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The Catered Affair

  • 1956
  • Approved
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
4K
YOUR RATING
The Catered Affair (1956)
At breakfast, Jane announces that she and Ralph are getting married the next week. All Jane and Ralph want is a small wedding with the immediate family and no reception, because Jane's parents are poor and Jane and Ralph can borrow a car for their honeymoon. But at dinner that night, all Ralph's parents talk about are the big weddings they gave their daughters, and everything escalates. Suddenly it's a big wedding breakfast with hundreds of guests. The problem is that for 12 years, Tom has been saving money to buy his own cab and license, but now that he can, all of that money is going towards a wedding that neither he nor Jane nor Ralph really want.
Play trailer2:26
1 Video
37 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

When Jane Hurley tells her parents Tom (a struggling cab driver) and Agnes (a domestic engineer) that she is marrying Ralph Halloran, Agnes starts planning a big wedding, even though Jane an... Read allWhen Jane Hurley tells her parents Tom (a struggling cab driver) and Agnes (a domestic engineer) that she is marrying Ralph Halloran, Agnes starts planning a big wedding, even though Jane and Ralph don't want it and Tom cannot afford it.When Jane Hurley tells her parents Tom (a struggling cab driver) and Agnes (a domestic engineer) that she is marrying Ralph Halloran, Agnes starts planning a big wedding, even though Jane and Ralph don't want it and Tom cannot afford it.

  • Director
    • Richard Brooks
  • Writers
    • Gore Vidal
    • Paddy Chayefsky
  • Stars
    • Bette Davis
    • Ernest Borgnine
    • Debbie Reynolds
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Gore Vidal
      • Paddy Chayefsky
    • Stars
      • Bette Davis
      • Ernest Borgnine
      • Debbie Reynolds
    • 65User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Official Trailer

    Photos37

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    + 32
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    Top cast27

    Edit
    Bette Davis
    Bette Davis
    • Aggie Hurley
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • Tom Hurley
    Debbie Reynolds
    Debbie Reynolds
    • Jane Hurley
    Barry Fitzgerald
    Barry Fitzgerald
    • Uncle Jack Conlon
    Rod Taylor
    Rod Taylor
    • Ralph Halloran
    Robert F. Simon
    Robert F. Simon
    • Mr. Joe Halloran
    • (as Robert Simon)
    Madge Kennedy
    Madge Kennedy
    • Mrs. Joe Halloran
    Dorothy Stickney
    Dorothy Stickney
    • Mrs. Rafferty
    Carol Veazie
    Carol Veazie
    • Mrs. Casey
    Joan Camden
    Joan Camden
    • Alice Scanlon
    Ray Stricklyn
    Ray Stricklyn
    • Eddie Hurley
    Jay Adler
    Jay Adler
    • Sam Leiter
    Dan Tobin
    Dan Tobin
    • Hotel Caterer
    Paul Denton
    • Bill Scanlon
    Augusta Merighi
    • Mrs. Musso
    Joan Bradshaw
    Joan Bradshaw
    • Girl on Phone
    • (uncredited)
    Janice Carroll
    • Mrs. Casey's Daughter-in-law
    • (uncredited)
    Mae Clarke
    Mae Clarke
    • Saleswoman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Gore Vidal
      • Paddy Chayefsky
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Craggy-faced Ernest Borgnine was 39 when this film came out, only 15 years older than his film daughter Debbie Reynolds, who was 24. His wife in the film, Bette Davis, was 48.
    • Goofs
      (at around 30 mins) Ralph (Rod Taylor) and Jane (Debbie Reynolds) are sitting next to each other in front of the window. In the next moment, Uncle Jack (Barry Fitzgerald) then appears in the room, but now Ralph is sitting at the opposite end of the table away from Jane, and Uncle Jack takes the seat where Ralph had been.
    • Quotes

      Agnes Hurley: You're going to have a big wedding whether you like it or not! And if you don't like it, you don't have to come!

    • Alternate versions
      Also shown in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Bette Davis (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      Cailín Deas Crúite na mBó (A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow)
      Traditional 18th-century Irish ballad

    User reviews65

    Featured review
    9/10

    Bette Davis' personal favorite -- One of her very best!

    Bette Davis plays loyal wife to hard-working NYC cabby Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine is very close to realizing his dream to actually own his own taxi cab, complete with special licence, at last being his own boss.

    All would be well, if not their young daughter Debbie Reynolds had announced her sudden plans to marry blue-blood Rod Taylor. Davis, unphased by the limited financial means, is determined to "give" their daughter a big wedding. The figures to foot the bill reach astronomical proportions, making everyone but Davis nervous.

    The not entirely predictable outcome is one of the most satisfying Hollywood movie endings ever. -- This film was Bette Davis' personal favorite; she called her performance "my proudest effort". As a fan of all 4 stars, I agree that "A Catered Affair" is one of the very best films Bette Davis has ever starred in. "Cinema Candy" all the way through!
    • mdm-11
    • Oct 4, 2004
    • Permalink

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    FAQ17

    • How long is The Catered Affair?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 22, 1956 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Banquete de bodas
    • Filming locations
      • Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,008,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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