Classic Film : Suddenly, Last Summer

Suddenly, Last Summer



"Life is tough. Get a helmet." – Candace Owens
"Not today, Satan!" – Blaire White

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Disturbing movie

I asked her if she liked it.
She said "Stupid movie."

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Yes! Totally agree.

"Life is tough. Get a helmet." – Candace Owens
"Not today, Satan!" – Blaire White

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

There are things I admired about it - the performances, for example - but the one time I saw it I didn't warm to it, though I'm not sure why. Great cast, director, screenwriters. It may just be that I found it too disturbing, without the usual Tennessee William poetic bent to take the edge off of it for me. Haven't read the play, so can't be sure.

It's playing on TCM this week, however, so I'll probably give it another look to see if I feel differently this time (haven't seen it in decades).

(TCM, this Thursday evening/night – check your local schedule.)

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

I enjoy scrolling through TCM's collections. They're a go-to for me, especially for late evenings.

"Life is tough. Get a helmet." – Candace Owens
"Not today, Satan!" – Blaire White

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Me too. 😊

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

so glad it’s on tcm this week. it’s subtle handling of homosexuality and hepburn’s horrid aunt insisting her niece have a lobotomy cuz of things she saw and said is done well. both hepburn and taylor were great. clift not so much but he was heavily into his addictions and not doing too well.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Lord, I forgot so much of the story! It's disturbing, for sure, but I do now remember its subtle handing of homosexuality, something rarely dealt with in those days. It also reminds me of the fact that Williams' sister, Rose, had a lobotomy and was institutionalized for the rest of her life, something I don't think most people know, but that I think was a great influence on some aspects of Williams' work.

I will do my best to watch the film again and get back to you after I do.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

The movie didn't seem too clear about what Sebastian was actually doing. I guess this was because of the censors. It seemed to me that he was interested in young men.

I like the portrayal of the nut-house in the old south. I like Montgomery Clift in his role as doctor, who makes the effort to check things out.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

I have a feeling it will be a tough one to watch (again), but I'm planning on doing it, given that I barely remember it (saw it on tv in the 60s). Gore Vidal and Tennessee Williams working together on the screenplay interests me greatly, to say nothing of the fact that I would never think of Joseph Mankiewicz as a Williams director. When I saw it all those decades ago, I wasn't deeply affected by it, as I would normally be by almost any Williams play. Maybe I'll feel different this time.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Suddenly Last Summer is listed for tonight at 11pm on TCM. I guess that would be EDT.

There is another Katherine Hepburn movie: Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) on before it, 8pm EDT. I have never seen that one.
Storyline from IMDB:
Over the course of one day in August 1912, the family of retired actor James Tyrone grapples with the morphine addiction of his wife Mary, the illness of their youngest son Edmund and the alcoholism and debauchery of their older son Jamie. As day turns into night, guilt, anger, despair, and regret threaten to destroy the family.

Long Day's Journey Into Night

I strongly recommend that you watch this, PL. It's a Sidney Lumet masterful presentation of Eugene O'Neill's play, shot in continuity like a play, and yet it's still very cinematic. And all the cast give superb performances. It's one of Hepburn's all- time best, I believe (Oscar nominated). And the film's final shot is brilliant, and haunting.

Long Day's Journey Into Night

It sounds rather depressing.

Long Day's Journey Into Night

Well, I can't say it isn't. And these days I myself tend to avoid those kinds of films. But you might want to try it to see if you can get through it. Maybe you can't. But maybe you can. I also wanted to add that I think most would agree that it's O'Neill's greatest play, an autobiography of his life growing up in his tortured family.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Thank you for the heads up!

"Life is tough. Get a helmet." – Candace Owens
"Not today, Satan!" – Blaire White

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

Wow, I never saw this 1993 movie. Is it as good as the original? It's nice that it adheres closer to the source material.

"Life is tough. Get a helmet." – Candace Owens
"Not today, Satan!" – Blaire White

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Suddenly, Last Summer

I watched through this version of it. This takes place just at the house, mostly just talking (like a play). Moves fairly slow until the last part when Catherine reveals what happened last summer. It seems fairly clear that Sebastion was interested in boys.

So this misses the embellishments of the movie - like being at the mental hospital. The movie is definitely better.


Poor video quality. I got somewhat better video quality from this 6 part version:

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.
Top