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DVD Suddenly, Last Summer
This black-and-white film adaptation of Tennessee Williams's Southern gothic play is perhaps more famous for the rumored off-screen shenanigans of its stars than for its over-the-top repressed sexuality (only Williams could pull off that paradox, and pull it off he does). Supposedly, stars Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor battled for screen time; Hepburn warred very publicly with director Joseph Mankiewicz; and a postaccident Montgomery Clift relied heavily on painkillers and support from friend Taylor during the grueling shoot. Even this, however, cannot top the events of the film itself, revolving around the unseen playboy Sebastian and his mysterious death, which has something to do with young boys, a decadent European vacation, and Taylor in a provocative wet, white bathing suit. To give away the plot would spoil the fun, but suffice it to say that what Taylor saw was so horrible it drove her nuts, and Sebastian's mother (Hepburn) wants her to have a lobotomy in order to keep it from coming out; Clift is brought in to do the procedure. It's all a hoot and a holler, but as played by the two leading ladies (both of whom nabbed Oscar nominations), it's also compelling, chilling, and utterly gothic. Taylor gives a fierce performance, as the climaxing monologue that reveals Sebastian's "secret" rests entirely on her shoulders, and Hepburn plays brilliantly against type as Sebastian's manipulating, overbearing mother. Only Clift, saddled with a dreary character in charge of plot exposition, fails to deliver. Adapted by Gore Vidal. --Mark Englehart
"last summer Cathy knew she was being used for something evil!"
Groundbreaking and equally fascinating when it was released in 1959, this lurid adaptation of Tennessee William's play is most notable for the incredible performances of Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn who play a seemingly insane, young New Orleans debutante and the wealthy aunt who is intent to lobotomize her.
Suddenly Last Summer is a somber, intelligent and fascinating film, which for the time, deals with some terribly controversial issues. There's some nasty work at foot as the terrible secrets of homosexuality, insanity, murder and cannibalism are gradually revealed.
Wealthy and ferocious New Orleans matron, Mrs. Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), is determined to have her niece, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor), drastically lobotomized. Catherine tells about a horrifying past incident during a vacation trip with her cousin Sebastian that has made her breakdown and become totally mad.
Sebastian was Mrs. Venable's son and a failed poet. The wealthy dowager urges neurosurgeon Dr. John Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift) to act as a psychiatrist in the case. Dr. Cukrowicz is called in to seek the truth, treat and interview Catherine, and determine whether drastic measures are necessary. Mrs. Venable suggests a lobotomy to excise the memory of the incident and prevent the mad ravings from occurring, but Cukrowicz is strangely drawn to the tortured and misunderstood girl.
As the young doctor tries to get to the bottom of what happened to Catherine, Violet's steely demeanor and devotion to Sebastian present a formidable barrier. Catherine herself doesn't offer much help, her recollections jumbled by medication and the trauma of Sebastian's demise. Under pressure to seal the deal and cut into Catherine's brain, Cukrowicz's principles - and attraction to the young woman - prevent him from proceeding until he uncovers what actually happened to Sebastian.
The realization that Sebastian and Violet are not all that they seem is at the heart of the film, and provides the story's darkest secret. Catherine and Violet bookend Dr Cukrowicz and tear at him with their considerable powers. Violet has charisma and money to burn, while Catherine has her passion, beauty, and perfect breasts. In a memorable confrontation, Catherine reminds Violet that she's too old to "attract", a skill highly regarded by Sebastian, who apparently loved to have a beautiful woman nearby to lure sexy guys for his own use.
The film's most memorable scene, and the one in which I must confess was totally mesmerized, is when Catherine, under the influence of some kind of hypnotic truth serum describes the bizarre murder of the predatory Sebastian. While traveling with him in Spain during their vacation the previous summer, he used her as a means to attract and lure boys. The young boys turned on Sebastian and he was murdered. She describes how she watched his body being ravaged and cannibalized by angry young boys at the Spanish coastal resort:
Suddenly, Last Summer unrolls creakily like a one-act play - there are only half a dozen major scenes in the film, some running for well over fifteen minutes, and featuring great actors - Clift, Hepburn and Taylor - in spectacular Williams duologues.
