Never mind his acting--look at that FACE!

It's almost pointless to seriously critique the acting job Guy Madison delivers in this, his first lead role in a movie. He was a non-actor, straight out of the Marine Corps--who was spotted by the reptilian Henry Willson (who later went on to discover/develop Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter and legions of other unlikely-named but very handsome Hollywood hunks from the 1930's through the 1960's). Madison (born Robert Moseley) was certainly the handsomest of them all. His chiseled features--in the years roughly between 1945 and 1950--were considered to be just about the 'masculine ideal' of his time--and his appeal seems to transcend time, too, in that new generations are discovering this other-worldly-handsome young man from the post-War years, who was shown to greatest effect in this film, TILL THE END OF TIME. Director Edward Dmytryk devotes many almost embarrassingly loving, languid glances at the fulsome Mr. Madison, almost to the exclusion of the rest of the cast. Let's be honest, Guy's readings of some of the lines would have drawn snickers in a high school play, let alone while carrying a major Hollywood film. But..in an instance nearly unique in Hollywood history (John Wayne is the only other one who comes to mind), his almost amateurish dramatics were so earnest and well-intentioned, his lack of "acting talent" becomes almost a non-issue (John Wayne's debut, THE BIG TRAIL, was considered by most to be a big bomb when it came out in 1930).

Madison went on to a long career in television, as well as in "spaghetti Westerns" in Italy, where he eventually toughened into a grizzled character actor. But if you want to see the actor whom quite a few would say was Hollywood's all-time handsomest leading man at the peak of his beauty, this is the film to see. Turn off the sound....just watch Guy Madison look stunning.