Suddenly, Last Summer
Film poster
Directed by	Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Produced by	Sam Spiegel
Written by	Gore Vidal Tennessee Williams (play)
Starring	Elizabeth Taylor Katharine Hepburn Montgomery Clift
Music by	Malcolm Arnold Buxton Orr
Cinematography	Jack Hildyard
Editing by	William Hornbeck Thomas Stanford
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	22 December 1959
Running time	114 min
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	US $3,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Suddenly, Last Summer is a 1959 drama film made by Columbia Pictures Corporation, based on the play of the same title by Tennessee Williams. The film was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Sam Spiegel from a screenplay by Gore Vidal and Tennessee Williams, based on Williams' play. The music score was by Malcolm Arnold and Buxton Orr and the cinematography by Jack Hildyard. The production was designed by Oliver Messel. Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (February 11, 1909–February 6, 1993) was an American Hollywood screenwriter, director and producer. ... Sam Spiegel (11 November 1901 - 31 December 1985) was a successful independent film producer. ... Gore Vidal in 1948, photographed by Carl Van Vechten Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) is a prolific, versatile American writer of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and, of late, a liberal political pundit. ... Tennessee Williams (1965) Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911–February 25, 1983), better known by the pen name Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright and one of the prominent playwrights of the twentieth century. ... Dame Elizabeth Rosamund Taylor, DBE (born February 27, 1932) is an iconic two-time Academy Award-winning British actress. ... Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic four-time Academy Award-winning American star of film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. ... Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American actor known by the stage name of Montgomery Clift. ... Sir Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. ... Buxton Orr (18 April 1924 - December 27th, 1997) was a Glasgow-born British composer. ... Jack Hildyard (1908-1990) was a British cinematographer who worked on more than 80 films during his career. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... A drama film is a film that depends mostly on in-depth character development, interaction, and highly emotional themes. ... The Columbia Pictures logo, since 1996. ... Suddenly, Last Summer is a play by Tennessee Williams. ... Tennessee Williams (1965) Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911–February 25, 1983), better known by the pen name Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright and one of the prominent playwrights of the twentieth century. ... Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (February 11, 1909–February 6, 1993) was an American Hollywood screenwriter, director and producer. ... Sam Spiegel (11 November 1901 - 31 December 1985) was a successful independent film producer. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ... Gore Vidal in 1948, photographed by Carl Van Vechten Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) is a prolific, versatile American writer of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and, of late, a liberal political pundit. ... Sir Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. ... Buxton Orr (18 April 1924 - December 27th, 1997) was a Glasgow-born British composer. ... Jack Hildyard (1908-1990) was a British cinematographer who worked on more than 80 films during his career. ... Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel (b. ...

The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift with Albert Dekker, Mercedes McCambridge and Gary Raymond. Eddie Fisher and Gore Vidal make uncredited appearances. Dame Elizabeth Rosamund Taylor, DBE (born February 27, 1932) is an iconic two-time Academy Award-winning British actress. ... Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic four-time Academy Award-winning American star of film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. ... Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American actor known by the stage name of Montgomery Clift. ... Albert Pekker (born December 20, 1905 in Brooklyn, New York; died May 5, 1968 in Hollywood, California) is an American character actor. ... Mercedes Agnes Carlotta McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Gary Raymond (b. ... Eddie Fisher is the name of these famous people: Eddie Fisher (baseball player) Eddie Fisher (singer) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Background and production

The original play on which the film is based is a one-act play, part of the double-bill called Garden District, paired with Something Unspoken, performed Off-Broadway in 1958. Garden District is the collective title given to a double-bill of the two one-act plays by Tennessee Williams, Something Unspoken and Suddenly Last Summer. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ...

The production was fraught with difficulties. Hepburn was apparently resentful of the attention Taylor was receiving. In addition, Mankiewicz and Spiegel reportedly disliked Clift. Reasons given include that he was gay and that he was unable to film for more than a few hours a day. He was also in pain as a result of the car-crash in which he had been involved three years earlier, and relying heavily on drugs and/or alcohol. Katharine Hepburn was deeply resentful of the treatment Clift was receiving, and despite the moral support both she and Taylor (who had been instrumental in getting him the role) provided to Clift, his behaviour on the set caused much negativity among the crew. At the end of filming, Hepburn famously spat at Spiegel, Mankiewicz or both.[1]

The film was shot entirely in England, at Shepperton Studios and in London between May and August 1959. Despite opening up the play to include some exteriors and additional scenes, the film cannot hide its stage origins and was felt by some critics to be dialogue-bound [2]. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Shepperton Studios, located in Shepperton, Middlesex, England is a film studio with a long history of film making. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ...

Plot

Tagline

Suddenly, last summer, Cathy knew she was being used for something evil!

Hepburn, Clift and Taylor in Suddenly Last Summer

Wealthy New Orleans matron, Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), is determined to have her niece, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor), lobotomized. Catherine tells about a horrifying past incident during a vacation trip that has made her breakdown and become totally mad. The stories are about the death of Sebastian, Mrs. Venable's son and failed poet. The wealthy dowager urges neurosurgeon Dr. John Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift) to act as a psychiatrist in the case. He 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.

In the film's final scene, tormented Catherine, in a climactic lengthy monologue, describes the bizarre murder of her predatory homosexual cousin Sebastian (son of his doting mother). 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:

“He-he was lying naked on the broken stones...and this you won't believe! Nobody, nobody, nobody could believe it! It looked as if-as if they had devoured him!...As if they'd torn or cut parts of him away with their hands, or with knives, or those jagged tin cans they made music with. As if they'd torn bits of him away in strips!”

At the film's end, Catherine (referring to herself in the third person) tells Dr. Cukrowicz that she has returned to a less painful present: "She's here, Doctor. Miss Catherine's here."

Cast

• Elizabeth Taylor - Catherine Holly
• Katharine Hepburn - Mrs. Violet Venable
• Montgomery Clift - Dr. John Cukrowicz
• Albert Dekker - Dr. Hockstader
• Mercedes McCambridge - Mrs. Holly
• Gary Raymond - George Holly
• Mavis Villiers - Miss Foxhill
• Patricia Marmont - Nurse Benson
• Joan Young - Sister Felicity
• Maria Britneva - Lucy
• Sheila Robbins - Dr. Hockstader's Secretary
• David Cameron - Young Blonde Intern
• Roberta Woolley - Patient

Dame Elizabeth Rosamund Taylor, DBE (born February 27, 1932) is an iconic two-time Academy Award-winning British actress. ... Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic four-time Academy Award-winning American star of film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. ... Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American actor known by the stage name of Montgomery Clift. ... Albert Pekker (born December 20, 1905 in Brooklyn, New York; died May 5, 1968 in Hollywood, California) is an American character actor. ... Mercedes Agnes Carlotta McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Gary Raymond (b. ...

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Both Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were nominated for the Best Actress award. The surprise winner that year was Simone Signoret for Room at the Top. The film was also nominated for Best Art Direction for Oliver Messel, William Kellner and Scott Slimon. The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Simone Signoret (March 25, 1920 - September 30, 1985), was an Academy Award-winning French actress. ... The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. ...

Golden Globe Awards

Taylor and Hepburn were also nominated for the Best Actress award and Taylor won the award. The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. ...

Other awards

Elizabeth Taylor won the Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance.

External links

• Suddenly, Last Summer at the Internet Movie Database