A Rage to Live (1965)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writers:

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

Release Date:

3 December 1965 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The names and places didn't matter . . . only when!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Cuckold | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Maxwell	...	George Jay (uncredited)
Byron Morrow	...	Mr. Tate (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Harvard Student (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Carnival Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Brett Somers	...	Jessie Jay (uncredited)
Jason Wingreen	...	Jim (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Grauman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John T. Kelley		writer
John O'Hara		novel

Produced by
Lewis J. Rachmil	....	producer

Original Music by
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(as Charles Lawton)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
James W. Sullivan		(as James Sullivan)

Set Decoration by
Raymond Boltz Jr.		(as Ray Boltz)

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup

Makeup Department
Stanley E. Campbell	....	makeup artist (as Stan Campbell)
Doris Dunkus	....	hair stylist (as Doris Durkus)

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Arthur Friedrich	....	property master

Sound Department
Gilbert D. Marchant	....	sound effects editor
Al Overton	....	sound (as Alfred J. Overton)

Special Effects by
Norman Breedlove	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paula Giokaris	....	wardrobe
Russell Hanlin	....	wardrobe (as Russ Hanlin)

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Art Ferrante	....	composer: theme "Rage to Live" (as Ferrante)
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator
Lou Teicher	....	composer: theme "Rage to Live" (as Teicher)

Other crew
Leon Charles	....	dialogue supervisor
Doris Grau	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The
• Rage Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

John O'Hara's A Rage to Live (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

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

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. Doesn't matter who I am or what I'm supposed to be. Nothing matters. I can't help it.

Soundtrack:

Rage To Live

Easy virtue=ultimate unhappiness

In a picturesque Pennsylvania town, wealthy co-ed Suzanne Pleshette develops a rage for men after a neighborhood kid forces himself on her (her lips say "no, no!" but her eyes say "yes, yes!"). From John O'Hara's novel, predictably playing out like a junior-version of his "BUtterfield 8". Pleshette is a cool-as-ice tease, a martini-dry tramp, and her indiscretions (though perhaps eyebrow-raising for 1965) are no more intriguing than your average daytime TV drama. Gleemingly photographed, sumptuously scored, yet the tatty supporting cast backing La Suzanne give hint this is just B-grade goods in a glossy package. Fun for camp-addicts only; there's nothing here to take seriously. ** from ****