Bizarre highlights include Violet descending in a one-person elevator, Catherine stumbling across an asylum catwalk grabbed at by horny, lobotomized male inmates, and a surreal Mediterranean cannibalism scene that's sensational while also being quite disturbing. Mike Leonard October 05.
Southern Gothic Drama Gone to Seed?
I finally in 2005 see this movie released in 1959. I'm not sure what to say. The good: Elizabeth Taylor. Although she has taken a lot of criticism over the years for some of the bad movies she has made, she does a fantastic job of acting here. She even looks less than 100% beautiful when she is first seen in a hospital gown, and that takes some doing by the makeup department. It's always good to see that she sometimes is a fine actor. The not as good: Katharine Hepburn is of course one of our finest actors, but this is not her best role. You can see the beginnings here of the over-the-top performances that she often gave in later years. Montgomery Clift as Dr. Cukrowicz is wooden and just does a lot of staring. Finally, the "what is going on" here? Gore Vidal and Tennessee Williams co-wrote the screenplay from a Williams play so they get most of the credit or blame, depending on your point of view. Of course the writers had to get around the censors-- Vidal had suffered greatly for his honest writing in THE CITY AND THE PILLAR-- so we have all this secrecy about Hepburn's (Mrs. Venable) son Sebastian who died "suddenly last summer," the cause of his death and the effect of his death on Catherine (Ms. Taylor). There seems to be a bit of incest-- emotional if not physical-- a hint that Sebastian may have had a thing about young men ("we procured for him"), and the ending that pretty much defies description. While I cannot conceive that Williams was striving for camp, since his own sister had one of the first lobotomies in the country-- Ms. Venable, along with the consent of Catherine's mother, wants that surgery performed on Catherine-- nevertheless, much of this movie comes across as less than serious, to say the least.
Query: Would we have seen so much of Ms. Taylor in that white bathing suit in the famous beach scene that supposedly took place in 1937 or 37? And would a physician have received no reprimand for kissing a patient the way Clift sucks face with Ms. Taylor?
Of course no American playwright has produced more fragile women characters than Tennessee Williams. We can add two more to the list; but for me, they do not work as well as some of the others, Blanche and Maggie, for instance.
Less than perfect Williams, however, is still entertaining.
A Creepy Adult Mystery!
"Suddenly, Last Summer" is one of my favorite films for many reasons. The lush writing is Tennessee Williams at his best. The Screenplay is far superior to his original work, which was a short stage play. Due the bizarre subject matter of the story and because it was the late 1950's, much of the plot was considered taboo by the film censors. William had to then mask and conceal much of the questionable and unpleasant subject matter in a way that would insure getting the film approved. For example instead of using the word rape, Williams had to describe a character as "loosing her honor". Gore Vidal helped Williams adapt his work for the film and these great writers produced a script that is both poetic and dripping with lurid prose. Because of this the film takes on a surreal and dreamlike state that is heightened further by the glorious black and white photography. I don't think this film would have been nearly as effective in color!
The basic plot, without giving away too much, concerns a New Orleans Brain Surgeon (Montgomery Cliff) who is asked by a wealthy widow (Katherine Hepburn) to perform a lobotomy on her demented Niece (Elizabeth Taylor). Hepburn wants to erase from Taylor's mind a horrific memory of what happened the prior summer while Hepburn's beloved son was on vacation with Taylor. Taylor witnessed his death on a tropical island. There is much more to the story but half the fun of this creepy film is letting it unfold to its unbelievable climax. I especially love the last twenty minutes which is shown in flashback. We get to see exactly what Elizabeth Taylor experienced that made her go crazy. Both Taylor and Hepburn were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in this film...and it shows! Special mention goes to Taylor for allowing herself, in the first half of the film, to be photographed looking disheveled and a bit frumpy. Later though we are treated to seeing her in all her glory as one of the most beautiful women ever put on film!
