Editing Lewis Milestone (section)

==Post-war films: 1946–1951==
===''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946)===

The movies Milestone directed in the late 1940s represent "the last distinctive period" in his creative output. His first post-war project was the [[Hal B. Wallis]] production ''[[The Strange Love of Martha Ivers]]'' (1946), which is based on the story "Love Lies Bleeding" by [[John Patrick (dramatist)|John Patrick]].<ref>Arnold, 2003 TCM<br />Millichap, 1981 pp. 142&ndash;143: "Between them the writer and director created a taut, harsh tale of American moral corruption which became a classic example of the post-war Hollywood style known as film noir"</ref> The film, which was made In collaboration with screenwriter [[Robert Rossen]], is, according to Higham and Greenberg (1968), a "striking addition" to the post-war Hollywood film genre ''[[film noir]]'', combining a grim, 19th-century [[Realism (art movement)|romanticism]] with the cinematic methods of [[German Expressionism (cinema)|German Expressionism]].<ref>Higham and Greenberg, 1968 pp. 20&ndash;21: See here for definitions of ''film noir'', re: "Romanticism" and German/Austrian directors, "reaching its fullest realization in the Forties" and p. 27: "Lewis Milestone, in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946), also created a striking addition to film noir{{nbsp}}.... Replete with impressive images of cruelty and destructiveness, this chef d'oeuvre could not have been more persuasively directed"<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 154: "Milestone's ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' proves a perfect example of ''film noir'', a dark revelation of a corrupt and corrupting urban America{{nbsp}}... not only one of the best of its type [it] remains one Milestone's best films, a dramatic confirmation of the director's diverse and generous gifts" and p. 154: "Robert Rossen's literate and intelligent screenplay, a work which recalls literary sources a diverse as [[Eugene O'Neill]] and [[John O'Hara]]" and p. 144: "Milestone assisted{{nbsp}}... by an excellent cast"<br />Arnold, 2003 TCM: "a classic ''film noir'' which introduced Kirk Douglas to the movie-going world{{nbsp}}.... Dark, twisted and gripping, the picture was an all-around triumph."</ref>

Rossen's and Milestone's script provided the cast, which features [[Barbara Stanwyck]], [[Van Heflin]] and [[Kirk Douglas]] in his first screen appearance with a "taut, harsh" narrative that critiques post-war, urban America as corrupt and irredeemable.<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 142&ndash;143: "Between them the writer and director created a taut, harsh tale of American moral corruption which became a classic example of film noir."<br />Barson, 2020: "''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) was a departure for Milestone, an effective film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck, Lizabeth Scott, and (in his film debut) Kirk Douglas."<br />Canham, 1974 p. 97: "the viciousness of dialogue and character reflected a cynical approach to modern society" and pp. 97&ndash;98: "a powerful demonstration of the destructive distortion of identify{{nbsp}}... which stemmed from an obsessive devotion to money and power."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. "Kirk Douglas, in his screen debut"</ref> Cinematographer [[Victor Milner]] supplied the ''film noir'' effects and musical director [[Miklós Rózsa]] integrated sound motifs with Milestone's visual elements.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 144: "[[Victor Milner]]'s cinematography renders the requisite stylistic effects of film noir" and "the sound track is enhanced by Miklos Rozsa's brilliant original score [which] presents themes for each of the characters and then skillfully intertwines and contrasts them in an almost perfect counterpoint to the visual images."</ref><ref>Higham and Greenberg, 1968 pp. 20&ndash;21: "the minatory score of{{nbsp}}... Miklos Rozs." The final cut was marred by Wallis's post-production insertion of close-ups to promote his rising Paramount property [[Lizabeth Scott]].<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 144: "Only one member of the production staff really hindered Milestone: producer [[Hal B. Wallis]] [who insisted] on inserting a number of pointless close-ups of his latest starlet, [[Lizabeth Scott]], in Milestone's finished director's print. The inserts [of Scott] stand out like sore thumbs{{nbsp}}... the rest of the film is as faultless in its visual rhythms as everything Milestone ever did."</ref>

===''Arch of Triumph'' (1948)===

Following ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'', Milestone left Paramount and moved to the independent [[Enterprise Productions]]. His first film for Enterprise was ''Arch of Triumph'', which is based on [[Erich Maria Remarque]]'s [[Arch of Triumph (novel)|1945 eponymous novel]].<ref>Erickson, 2014 TCM: "One of several independent film companies attempting to establish a foothold in Hollywood was Enterprise Productions, which generated a string of quality pictures in the late 1940s{{nbsp}}... Enterprise's biggest production is director Lewis Milestone's ''Arch of Triumph,'' from a novel by the noted Erich Maria Remarque, who had earlier written the source novel for Milestone"</ref>

