Synopsis

Irish immigrant Martin Maher arrives at West Point in 1898 and gradually makes the academy his lifelong home. Over five decades, he becomes a respected instructor, forms a family, and treats generations of cadets as his surrogate children. When retirement threatens to separate him from the institution, Maher appeals to a former student whose own career was shaped by West Point.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Marty Maher's autobiography, Bringing Up the Brass: My Fifty-Five Years at West Point, written with Nardi Reeder Campion.

• The phrase "the long gray line" refers both to the succession of West Point graduates and to the gray uniforms worn by its cadets.

• The picture's working title was Mister West Point.

• Portions of the production were filmed at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

• It was John Ford's first CinemaScope production and his first film after an extended absence caused by eye surgery.

• The film was Robert Francis' final screen appearance. He died in a plane crash on July 31, 1955.

• John Ford reportedly saw Jack Lemmon during screen tests for this production and later cast him in Mister Roberts.