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Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
22 December 1959 (USA)
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Tagline:
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS shocks you again as he transports you to a STRANGE, NEW BOLD WORLD! more
Plot:
The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane; now Mrs. Venable wants Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Another 2 wins
&
3 nominations
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User Comments:
Tennesse Does it Again
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Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Elizabeth Taylor | ... | Catherine Holly |
 | Katharine Hepburn | ... | Mrs. Violet Venable |
 | Montgomery Clift | ... | Dr. Cukrowicz |
 | Albert Dekker | ... | Dr. Lawrence J. Hockstader |
| Mercedes McCambridge | ... | Mrs. Grace 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 Interne |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
114 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
UK:X (original rating) |
Netherlands:6 |
Finland:K-16 |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15 |
USA:Unrated |
West Germany:12 |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:M
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
According to author Garson Kanin in his memoir "Tracy and Hepburn", Katharine Hepburn was reportedly so furious at the way Montgomery Clift was treated by Sam Spiegel and Joseph L. Mankiewicz during the filming that, after making sure that she would not be needed for retakes, she told both men off and actually spat at them (although it remains unclear just which one of the two she spat at, or if she spat at both.)
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: Although set in 1937, costumes, hairstyles and makeup worn by Elizabeth Taylor were all contemporary in 1959.
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Quotes:
Mrs. Venable:
My son, Sebastian and I constructed our days. Each day we would carve each day like a piece of sculpture, leaving behind us a trail of days like a gallery of sculpture until suddenly, last summer.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Boys in the Band (1970)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (92 total)
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| IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Catherine Holly, played by the indelible Elizabeth Taylor,is a woman whose conscience and memory continue to cast a foreboding shadow. Enshrouded in her memory is the unforgettable realization to which she came, suddenly last summer. Katherine Hepburn plays somewhat of a southern anchoress, Mrs. Violet Venable,whose only repose comes from memorializing her late son Sebastian in the fantastic jungalesque garden he created. On the surface Sebastian seems pensive, sincere, and wise; however, Holly knows a secret, a disturbing secret about the late Sebastian that Mrs. Venable must suppress at all costs. It remains in the hands of Dr. Cukrowicz, Montgomery Clift, to extract this secret from Holly's memory, before the secret is lost forever. I enjoyed this movie, and it kept my attention even though I had read the play I knew the outcome. It is another fine story from the mind of Tennessee Williams. The movie sticks to the play unlike other Williams' movies, like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The only problem is that like so many other Tennesse Williams'stories, depravity and decadence are central themes, which make it difficult at times to really like any characters or develop a fondness for the story itself.