Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

Ketti Frings (screenplay)
William Inge (original play)

Release Date:

24 December 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

That girl in their house spelled trouble!

Plot:

An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Dog | Dream | Lodger | College

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Doc Delaney
Shirley Booth	...	Lola Delaney
Terry Moore	...	Marie Buckholder
Richard Jaeckel	...	Turk Fisher
Philip Ober	...	Ed Anderson
Edwin Max	...	Elmo Huston
Lisa Golm	...	Mrs. Coffman
Walter Kelley	...	Bruce Cunningham
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Fuller	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ned Glass	...	Man at AA Meeting (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Interne (uncredited)
Virginia Hall	...	Blonde (uncredited)
Anthony Jochim	...	Mr. Cruthers (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Kitty McHugh	...	Pearl Stinson (uncredited)
Paul McVey	...	Postman (uncredited)
Beverly Mook	...	Judy Coffman (uncredited)
Virginia Mullen	...	Henrietta Colby (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Mann

Writing credits
Ketti Frings		(screenplay)
William Inge		(original play)

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe		(director of photography)

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ross Dowd

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don McKay	....	sound recordist
Walter Oberst	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Other crew
Hal B. Wallis	....	presenter (as Hal Wallis)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Theatre Guild  original stage production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min | 96 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #15964)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of production of "Come Back, Little Sheba" by William Inge opened at the Booth Theater in New York on February 15, 1950 and ran for 190 performances. Shirley Booth won the 1950 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for portraying Lola on stage and then recreated the role in the film version.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Doc is pouring orange juice for the teenager, he grabs her right wrist and pours juice into the glass as she holds it, but in the long shot he has taken the glass from her and fills it himself before returning the glass to her.

Quotes:

Doc Delaney:Alcoholics are mostly disappointed men.
Lola Delaney:Sure, I know.
[pause]
Lola Delaney:You was never disappointed, were you, Doc?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Munsters: Come Back, Little Googie (#1.25)" (1965)

Shirley Booth gives Oscar-Performance (got Kleenex?)

William Inge's play transfers nicely to the big screen, with perfectly cast leads Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster.

A middle aged, childless couple struggles with the husband's periodic alcoholic "episodes". When they rent out a room in their house to a young college girl, the audience learns a lot about the couple just by observing their reactions to "the young people". "Doc" Delaney exhibits fatherly, protective feelings toward the young woman, expressing disgust when she brings a young man to her room. A regular at AA meetings, he eventually "gets sick" again. Determined never to give up, his devoted wife Lola stands by her man. The ending leaves us hopeful that all will turn out well.

There are many beautiful moments in this film, assuring a lover of tearjerkers a full pay-off! Shirley Booth deserved her 1953 Oscar for her portrayal of Lola Delaney. Oh, and don't look for little Sheba, she won't be back.