A Rage to Live (1965)

A woman's sexual compulsions threaten to destroy her marriage.

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writers:

John T. Kelley, John O'Hara (novel)

Stars:

Suzanne Pleshette, Bradford Dillman, Ben Gazzara

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Grace Caldwell Tate
Bradford Dillman	...	Sidney Tate
Ben Gazzara	...	Roger Bannon
Peter Graves	...	Jack Hollister
Bethel Leslie	...	Amy Hollister
Carmen Mathews	...	Emily Caldwell
Linden Chiles	...	Brock Caldwell
James Gregory	...	Dr. O'Brien
Ruth White	...	Mrs. Bannon
Mark Goddard	...	Charlie Jay
Sarah Marshall	...	Connie
George Furth	...	Paul Rutherford
Virginia Christine	...	Emma

Storyline

Grace Caldwell, a young Pennsylvania newspaper heiress living with her widowed mother, has trouble restraining herself when it comes to the amorous attentions of young men. As word starts to spread about her behavior, Grace becomes a major source of heartache for her mother and a big source of concern to her brother, Brock. One evening, at a Christmas party, Grace meets Sidney Tate, a gentleman farmer. They fall in love, and he asks her to marry him. Grace accepts, but only after making it clear that there are some things about her past she's not at all proud of. Sidney is taken aback by Grace's candid admission, but still wants to marry her. Grace promises to be faithful to Sidney; it's a promise she has every intention of keeping, until a former casual acquaintance, Roger Bannon, re-enters her life.

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Plot Keywords:

cuckold | based on novel | independent film

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Taglines:

Charlie, Sidney, Roger... The names and places didn't matter... only 'when'

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1965 (Finland)

Also Known As:

John O'Hara's A Rage to Live

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mirisch Corporation, The, Rage Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to pre-production publicity, Anne Bancroft was originally sought for role eventually played by Suzanne Pleshette.

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Quotes

Grace Caldwell: I thought I loved him, and then I found I could feel the same way about someone else, someone different.
Brock Caldwell: Grace, that isn't love.
Grace Caldwell: No. But it's being wanted and needed and held close. It's almost love.
Brock Caldwell: "Almost love"? You don't have to settle for that.
Grace Caldwell: I'm not settling.
Brock Caldwell: I just don't get this. You talk like a girl who's got nothing else in her life, who nobody cares about ...
Grace Caldwell: No ...
Brock Caldwell: Well, that's the way it sounds --
Grace Caldwell: I don't care how it sounds. When I feel that way, I can't think of anything else. ...

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Soundtracks

"Rage To Live"
Music by Art Ferrante and Lou Teicher
Lyrics by Noel Sherman
Performed on two pianos by Art Ferrante (as Ferrante) and Lou Teicher (as Teicher)

User Reviews

rage against the dying of the light!

I thought that "A Rage To Live" was a fine -yet tragic- portrayal of a nymphomaniac (Suzanne Pleshette) struggling to find personal identity outside of the bedroom, auto backseat, etc. Also, the meaning & outer realms of "love" and how it factors into a one-sided, non-monogamous marriage. Ben Gazzara's character is very dark; a hard-working Irishman who desires material wealth as well as the flesh. There are several story lines that branch from Pleshette's infidelities, one of which brings a psychologically tragic aspect to the film. A feminist approach to this film might suggest that all of the other women in the film were overly (yet appropriately for the times) supportive of their husbands alone, living or deceased. Pleshette's character felt the need to find her true self with the help of emotional love, given to her for the first time by her husband. She constantly admits to having a "problem that she is embarrassed about", however she seeks no real counsel or help. Pleshette almost appears too aware of her faults yet acts baffled when she is caught. Her character is too assuming of others' forgiveness, using the age-old "I said I was sorry" routine almost every time. The "encounters" are subtle and portrayed very tactfully as well, I suppose because it was still the 1960's; I would hate for this film to be remade because I'm sure that some of the scenes would have overblown sexual situations.