - i actually think she is wonderful in this role- and was deserving of another Oscar nod for it.

[Johnny]

It is reported in David Kaufman's book that in Storm Warning, Ginger Rogers replaced Lauren Bacall who refused to do the role. Other actresses considered for the part at an earlier time were, Jane Wyman and Bette Davis. Thankfully, Ginger Rogers was cast. Ginger and Doris are really believable as sisters.

Jose Ferrer and Marlon Brando were considered for the Ronald Reagan part. I wonder how it would have worked out with Ferrer or Brando in the part.

Other titles for Storm Warning that were considered were: Cause For Alarm, The Violent Friends, The Fallen, The Outraged City, Winner Take Nothing, Thunder In The Night, The End of The Line. it was a really wise decision to choose Strom Warning for the title which aptly describes the ongoing building turbulence and tension in the film.

Storm Warning started filming on November 15, 1949 and finished on January 21, 1950. It premiered in Miami on January 17. 1951.

Ginger Rogers and Doris Day share a similar, great legacy. They were both well loved by their audience and had outstanding musical and dramatic talents. There always seemed to be a great deal of kindness and care in their performances. Watching them together in their scenes in Storm warning is a real pleasure.

[Musiclover]

There was a story at the time -- in the Hollywood Reporter, I think it was -- that Warner Bros. suspended Lauren Bacall because she refused the role in Storm Warning. In my view, Bacall could not have portrayed Doris's sister nearly as well as Ginger Rogers did. I loved the chemistry between Doris and Ginger, and am glad things turned out the way they did.

[Jas1]

Me too Musiclover- also, Joan Crawford [can you believe?] was offered and turned down the part stating [to Jack Warner] "Jack, no one will ever belive that i have Doris Day for a sister."

Here here and vica versa

[Johnny]

Storm Warning is a remarkable film for it's time. I saw No Way Out (1950) on TCM and it dealt with a similar theme about racism. No Way Out was Sidney Poitier's first film and he was outstanding. Linda Darnel and Richard Widmark also starred and gave wonderful performances.

The front cover of the Storm Warning DVD says: A friendly little town is unmasked in a story as startling as the screen has dared to be.
The back jacket cover says: Ahead of it's time. A taunt interesting film that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Danny Peary- Guide For The Film Fanatic
A mob in hooded white robes, a man pruning for his life, gunfire. In the south to visit her sister Lucy, Marsha Mitchell witness3es a Ku Klux Klan murder. Once safely with Lucy, Marsha gasps out the terror she has seen...then she recognizes her sister's brutish new husband as one of the killers. She could lie to protect her sister and leave town, or she could be the one person brave enough to bring the Klan to justice.

Ginger rogers and Doris Day as the sisters, Steve Cochran as the husband and Ronald Reagan as the crusading D.A. give some of the finest performances of their careers in this explosive indictment of a hate that poisoned America from within, part thriller, part expose, part human stirring drama, Storm Warning is a"Feverish, engrossing" movie(Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide") and moviemaking at it's most powerful.

It makes wonder why the Academy did not give recognition to this film that richly deserved honours for picture, Director, screenplay and performances by Ginger Rogers, Steve, Cochran and Doris Day. It is a really important film.

[Johnny]

Thinking about Storm Warning as a film with relevance to today's headlines about crimes of racism and discrimination, it was suggested by a friend that the film be brought back to the big screen as part of a package of films to educate with the goal to fight hatred and discrimination.

What Storm Warning does exceptionally well is create the atmosphere of darkness and tension which attempts to dominate the light that serves as hope. Storm Warning is frightening from beginning to end. The significance of this film should not be forgotten or overlooked.
Hatred and racism is taught and is irrational. There is a loss of humanity.


The film South Pacific addresses racism with the lyrics in the Rodgers and Hammerstein song, 'You Got To Be Carefully Taught".

There are many films (big and small), that address the crimes of racism and hold up a mirror to the ugliness. Some of these films are:
To Kill A Mockingbird -1962
A Soldier's Story - 1984
Gentlemen's Agreement - 1947
Milk - 2008
The Believer -2001
In The Heat of The Night -1967
Gran Torino -2009
Mississippi Burning - 1988

All these films shine a spotlight on discrimination and hopefully reinforce the goal of inspiring the best in humanity. The film The Believer is brilliant in showing the inner-conflict of an individual at war with himself while committing crimes against his race and faith.

If only one film influences one individual to stop hurting others because they look or believe differently it is a great film.

Storm Warning serves as a thoughtful reminder to do the right thing. It needs to be viewed periodically to inspire us.

Storm Warning - 1951