Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
If you’re a Tennessee Williams fan, you probably know a little bit about his personal life. Tennessee’s sister was mentally ill and underwent a lobotomy in the 1940s. The procedure’s aftermath was devastating, and she was institutionalized for the remainder of her life. Knowing this, and knowing the persona of his overbearing mother, it’s easy to see Suddenly, Last Summer as a partially autobiographical work, as were most of his plays. In this story, a strong, domineering mother tries to convince a young doctor to perform a lobotomy on her unstable niece.
Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift became lifelong friends in real life after their pairing in A Place in the Sun, and not only do audiences see them reunited for a third time in this film, but it’s interesting and entertaining to see the reversed dynamic. Before, Monty was striving for the upper-class Liz, and in this one, he’s the classy doctor she keeps trying to shock and flirt with. They both give excellent, Tennessee Williams-esque performances; it sometimes seems like Monty was born to act in his plays.
Katharine Hepburn plays the mother. She was known for her forceful characterizations in her later years, and when you watch Suddenly, Last Summer, it’s easy to see why. Kate and Liz were pinned against each other in the Best Actress category during the 1959 Oscar ceremony, but neither one took home the gold. The following year, Liz won a make-up Oscar for BUtterfield 8, so if you watch this movie and think she was robbed, you can relax knowing she was honored for her next film.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Katharine Hepburn movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1993's Suddenly Last Summer here!
Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift became lifelong friends in real life after their pairing in A Place in the Sun, and not only do audiences see them reunited for a third time in this film, but it’s interesting and entertaining to see the reversed dynamic. Before, Monty was striving for the upper-class Liz, and in this one, he’s the classy doctor she keeps trying to shock and flirt with. They both give excellent, Tennessee Williams-esque performances; it sometimes seems like Monty was born to act in his plays.
Katharine Hepburn plays the mother. She was known for her forceful characterizations in her later years, and when you watch Suddenly, Last Summer, it’s easy to see why. Kate and Liz were pinned against each other in the Best Actress category during the 1959 Oscar ceremony, but neither one took home the gold. The following year, Liz won a make-up Oscar for BUtterfield 8, so if you watch this movie and think she was robbed, you can relax knowing she was honored for her next film.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Katharine Hepburn movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 1993's Suddenly Last Summer here!