''Arch of Triumph'' was highly anticipated by moviegoers, and by Enterprise Productions, which committed huge capital investments to the project.<ref>Erickson, 2014 TCM: "Enterprise Productions put everything it had into Arch of Triumph, with production values the equal of any big studio film{{nbsp}}... the highly anticipated movie seemed a guaranteed hit."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 155: "Producers [at Enterprise Productions] saw the adaptation of the best-selling novel as a blockbuster on the scale of [[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]] (1939)."</ref> The novel is set in Paris in 1939; Remarque's autobiographical work examines the personal devastation of two displaced persons: surgeon Dr. Ravic ([[Charles Boyer]]), who is fleeing Nazis persecution, and the ''[[demimonde]]'' courtesan Joan Modau ([[Ingrid Bergman]]); the pair fall in love and suffer a tragic fate.<ref>Hoberman, 2014: "Adapted from a novel by Erich Remarque, Arch of Triumph is set on the eve of World War II in the Paris of desperate anti-Nazi refugees. Charles Boyer is one, an idealistic doctor, who falls in love with a professional courtesan and chanteuse of mystery (Ingrid Bergman)"<br />Millichap, 1981 pp. 154&ndash;155: See here for story sketch</ref>

Remarque's depictions of the Paris underworld, which describe a revenge murder and a mercy killing, was at odds with the strictures of the [[Production Code Administration]]. Milestone excised "the bars, brothels and operating rooms", and the sordid ending from the screenplay. Enterprise Productions executives, who wanted a film that would rival [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]'s recently re-released ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939), had procured [[Charles Boyer]] and [[Ingrid Bergman]].<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 156: The first problem was that Enterprise "pushed [the production] toward glamorous romance" and "bars, brothels{{nbsp}}... [and the film's] conclusion is changed" to conform to Code.</ref> The miscasting of screen stars Boyer and Bergman as Dr. Ravic and Joan Madou, respectively, impaired Milestone's development of these characters with respect to the literary source.<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 155–156: Boyer and Bergman were badly miscast. Boyer, a matinee idol [is unconvincing as] a refugee doctor, while Bergman{{nbsp}}... portrayed as{{clarify|reason=typo?|date=May 2023}} international tart about as convincingly as Boyer would have played an All-American fullback."</ref> Milestone said:

{{blockquote|One thing wrong was that it was supposed to be a realistic piece, but it had two major stars in the lead. If you have two major stars like that, then half your reality goes out the window.<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 155&ndash;156: "''Arch of Triumph'' fails almost completely. A great part of the failure was beyond Milestone's control."</ref>}}

Milestone delivered a four-hour version of ''Arch of Triumph'' Enterprise Productions had approved. Executives reversed that decision shortly before its release, cutting the movie to the more usual two hours. Entire scenes and characters were removed, undermining the clarity and continuity of Milestone's work.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99: "certain studio executives did not like the long version that Milestone turned in, so it was drastically pruned and re-edited, and today Milestone practically disowns ''Arch of Triumph''."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 156: A "major difficulty was that [producers cut Milestone's long version] from about four hours to a more conventional two{{nbsp}}... such drastic cutting destroyed the continuity of the work. Major characters were completely eliminated, loose ends of plot abound and the movie romance of Boyer and Bergman becomes even more central."<br />Hoberman, 2014: "The script, which Milestone helped write, is hopeless—disjointed and rich with pointless enigmas, although not enough to be truly surreal."</ref> Milestone's overall disaffection for the project is evident in his indifferent application of cinematic technique, contributing to the failure of his film adaptation. According to Millichap (1981):

{{blockquote |Milestone cannot be completely absolved of responsibility for the disaster{{nbsp}}... Even given the fragmentary state of the final print, the film seems strangely inert and lifeless. Mainly studio shot, the careful ''mise-en-scène'' of earlier films is missing. Aside from two or three sequences, the compositions are dull, the camera is static, the editing predictable{{nbsp}}... Milestone seems to have almost given up<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 156</ref>}}

Millichap added: "Wherever the blame is placed, ''Arch of Triumph'' is a clear failure, a bad film made from a good book".<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 156. And p. 154: "The Arch of Triumph should have been a much better film than it turned out to be{{nbsp}}... based [as it was] on a solid literary property"</ref>

