Tom Lee is a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master ...
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Title: Tea and Sympathy (1956)
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Deborah Kerr | ... | Laura Reynolds | |
| John Kerr | ... | Tom Robinson Lee | |
| Leif Erickson | ... | Bill Reynolds | |
| Edward Andrews | ... | Herb Lee | |
| Darryl Hickman | ... | Al | |
| Norma Crane | ... | Ellie Martin | |
| Dean Jones | ... | Ollie | |
| Jacqueline deWit | ... | Lilly Sears | |
| Tom Laughlin | ... | Ralph | |
 |
Ralph Votrian | ... | Steve |
|
|
Steven Terrell | ... | Phil |
| Kip King | ... | Ted | |
|
|
Jimmy Hayes | ... | Henry |
|
|
Richard Tyler | ... | Roger |
| Don Burnett | ... | Vic | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (194) »
Storyline
Tom Lee is a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master Bill Reynold's wife Laura sees Tom's suffering at the hands of his school mates (and her husband), and tries to help him find himself. Written by Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com>
Plot Keywords:
coming of age | homophobia | based on play | dance lesson | sister boy |Taglines:
Where does a woman's sympathy leave off -- and her indiscretion begin?Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 November 1956 (France) See more »Also Known As:
Chá e Simpatia See more »Filming Locations:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USAEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$1,737,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (35 mm optical prints)| 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1
Edit
Laura Reynolds: Who isn't?
See more »
Written by G.B. Martini and Richard Dyer-Bennett
Performed by John Kerr (dubbed by Gene Merlino)
Song based on "Plaisir d'Amour"
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Deborah Kerr was Oscar-nominated the year this film was released - but not for this film. Kerr made, and was Oscar-nominated for, "The King and I" that same year. See more »Goofs
After Tom's roommate Al hangs up with his father, he goes downstairs to tell Ms. Reynolds he will be moving out. The shadow of the moving boom mic is clearly visible between Ms. Reynold's door and the pay phone in the hall. See more »Quotes
Tom Lee: I'm always falling in love with the wrong people.Laura Reynolds: Who isn't?
See more »
Soundtracks
The Joys of LoveWritten by G.B. Martini and Richard Dyer-Bennett
Performed by John Kerr (dubbed by Gene Merlino)
Song based on "Plaisir d'Amour"
See more »
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Those who had the good fortune to see Deborah Kerr onstage in the Elia Kazan production of "Tea and Sympathy," will attest to her unforgetable performance. Kerr not only played it on Broadway but also toured with it, a treat for all attendees. Now nearly a half century later, her performance on film, which was very much influenced by her stage style, begins to show a little wear around the edges. It must be difficult to change one's approach after having played a role so successfully night after night. In this case, her inflections, accents, phraseology, pauses, gestures and the like are essentially theatre-based, designed to play to the whole house up to the balcony. In the intimacy of film, this becomes a bit much in the long run, and results in a much more broad, deliberate and stylized Kerr than in any of her other film work. Her character tends to emerge now more as a busy-body, snooper, peeping tom than was ever intended, and certainly it did not come across that way when the film was first released. A landmark film of sorts--for a major studio to tackle a sensitive subject in a major production--"Tea and Sympathy" benefits from a sincerely written script by Robert Anderson, solid direction by Vincent Minnelli and a secure supporting cast. Visually Deborah Kerr is beautiful, and is totally committed to both the play and her role. During her lengthy film career, Kerr certainly contributed a wealth of finely crafted performances.