The Long Gray Line
The Long Gray Line
The life story of a salt-of-the-earth Irish immigrant, who becomes an Army Noncommissioned Officer and spends his 50 year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This includes his job-related experiences as well as his family life and the relationships he develops with young cadets whom he befriends. Based on the life of a real person.
Mister Arn reviewedJuly 17, 2025
“The Long Gray Line”, directed by John Ford and starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara, tells the story of Marty Maher, an Irish immigrant who arrives at West Point as a dishwasher and goes on to spend 50 years shaping the lives of cadets. The film shifts easily between light, often comic moments and scenes of deep emotion, especially those dealing with personal loss, which are among its most moving. It unfolds at a deliberate pace, but that’s part of its charm, inviting the viewer to feel the slow accumulation of a life’s work, the weight of tradition, and the quiet cost and reward of lifelong dedication.