''Arch of Triumph'' was a failure at the box office and Enterprise Productions took a significant loss. Milestone continued working with the studio, accepting an offer to produce and direct a [[Dana Andrews]] and [[Lilli Palmer]] comedy, ''[[No Minor Vices]]'' (1948).
<ref>Erickson, 2014 TCM:"audiences didn't [appreciate] the film and it earned back less than a third of its budget."</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 156: "both an artistic and financial disaster. It grossed $1,5 million, while it cost almost $4 million to make."And p. 157: "in later years he has practically disowned the film"</ref><ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99</ref>''No Minor Vices'', a "semi-sophisticated" film that is reminiscent of Milestone's 1941 comedy ''[[My Life with Caroline]]'', added little to Milestone's oeuvre.<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 156&ndash;157: "After he completed ''Arch of Triumph'', Milestone reverted to the weak, semi-sophisticated comedy of his Paramount and RKO pictures of the 1930s in No Minor Vices (1949){{nbsp}}... the movie seems to reprise My Life with Caroline (year){{clarify|reason=check quote; what is "(year)" doing here?|date=May 2023}}{{nbsp}}... Milestone labored to make the film interesting with [[stream-of-consciousness]] soliloquies and deft pans{{nbsp}}... but most reviewers found it dull stuff{{nbsp}}... it seems the kind of programmer that the director might have better avoided."</ref><ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99: Milestone "continued to work prolifically, turning our a rarely seen comedy, No Minor Vices"</ref> After this film, Milestone departed Enterprise.<ref name="Millichap, 1981 p. 157">Millichap, 1981 p. 157</ref>

===''The Red Pony'' (1949)===

Milestone's next project, in collaboration with novelist [[John Steinbeck]] at [[Republic Pictures]], was to direct a film version of ''[[The Red Pony]]'' (1937),<ref name="Millichap, 1981 p. 157"/> a [[short story cycle]] set in California's rural [[Salinas Valley]] in the early 20th century. Milestone and Steinbeck had considered adapting these [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age stories]] about a boy and his pony since 1940. In 1946, they partnered with Republic Pictures, an amalgamation of "[[Poverty Row]]" studios known for low-budget [[Western (genre)|westerns]] but now prepared to invest in a major production.<ref>Barson, 2020: "The Red Pony (1949) was an adaptation by Steinbeck of his book of four related stories. The coming-of-age film centers on a boy who bonds with his pony."<br />Arnold, 2008 TCM: "Formed as a union of half a dozen poverty-row film studios, Republic Pictures in its early years didn't carry much prestige. This view changed in the late 1940s when the studio made a concerted effort to propel itself to more respectable ranks by producing 'serious' dramas with renowned filmmakers{{nbsp}}... [their] most expensive picture to date"<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 157: Milestone and Steinbeck "became good friends" while working on ''[[Of Mice and Men (1939 film)|Of Mice and Men]]'' (1939). And "Republic, essentially a studio devoted to westerns" and p. 158: The story set "about 1910."<br />Higham and Greenberg, 1968 p. 155: "Shot mainly on location, the film was part of Republic Studio's bid for 'prestige' that had also resulted in [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Macbeth (1948 film)|Macbeth]]'' (1948). Its score by [[Aaron Copland]], its attractive restrained color{{nbsp}}... fully realized the studio's prestigious aspirations."</ref>

Steinbeck served as sole screenwriter on ''The Red Pony''. His novella, composed of four short stories, is "unified only by continuities of character, setting theme".<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 157 : "Steinbeck served as screenwriter, his only adaptation of one of his own works, while Milestone took credit as both producer and director" and p. 159 and p. 168: The quote on "distorts" is a composite quote used for clarity. And p. 158: "The four separate tales [of the story sequence] are connected by common characters, settings and themes."<br />Arnold, 2008 TCM: "For The Red Pony, Steinbeck actually adapted his own work to the screen{{nbsp}}... the screenplay was based not on a single novel but on several of his short stories [and] blending them into one complete tale must have been an intriguing challenge and an appealing chance to create something wholly original.</ref> Identifying a market for the film was a key concern for Republic, which insisted on a movie aimed at young audiences.<ref>Higham and Greenberg, 1968 p. 155: "A film of [high] caliber was Lewis Milestone's version of John Steinbeck's The Red Pony (1949), from a screenplay by Steinbeck. This entered with sensitivity and imagination into the world of childhood"<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 157: Republic "pigeonholed" the film as a "children's picture, a kind of kid's western" and p. 162: Some of the scenes possess "a kid's picture undertone{{nbsp}}... right out of a [[Walt Disney|Disney]] production"</ref> In the interests of crafting a sequential, coherent narrative, Steinbeck mostly limited the film adaptation to the stories "The Gift" and "The Leader of the People", omitting some of the novella's harsher episodes. Steinbeck willingly provided a more upbeat ending to the film, an accommodation that according to Millichap (1981), "completely distorts{{nbsp}}... the thematic thrust of Steinbeck's story sequence".<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 157: "The film's conclusion, altered to a stock happy ending represents the transformation of the plot character and theme in the screen version" of "one of Steinbeck's finest works of [literary] fiction" and p. 159 and p. 164 re: focus on "The Gift" and "The Leader of the People" with "The Great Mountains" expunged and "The Promise" severely cut. And on "willingly" See p. 168: "the author himself included [the happy ending] in the screenplay{{nbsp}}... [altering] the thematic thrust of the story sequence"</ref>

