Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

[iamwhatiseem]

I have never seen the movie in it's entirety. Bits and pieces here and there.
A movie that ran away with the oscars in 1959.

My impressions...
1) Elizabeth Taylor - never really got why she was the BOMB sexually speaking. She had a flat butt, skinny as a rail with small hips. Not that interesting.
2) Burl Ives was a solid actor. The scenes between him and Newman are memorable.
3) I grew tired of Newman's self loathing character. Okay okay he is a spoiled brat of a man... they carried that mode on for too long.
4) The transition of Newman's character from a "30 year old child" to becoming a man ready for responsibility was way-way too fast. The movie should have spent more time on that, rather than droning on with scene after scene of him loathing.

All in all, it is a very solid movie.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

One note - such a different culture at the time of "stand by your man"... where a man can be a horror of a human being, but the woman must stand beside him no matter the personal cost.
Same goes for the main characters brother... his wife is a wretched-selfish child making his life miserable, but not even a question that he must stay with her.

 

[rampart]

One note - such a different culture at the time of "stand by your man"... where a man can be a horror of a human being, but the woman must stand beside him no matter the personal cost.
Same goes for the main characters brother... his wife is a wretched-selfish child making his life miserable, but not even a question that he must stay with her.

kazan followed william,s' script fairly well so those flaws in timing are not so much with the movie.

big caddy's plantation represents the "film noir" america that seems so desirable to some. newman can not grow up because his suppressed tendencies could not even be discussed. the females were economically dependent on their men folk, however weak .

of the several great tennessee williams movies, probably "streetcar named desire" is best.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I think I made a review of that movie here somewhere (Streetcar named desire)
It is interesting to note the parallels between these two films - disastrous, immature failures of men, accompanied by morally-vapid, high strung females that chose them.

 

[rampart]

I think I made a review of that movie here somewhere (Streetcar named desire)
It is interesting to note the parallels between these two films - disastrous, immature failures of men, accompanied by morally-vapid, high strung females that chose them.

-that would be tennessee williams in a nutshell.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

-that would be tennessee williams in a nutshell.

Not an expert on him, but did know he did both these films, as now that I look.... you are right, he does that same schtick throughout.
Interesting. Must be a reason

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Wasnt the Newman character meant to be gay. They couldnr have that in the film though but it would better explain his internal issues..

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Wasnt the Newman character meant to be gay. They couldnr have that in the film though but it would better explain his internal issues..

You wish.
But no, that rumor was answered years ago by the producer that there was never any intention for the character to be gay.
In the original play he was, but that was removed in the film

 

[Tommy Tainant]

You wish.
But no, that rumor was answered years ago by the producer that there was never any intention for the character to be gay.
In the original play he was, but that was removed in the film

Thats what I said. He was married to Liz taylor but had no interest in her. That isnt right just cos he is blue.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Thats what I said. He was married to Liz taylor but had no interest in her. That isnt right just cos he is blue.

He blamed her for his friends death, and he hated her because he knew she was only interested in his fathers wealth. The movie references this early.
John Clum who wrote the play said so himself.
The French version of it has Brick as gay.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

He blamed her for his friends death, and he hated her because he knew she was only interested in his fathers wealth. The movie references this early.

Yes his "friend".

 

[rampart]

Wasnt the Newman character meant to be gay. They couldnr have that in the film though but it would better explain his internal issues..

i think in the 1950s the newman character might have been hinted to have "homosexual tendencies," but the thought of an actual homosexual in a movie of the time was unmentionable.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

i think in the 1950s the newman character might have been hinted to have "homosexual tendencies," but the thought of an actual homosexual in a movie of the time was unmentionable.

Thats it. But it unbalanced the film. Everyone looks at Liz and cant understand him.
There waas another film of th time about a lesbian relationship. That was never spelt out and it seemed odd. Shirley Maxlaine was in it I think.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Thats it. But it unbalanced the film. Everyone looks at Liz and cant understand him.

No
Brick's sexuality never entered my mind like it wouldn't the vast majority of people.
I could have talked about the movie for an hour and that would have never came up.
The movie is not about sexuality. It is a story of a broken family. In particular, the dying patriarch's relationship with his son. A son that is immature, spoiled and has no direction in his life except to live off of Big Daddy and get drunk everyday. His father wants him to be the one who takes over his empire, and is proven to be true because the other son is trying to sign up papers to sell assets if he dies.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

No
Brick's sexuality never entered my mind like it wouldn't the vast majority of people.
I could have talked about the movie for an hour and that would have never came up.
The movie is not about sexuality. It is a story of a broken family. In particular, the dying patriarch's relationship with his son. A son that is immature, spoiled and has no direction in his life except to live off of Big Daddy and get drunk everyday. His father wants him to be the one who takes over his empire, and is proven to be true because the other son is trying to sign up papers to sell assets if he dies.

Maybe you should watch the film ?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Maybe you should watch the film ?

Are you that brain dead?
I made the thread FFS

 

[Failzero]

I sold Burl Ives Pot in the Late 1970s

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I sold Burl Ives Pot in the Late 1970s

Wouldn't that be wild.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Are you that brain dead?
I made the thread FFS

I have never seen the movie in it's entirety.

Treat yourself and then comment.

 

[Failzero]

Wouldn't that be wild.

He was still smokin in the early 80s , was at his apartment building in Hollywood and when I walked by his screen door it was really skunky smellin . I think he smoked pot until his death