Tea and Sympathy (1956)

Tom Lee is a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master ... See full summary »

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Robert Anderson (screenplay), Robert Anderson (based on the play by)

Stars:

Deborah Kerr, John Kerr, Leif Erickson

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Deborah Kerr	...	Laura Reynolds
John Kerr	...	Tom Robinson Lee
Leif Erickson	...	Bill Reynolds
Edward Andrews	...	Herb Lee
Darryl Hickman	...	Al
Norma Crane	...	Ellie Martin
Dean Jones	...	Ollie
Jacqueline deWit	...	Lilly Sears
Tom Laughlin	...	Ralph
Ralph Votrian	...	Steve
Steven Terrell	...	Phil
Kip King	...	Ted
Jimmy Hayes	...	Henry
Richard Tyler	...	Roger
Don Burnett	...	Vic

Storyline

Tom Lee is a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master Bill Reynold's wife Laura sees Tom's suffering at the hands of his school mates (and her husband), and tries to help him find himself.

---

Plot Keywords:

sister boy | school | student | roommate | reunion | 

---

Taglines:

Where does a woman's sympathy leave off -- and her indiscretion begin?

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1956 (France)

Also Known As:

Chá e Simpatia

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was adapted from a Broadway play that originally starred Deborah Kerr, John Kerr and Leif Erickson, who recreate their stage roles in this film. Also in the Broadway cast in supporting roles were Alan Sues (who later appeared on TV's Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) and Dick York (the first actor who played Darrin on TV's Bewitched starring Elizabeth Montgomery). Joan Fontaine and Anthony Perkins also later appeared in the stage version of "Tea and Sympathy" as cast replacements during its long run. The stage production opened on Sept. 30, 1953 at the Ethel Barrymoore Theatre and ran for 712 performances.

---

Goofs

A pair of china dogs are back to back in a master shot (overall wide view). But when the camera moves in for close-ups, the dogs are face-to-face.

---

Quotes

Laura Reynolds: Years from now when you talk about this - and you will - be kind.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Towering Inferno (1974)

---

Soundtracks

"The Joys of Love"
Written by G.B. Martini and Richard Dyer-Bennett
Performed by John Kerr (dubbed by Gene Merlino)
Song based on "Plaisir d'Amour"

User Reviews

Comparative Acting Styles

Those who had the good fortune to see Deborah Kerr onstage in the Elia Kazan production of "Tea and Sympathy," will attest to her unforgetable performance. Kerr not only played it on Broadway but also toured with it, a treat for all attendees. Now nearly a half century later, her performance on film, which was very much influenced by her stage style, begins to show a little wear around the edges. It must be difficult to change one's approach after having played a role so successfully night after night. In this case, her inflections, accents, phraseology, pauses, gestures and the like are essentially theatre-based, designed to play to the whole house up to the balcony. In the intimacy of film, this becomes a bit much in the long run, and results in a much more broad, deliberate and stylized Kerr than in any of her other film work. Her character tends to emerge now more as a busy-body, snooper, peeping tom than was ever intended, and certainly it did not come across that way when the film was first released. A landmark film of sorts--for a major studio to tackle a sensitive subject in a major production--"Tea and Sympathy" benefits from a sincerely written script by Robert Anderson, solid direction by Vincent Minnelli and a secure supporting cast. Visually Deborah Kerr is beautiful, and is totally committed to both the play and her role. During her lengthy film career, Kerr certainly contributed a wealth of finely crafted performances.