Casting for ''The Red Pony'' presented for Milestone difficulties developing Steinbeck's characters and themes, which explore a child's "initiation into the realities of adult life".<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 162: "the film quickly loses much of the power promised by the literary source and anticipated in the strong opening sequence."</ref> The aging ranch hand Billy Buck is portrayed by the youthful and virile [[Robert Mitchum]], whose character effectively displaces the father Fred Tiflin ([[Shepperd Strudwick]]) as male mentor to the nine-year-old Tom Tiflin ([[Peter Miles (American actor)|Peter Miles]]). The boy's mother is played by [[Myrna Loy]].<ref>Arnold, 2008 TCM: "Myrna Loy plays against type here, and film historian Lawrence Quirk has wondered "why [she] took this role, merely a ranch housewife and mother who is very much on the periphery of this bucolic mood piece."<br />Millichap, 1981 pp. 159&ndash;160: "[[Louis Calhern]]{{nbsp}}... seems a strange amalgamation of [[Will Geer]]'s Grandpa [[The Waltons|Walton]] and [[Joel McCrea]]'s [[Buffalo Bill]]."<br />Barson, 2020: "Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum gave fine performances"</ref> According to Millichap, "The major casting problem is the [young] protagonist. Perhaps no child star could capture the complexity of this role, as it is much easier for an adult to write about sensitive children than for a child to play one."<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 160: "Miles sensitivity often seems rather sugary and his anger at the world is more or less a tantrum."</ref>

According to Millichap (1981), Milestone's cinematic effort fails to do justice to the literary source but several of the visual and aural elements are impressive. The opening sequence resembles the prologue of his 1939 adaptation of Steinbeck's novel ''Of Mice and Men'', introducing the natural world that will dominate and inform the characters' lives.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 161: "Like many Milestone films, it opens quite well [but] does not sustain the artistic intensity" and p. 168: "Although Milestone's The Red Pony is not as artistically successful as Steinbeck's story sequence it remains a sincere film adaptation" and pp. 160&ndash;161: "Milestone opens the film with a pre-title sequence which clearly recalls ''Of Mice and Men'' in both visual and aural imagery{{nbsp}}... establishing a complex relationship between the human characters and the natural world"</ref>

''The Red Pony'' is Milestone's first [[technicolor]] film; according to Canham (1974), his "graceful visual touch" is enhanced by cameraman [[Tony Gaudio]]'s painterly renderings of the rural landscape.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99: "his first technicolor film"<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 157: "the film is notable as Milestone's first color effort" and p. 160: "[[Tony Gaudio]]'s cinematography" in technicolor "suggests the best of American regional painting [in his use of] natural, muted tones."</ref> According to Barson (2020), composer [[Aaron Copland]]'s highly regarded film score perhaps surpasses Milestone's visual rendering of Steinbeck's story.<ref>Barson, 2020 TCM: "Aaron Copland wrote the acclaimed film score."<br />Arnold, 2008 TCM: "Aaron Copland's wistful and haunting score was one of just six the famed composer wrote for American feature films."<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 160: "Perhaps the best single feature of the film is the powerful score by [[Aaron Copland]], who had also scored [Milestone's] ''Of Mice and Men'' (1939); both scores became concert favorites, among the finest pieces of music created for Hollywood. As in his earlier work with Milestone, Copland's script perfectly matches the mood of the visuals, and this case often surpasses them in invoking the lyric naturalism of Steinbeck's original work."</ref>

