Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Tennessee Williams (play)
Gore Vidal (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 December 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS shocks you again as he transports you to a STRANGE, NEW BOLD WORLD!

Plot:

The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane; now Mrs. Venable wants Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Operation | Widow | Spain | Memory

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Catherine Holly
Katharine Hepburn	...	Mrs. Violet Venable
Montgomery Clift	...	Dr. Cukrowicz
Albert Dekker	...	Dr. Lawrence J. Hockstader
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Mrs. Grace Holly
Gary Raymond	...	George Holly
Mavis Villiers	...	Miss Foxhill
Patricia Marmont	...	Nurse Benson
Joan Young	...	Sister Felicity
Maria Britneva	...	Lucy
Sheila Robbins	...	Dr. Hockstader's Secretary
David Cameron	...	Young Blonde Interne

Also Known As:

Plötzlich im letzten Sommer (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Äkkiä viime kesänä (Finland) [fi]
Bruscamente no Verão Passado (Portugal) [pt]
De repente el verano (Venezuela) [es]
De repente en el verano (Argentina) [es]
De repente, el último verano (Spain) [es]
Improvvisamente l'estate scorsa (Italy) [it]
Plötsligt i somras (Sweden) [sv]
Pludselig sidste sommer (Denmark) [da]
Soudain l'été dernier (France) [fr]

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Netherlands:6 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Horizon Pictures (II)

Trivia:

In the Italian post-synchronized version of the film, the actors are dubbed by: Lidia Simoneschi (Elizabeth Taylor), Andreina Pagnani (Katharine Hepburn), Giuseppe Rinaldi (Montgomery Clift), Giorgio Capecchi (Albert Dekker), Rosetta Calavetta (Mercedes McCambridge), Massimo Turci (Gary Raymond) and Wanda Tettoni (Mavis Villiers).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although set in 1937, costumes, hairstyles and makeup worn by Elizabeth Taylor were all contemporary in 1959.

Quotes:

Mrs. Venable: Oh, Sebastian, what a lovely summer it's been. Just the two of us. Sebastian and Violet. Violet and Sebastian. Just the way it's always going to be. Oh, we are lucky, my darling, to have one another and need no one else ever.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Boys in the Band (1970)

One of the Scariest Films I've seen

"Suddenly, Last Summer" - is one of the scariest films I've seen. Directed in 1959 by Joseph Mankievitz and based on one of Tennessee Williams' plays, it deals with very disturbing topics. Elizabeth Taylor is sensational, playing Catherine, the girl who may have lost her mind after having witnessed her cousin's bizarre death that occurred "suddenly, last summer" during the vacation. Katherine Hepburn is magnificent as his adoring mother who wants the disturbing memories been surgically removed from the girl's memory.

Production design, set decorations, and costumes are absolutely stunning. Both, Hepburn and Taylor received very deserving Oscar nominations for the best leading performance.