Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Chapman Mortimer (screenplay) and
Gladys Hill (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 October 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Most women in her situation would do the very same thing! They just wouldn't do it as well- or as often!

Plot:

Bizarre tale of sex, betrayal, and perversion at a military post.

Plot Keywords:

Major | Nipples | Riding Crop | Homosexual | Peeping Tom

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Leonora Penderton
Marlon Brando	...	Maj. Weldon Penderton
Brian Keith	...	Lt. Col. Morris Langdon
Julie Harris	...	Alison Langdon
Zorro David	...	Anacleto
Gordon Mitchell	...	Stables Sergeant
Irvin Dugan	...	Capt. Murray Weincheck
Fay Sparks	...	Susie
Robert Forster	...	Pvt. L.G. Williams
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Metzger	...	Pvt. Frank Brian
Ted Beniades	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
John Callaghan	...	Private (uncredited)
Jed Curtis	...	Accordionist (uncredited)
Frank Flanagan	...	General Sugar (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harvey Keitel	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Al Mulock	...	Private (uncredited)
Douglas Stark	...	Dr. Burgess (uncredited)
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Lieutenant at Garden Party (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Chapman Mortimer		(screenplay) and
Gladys Hill		(screenplay)
Carson McCullers		(novel)

Produced by
C.O. Erickson	....	associate producer
John Huston	....	producer
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Toshirô Mayuzumi		(as Toshiro Mayuzumi)

Cinematography by
Aldo Tonti		(director of photography)
Oswald Morris		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Russell Lloyd

Production Design by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)

Art Direction by
Bruno Avesani

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Alexandre	....	hair stylist: Elizabeth Taylor (as Alexandre of Paris)
Paolo Borselli	....	hair stylist (as Paola Borzelli)
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist
Amato Garbini	....	makeup artist
Frank La Rue	....	makeup artist (as Frank LaRue)
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Philip Rhodes)

Production Management
Mario Del Papa	....	production manager
Frederick Muller	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vana Caruso	....	assistant director
Edward Folger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Kiernan	....	set director

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound
Basil Fenton-Smith	....	sound
Leslie Hodgson	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Nino Cristiani	....	camera operator (as Michele Cristiani)
Frank Flanagan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Alberico Novelli	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Piero Servo	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Maria Feo	....	wardrobe (as Anna Maria Fea)

Music Department
Marcus Dods	....	conductor

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	script supervisor
Friedrich von Ledebur	....	horse master

Production Companies

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (as Warner Bros. - Seven Arts)

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1967) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros.)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• AFEX (1968) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Warner Bros. (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:18 (f) | USA:Approved (Suggested for Mature Audiences) | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

In his autobiography, "An Open Book", director John Huston recalls how he meet with Marlon Brando to offer him the role of Maj. Penderton. Initially Brando rejected the role, feeling that he was not suited for the part. Huston then encouraged Brando to read the script and then to make a decision. After he had read the script, Brando took a very long walk in the rain, then came back to Huston and told him he wanted the part.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although movie is set in 1940s, all of Elizabeth Taylor's hairstyles, makeup and wardrobe are right out of mid-Sixties.

Quotes:

[about Lt. Colonel Langdon's wife]
Leonora:Cutting off her nipples with garden shears! You call that normal?
Lt. Col. Morris Langdon:Well, the doctors say she's neurotic.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Con Air (1997)

Soundtrack:

Mazurka

Most underrated John Huston's film

"Reflections in a Golden Eye" was recognized by John Huston himself as his most important film of his late period along with "The Man who would be a King". While generally the later is accepted as his masterpiece "Reflections in a Golden Eye" is misunderstood as Huston's "misfire", as a "flop", an opinion with which I tend to disagree. What we have here is a good drama whose story is based on a book by Carson McCullers, featuring superb performances from Marlon Brando who plays a U.S. Army Major in an isolated military fort somewhere in the south, who gradually discovers his homosexuallity and Liz Taylor, simply great here in the role of his cheating wife. The film, which is basically a serious drama, turns out to be something of a cynical human comedy, due to "ridiculousness" of all of it's characters and the way the story is told by film's director - John Huston. Overall it's an intelligent film whose main theme is repression and ultimate frustration of desire with it's tragic consequences. 8/10