''The Red Pony'' provided Enterprise with a satisfactory "prestige" property, generating critical praise and respectable box office returns.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 157: "the movie proved a moderate success, both critically and financially."<br />Arnold, 2008 TCM: In its effort to make "prestige" productions{{nbsp}}... the studio made a concerted effort to propel itself to more respectable ranks by producing 'serious' dramas with renowned filmmakers such as Orson Welles' ''Macbeth'' (1948), Frank Borzage's ''Moonrise'' (1948), and Lewis Milestone's ''The Red Pony'' (1949)."</ref>

===Move to 20th Century Fox===
Milestone moved to [[20th Century Fox]] where he made three films: ''[[Halls of Montezuma (film)|Halls of Montezuma]]'' (1951), ''[[Kangaroo (1952 film)|Kangaroo]]'' (1952) and ''[[Les Misérables (1952 film)|Les Misérables]]'' (1952).<ref>Canham, 1974 pp. 99&ndash;100</ref>

''Halls of Montezuma'', which was released in January 1951, reflects the [[Cold War]] imperatives that informed Hollywood films during the [[Korean War]]. The story, which was written by [[Michael Blankfort]] with Milestone as uncredited co-screenwriter,<ref>Arnold, 2003 TCM: Milestone on taking screenwriting credits: "'I seldom did' he said."</ref> concerns an attack by US Marines on a Japanese-held island during World War II, and focuses on the heroic suffering experienced by one patrol in its effort to locate a Japanese rocket-launching bunker.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 171: "Milestone{{nbsp}}... worked with [Blankfort on the screenplay], and it seems likely [Milestone's] own brand of liberal realism influenced the work{{nbsp}}... there are many interesting correspondences with [his 1930 film] All Quiet on the Western Front" and "it concerns a Marine landing on a [Japanese held] Pacific island" that resembles the [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] attack in 1945 "but it was produced during the Korean War."</ref> Milestone's dual themes celebrate both Marine combat heroics, juxtaposed with an examination of psychological damage to the soldiers who participate in the "horrors" of modern warfare, including the torture of enemy combatants.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 170: "the marines fight because they are on the side of right, 'On God's side' [reflecting] the [[Cold War]] vision of the American position{{nbsp}}... [the film's] ultimate thematic thrust{{nbsp}}... obviously resembles many of the mindlessly self-congratulatory war films of the 1950s" and "for all its disconcerting patriotic entertainment values, [the film] also has moments of real insight into the horrors of war" and p. 170: The letter of a dead Marine is discovered by his comrades: "'war is too horrible for human beings'{{nbsp}}... the letter itself contains the film's thematic core"<br />Crowther, 1951 NYT: "A remarkably real and agonizing demonstration of the horribleness of war, with particular reference to its impact upon the men who have to fight it on the ground" and "the passionate theme of the whole drama is cried out in a dead man's words toward the end: 'War is too horrible for human beings!'" and "Psychoses of fear and hate are mingled dramatically among the men, and their distaste for taking prisoners becomes a motivating factor in the plot"<br />Canham, 1974 p. 99: "the film is marred by concessions to sentimentality, such as the reading of the Lord's Prayer by [[Karl Malden]] before the final battle."</ref> Milestone denied ''Halls of Montezuma'' addressed his "personal beliefs" on the nature of war; he agreed to direct the movie as a financial expedient.<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 169: "Milestone dismisses the film as a potboiler" and Milestone: "'It was really just a job, not a true opportunity to state my personal beliefs about war{{nbsp}}... I was collecting some money I needed very badly'"</ref>