This movie isn't for everyone though. You must love old black and white movies and invest some thought into just what Williams and Vidal were trying to say. There are long deliciously written monologues that some may find boring. To me it's a well acted gothic mystery that only gets better with repeated viewings.
Elizabeth Taylor has never been sexier than as Tennessee Williams's hot-blooded Maggie "The Cat" Pollitt, prowling around her boudoir in a slinky white slip. That's how you know her alcoholic, ex-football-player husband, Brick (Paul Newman), must have more than just his leg in a cast. It's the 65th birthday of wealthy (but dying) southern patriarch Big Daddy (Burl Ives), and his sons Gooper (Jack Carter) and Brick have come to suck up to him for $10 million in inheritance money. Gooper is a family man and father to a brood of "no-neck monsters"; youngest boy Brick is papa's favorite (as if you couldn't tell from the fellow's names), but hasn't sired progeny. Maggie is definitely in heat, but Brick refuses to sleep with her because he suspects her her of being unfaithful with his best... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Elizabeth Taylor - Paul Newman - Burl Ives Director(s): Richard Brooks DVD Release Date: Released the 19 September 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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George Stevens won an Oscar for his 1951 adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy, though the film seems a little overwrought today and even self-parodying at times. Still, Montgomery Clift's performance as a poor lad so drawn to a rich, beautiful girl (Elizabeth Taylor) that he contemplates killing his lower-class fiancée (Shelley Winters) is powerful, sympathetic, and mesmerizing. Taylor makes a strong impression, but Winters is awfully good in the less-glamorous role. The tone of the film is oppressive--the film doesn't exactly breathe with possibility--but there are lots of good reasons to give this movie a visit. --Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Montgomery Clift - Elizabeth Taylor - Shelley Winters Director(s): George Stevens DVD Release Date: Released the 14 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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After his successful direction of the Broadway hits Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple, Mike Nichols made his filmmaking debut with this outstanding and still-powerful screen adaptation (by Ernest Lehman) of Edward Albee's taboo-shattering play. In their fourth film together (and by far their finest), Richard Burton and Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor play a New England couple whose marriage hangs by a thin thread of self-deception, vicious verbal jousting, and embittered mutual need. George Segal and Sandy Dennis (who also won an Oscar) play the younger, unsuspecting couple who awkwardly witness the devastating rivalry of their hosts. Handling adult themes with intelligence and forceful dramatic impact, this was the film that finally shattered Hollywood's self-censoring... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton Director(s): Mike Nichols DVD Release Date: Released the 18 May 1999 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This silky smooth film noir pits gruff police detective Dana Andrews, stiff and blunt in his street-bred manners, against a cultured columnist and acidic wit (Clifton Webb at his prissiest) in a battle of wits during a murder investigation. The cop is a romantic hiding under a hard-boiled exterior who falls in love with the beautiful victim through the portrait that hangs in her apartment. Gene Tierney, whose heart-shaped face mixes the exotic with the girl next door, brings the poise and calm of a model to her role as the object of every man's gaze and the target of a killer. Laura, handsomely shot in dreamy black and white, is the first and best of Otto Preminger's cool, controlled murder mysteries. In the gritty world of film noir it remains the most refined and elegant example... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Gene Tierney - Dana Andrews Director(s): Rouben Mamoulian - Otto Preminger DVD Release Date: Released the 15 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This is a powerful film that's making its long-awaited DVD debut and what do we get -- a scratchy print scaled down from widescreen to a 4X3 aspect ratio, essentially the same as its VHS presentation. The price is cheap for good reason ...this is a beauty that's been somewhat stripped of its grandeur. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Katharine Hepburn - Ralph Richardson - Jason Robards Director(s): Sidney Lumet DVD Release Date: Released the 11 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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