• Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop Rated MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
      What's on TV & StreamingWhat's on TV & StreamingTop Rated ShowsMost Popular ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
      What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb TVIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
      OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersGolden GlobesEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
      Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
      Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
    For Industry Professionals
      AllTitlesTV EpisodesCelebsCompaniesKeywords
    • Advanced Search
    Watchlist
    Sign In
    Welcome to the new version of this page.
    Learn more
    Report an issue

    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

    • 19581958
    • Not RatedNot Rated
    • 1h 48min
    IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    46K
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Watch {VideoTitle}
    Trailer2:17
    1 Video
    89 Photos
    Drama

    Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Richard Brooks(screenplay)
      • James Poe(screenplay)
      • Tennessee Williams(play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof")
    • Stars
      • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Paul Newman
      • Burl Ives
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Richard Brooks(screenplay)
      • James Poe(screenplay)
      • Tennessee Williams(play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof")
    • Stars
      • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Paul Newman
      • Burl Ives
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 181User reviews
    • 86Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Nominated for 6 Oscars
      • 3 wins & 16 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:17
    Trailer

    Photos89

    Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, and Burl Ives in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Elizabeth Taylor and Judith Anderson in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
    "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," Paul Newman & Elizabeth Taylor
    "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," Paul Newman & Elizabeth Taylor
    "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," Paul Newman &  Elizabeth Taylor.
    "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," Elizabeth Taylor & Paul Newman.
    "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" Elizabeth Taylor 1958 MGM MPTV
    "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," B. Ives, E. Taylor, P. Newman, J. Carson, M. Sherwood, J. Anderson.

    Top cast

    Edit
    Elizabeth Taylor
    Elizabeth Taylor
    • Maggieas Maggie
    Paul Newman
    Paul Newman
    • Brickas Brick
    Burl Ives
    Burl Ives
    • Big Daddyas Big Daddy
    Jack Carson
    Jack Carson
    • Gooperas Gooper
    Judith Anderson
    Judith Anderson
    • Big Mamaas Big Mama
    Madeleine Sherwood
    Madeleine Sherwood
    • Maeas Mae
    Larry Gates
    Larry Gates
    • Dr. Baughas Dr. Baugh
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vaughn Taylor
    • Deacon Davisas Deacon Davis
    Zelda Cleaver
    • Sookeyas Sookey
    • (uncredited)
    Brian Corcoran
    • Boyas Boy
    • (uncredited)
    Hugh Corcoran
    • Busteras Buster
    • (uncredited)
    Kevin Corcoran
    Kevin Corcoran
    • Childas Child
    • (uncredited)
    Patty Ann Gerrity
    Patty Ann Gerrity
    • Dixieas Dixie
    • (uncredited)
    Bobby Johnson
    • Pollitt Groomas Pollitt Groom
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Merrill
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Deborah Miller
    • Trixieas Trixie
    • (uncredited)
    Robert 'Rusty' Stevens
    Robert 'Rusty' Stevens
    • Sonnyas Sonny
    • (uncredited)
    Vince Townsend Jr.
    • Laceyas Lacey
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Richard Brooks(screenplay)
      • James Poe(screenplay)
      • Tennessee Williams(play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof")
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    More like this

    Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
    8.0
    Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
    A Streetcar Named Desire
    8.0
    A Streetcar Named Desire
    Suddenly, Last Summer
    7.6
    Suddenly, Last Summer
    Giant
    7.6
    Giant
    East of Eden
    7.9
    East of Eden
    BUtterfield 8
    6.4
    BUtterfield 8
    Rebel Without a Cause
    7.7
    Rebel Without a Cause
    A Place in the Sun
    7.8
    A Place in the Sun
    The Long, Hot Summer
    7.4
    The Long, Hot Summer
    The Hustler
    8.0
    The Hustler
    Cleopatra
    7.0
    Cleopatra
    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
    6.7
    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

    Storyline

    Edit
    The family of "Big Daddy" Pollitt (Burl Ives) convenes at his and Big Momma's (Dame Judith Anderson's). Among the attendees is alcoholic son, Brick (Paul Newman); an ex-football player, who spends his time drinking and avoiding the ministries of his libidinous wife, Maggie (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) - "the cat". As this gathering isn't so much as a gathering but a farewell (Big Daddy is terminally ill) a lot of memories and revelations which had been hidden come to the surface of both father and son. —Huggo
    southern gothichusband wife relationshiphomosexualitybased on playex football player139 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Just one pillow on her bed ... and just one desire in her heart!
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This movie was originally to be filmed in black-and-white, as was the standard practice with "artistic" movies in the 1950s. (Virtually all movie adaptations of the plays of Tennessee Williams had been in black-and-white up to that time.) However, once Paul Newman and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were cast in the leads, writer and director Richard Brooks insisted on shooting in color, in deference to the public's well-known enthusiasm for Taylor's violet and Newman's strikingly blue eyes.
    • Goofs
      The enormous cake Big Momma brings into the bedroom - and continues to carry for the remainder of the scene - is clearly fake. Despite its size, she carries it with no effort and without it shifting on its platter. Later on, it is plain that the colored candles have nearly completely melted down, leaving streaks of wax all over the unchanged surface.
    • Quotes

      Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt: I've got the guts to die. What I want to know is, have you got the guts to live?

    • Connections
      Edited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Lost in a Summer Night
      (uncredited)

      Composed by André Previn and Milton Raskin

    User reviews181

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Great drama
    A great movie, based on the Tennessee Williams play. Superb character-driven drama. Being based on a play, it is very dialogue-driven, and Williams' script cannot be faulted.

    Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman are excellent in the lead roles. Good supporting cast, especially Burl Ives.

    About the only negative is that it does contain the most annoying kids ever to appear on screen.
    helpful•6
    1
    • grantss
    • Apr 19, 2019

    FAQ4

    • Is "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" based on a book?
    • What does the title mean?
    • Is "mendacity" a real word?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 29, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die Katze auf dem heißen Blechdach
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Avon Productions (II)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 48min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    John Frey, ‘Cabaret Maxime’ Actor and Screenwriter, Dies at 62
    John Frey, ‘Cabaret Maxime’ Actor and Screenwriter, Dies at 62
    Jan 31Variety Film + TV
    Bill Kobin Dies: Pioneering Public TV Executive Who Ran Kcet For 13 Years Was 91
    Bill Kobin Dies: Pioneering Public TV Executive Who Ran Kcet For 13 Years Was 91
    Jan 9Deadline Film + TV

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Edit page
    • Getting started
    • Contributor Zone

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations in the Works
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:58
    6 Shows Everyone's Still Talking About
    Watch the video

    Around the web

    Powered by Taboola

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • IMDb TV
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2021 by IMDb.com, Inc.