Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

Ketti Frings (screenplay), William Inge (original play)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth, Terry Moore

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Doc Delaney
Shirley Booth	...	Lola Delaney
Terry Moore	...	Marie Buckholder
Richard Jaeckel	...	Turk Fisher
Philip Ober	...	Ed Anderson
Edwin Max	...	Elmo Huston
Lisa Golm	...	Mrs. Coffman
Walter Kelley	...	Bruce Cunningham

Storyline

For two decades Doc and Lola Delaney avoided coming to terms with what Doc considered a "shot gun" marriage. Lola lost the baby and gives a lot of her affection to Sheba, a dog that disappeared a few months before the film opens. Doc blames Lola for having to drop out of medical school and not becoming a "real" doctor. Until joining AA a year ago, his escape was alcohol. Then college student Marie rents a room in their home. Doc feels passion for the first time in 20 years. But Marie has two suitors her age. Lola -- unaware of Doc's emotions --becomes as interested in Marie's future as if Marie were her daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

alcoholic | chiropractor | infatuation | dysfunctional marriage | boarding house | 

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Taglines:

That girl in their house spelled trouble!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Cruz da Minha Vida

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min 96 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ed Anderson (Philip Ober) drives a brand new 1952 Plymouth sedan; Turk Fisher (Richard Jaeckel) drives a 1938 Ford convertible.

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Goofs

When Doc and Lola are at breakfast - the same scene where her juice glass disappears - Doc starts pouring from the kettle into her cup twice between shots. Also in the same scene, when Doc is putting sugar in his coffee, in one shot he is holding the sugar bowl in his left hand and in the next it's back on the table.

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Quotes

Doc Delaney: [to Lola as he's leaving for work] Give Daddy a kiss goodbye.
[he kisses his wife]
Marie Buckholder: [teasingly] Aren't you going to kiss me, too, Doctor Delaney?
Lola Delaney: Go on, Doc.
Doc Delaney: I can't spend my time kissing all the girls.

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Connections

Version of Come Back, Little Sheba (1977)

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Soundtracks

Louise
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Leo Robin

User Reviews

Shirley Booth gives Oscar-Performance (got Kleenex?)

William Inge's play transfers nicely to the big screen, with perfectly cast leads Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster.

A middle aged, childless couple struggles with the husband's periodic alcoholic "episodes". When they rent out a room in their house to a young college girl, the audience learns a lot about the couple just by observing their reactions to "the young people". "Doc" Delaney exhibits fatherly, protective feelings toward the young woman, expressing disgust when she brings a young man to her room. A regular at AA meetings, he eventually "gets sick" again. Determined never to give up, his devoted wife Lola stands by her man. The ending leaves us hopeful that all will turn out well.

There are many beautiful moments in this film, assuring a lover of tearjerkers a full pay-off! Shirley Booth deserved her 1953 Oscar for her portrayal of Lola Delaney. Oh, and don't look for little Sheba, she won't be back.