''Halls of Montezuma'' recalls some elements of Milestone's 1930 anti-war classic ''All Quiet on the Western Front''. The film's cast, like the earlier film, was selected from relatively unknown actors, their "complex and believable" characterizations revealing the contrasts between hardened veterans and green recruits. The cinematic handling of battle scenes is also reminiscent of the 1930 movie, where Marines deploy from their landing crafts and advance on open terrain under enemy fire.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99: "Flashbacks fill in the civilian lives and problems of the characters, and are quite well integrated"<br />Millichap, 1981 p. 170: "For the most part the characters are complex and believable, not the cardboard cutouts of similar films" and pp. 171–172: "there are many interesting correspondences with ''All Quiet on the Western Front''" and "the ploy also resembles Milestone's [1930] classic"</ref> Milestone reverts to the formulaic war movie with a standard "[[Give 'em Hell, Harry!|Give 'em Hell]]" climax, accompanied by the strains of the [[Marine Hymn]].<ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 173: "the final half-hour, the film deteriorates into a rather standard adventure movie"</ref> The film is commonly cited as representing the onset of a purported decline in his talents or his exploitation by the studios.<ref>Whitely, 2020: "After ''Halls of Montezuma'' (1950) Milestone's movie career began to trail off and he never again reached his earlier heights{{nbsp}}.... After ''Halls of Montezuma'' he did no work for a year" and "In the postwar period his career was undoubtedly affected by the McCarthy Communist witch-hunts. In 1949, he was blacklisted for his left wing associations of the 1930s.<br />Millichap, 1981 pp. 168&ndash;169: "Halls of Montezuma is one of Milestone's most underrated efforts. The movie is rarely discussed, and when it is mentioned at all, it serves critics as an example of either the declining powers or the commercial co-option of the director during the 1950s."</ref>

After completing ''Halls of Montezuma'', 20th Century Fox, the studio sent Milestone to Australia to use funds limited to reinvestment in that country. Based on this consideration, Milestone filmed ''[[Kangaroo (1952 film)|Kangaroo]]'' (1952),<ref>Whitely, 2020: In the early 1950s he made "several low budget failures, such as 'They Who Dare' in 1954"</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 175: "the director's development paralleled Hollywood history as he tried his hand at television, foreign productions and earlier [film] classics. None of these films really require close analysis"</ref> which film critic [[Bosley Crowther]] termed an "antipodal Western". According to film critic Joseph Millichap (1981), Milestone struggled with the studio was over "the utterly ridiculous script, a collection of Western ''clichés'' transposed from the American plains to the Australian outback".<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 99: "the ploy resembled a routine Western format"<br />Crowther, 1952 NYT: "antipodal", quoted in Millichap, 1981 p. 176</ref> Milestone attempted to evade the poor literary vehicle by concentrating on "the landscape, flora and fauna" of the Australian outback at the expense of dialogue. The [[Technicolor]] cinematography by [[Charles G. Clarke]] achieved a documentary-like quality, incorporating Milestone's hallmark panning and tracking methods.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 100: "Milestone's handling of the material was interesting to the extent of carrying sound and lack of dialogue to extremes, but the standard of playing was below par."</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 p. 176: See here for camerawork, comparisons to [[John Ford]] and [[Howard Hawks]] depictions of the American West. And Burdened with a "hapless plot" Kangaroo "proves to be only another [of Milestone's] interesting failures."<br />Higham, 1974 pp. 130&ndash;131: "first rate action scenes [including] a cattle stampede [that emulates] [[Harry Watt]]'s [[The Overlanders (film)|The Overlanders]] [and] "once again demonstrated that, as a master of natural environments, Milestone was second to none".</ref> It has been argued that Milestone's changes to the script hurt the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|access-date=20 February 2025|date=20 February 2025|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/wrecking-australian-stories-kangaroo/|title=Wrecking Australian Stories: Kangaroo}}</ref>

For the last of his three pictures at 20th Century Fox, Milestone delivered ''[[Les Misérables (1952 film)|Les Misérables]]'' (1952), a 104-minute version of [[Victor Hugo]]'s [[Les Misérables|eponymous romance novel]] (1862). Fox producers provided the project with their contracted actors including [[Michael Rennie]], [[Debra Paget]], [[Robert Newton]] and [[Sylvia Sidney]], and lavish production support. According to Canham (1974), the script by [[Richard Murphy (screenwriter)|Richard Murphy]] "telescopes all the novel's famous set-pieces into this cliché-ridden" abbreviated adaptation.<ref>Canham, 1974 p. 100: "Fox loaded his next film [''Les Misérables''] with contract players, but Milestone was dealing with an indifferent script{{nbsp}}... lavish sets and model work helped capture the feeling of the piece"</ref><ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 176&ndash;177: "Casting does not aid Milestone's effort" and see p. 176 for "cliche-ridden" comment.</ref> In a 1968 interview with film historians Charles Higham and Joel Greenberg, Milestone said of his approach during the filming of ''Les Miserables,'' "Oh, for Chrissake, it was just a job; I'll do it and get it over with". According to Millichap (1981), "that he did little with [Hugo's] literary classic{{nbsp}}... seems to indicate the waning of Milestone's creative energies".<ref>Millichap, 1981 pp. 176&ndash;177: See p. 177 for quote And p. 176: "The final print bears every evidence of this attitude".</ref>