Lamortde (imported) wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:52 pm
There are multiple torrent downloads of this movie available from FrostWire. As a whole, the movie is rather boring.
Agreed. The play was only less so. The only advantage to the film is that when you become bored, you can turn it off, walk out ot the theatre, etc. Geraldine played it in New York. I should say, in retrospect it was boring, but, much as HAIR was a shocker in and of its time, "Sweet Bird" was modestly so as seldom had a well known, well liked, well respected actress taken such a role. Paul Newman played Chance Wayne, her "boy Friend" and they repeated these roles in the film. As with much of Williams' work, Hollywood trivialized his plays to make them acceptable, to Play In Peoria if you will. "Cat On A Hot Tim Roof" comes across as very strong due to a plethora of outstanding performances. What was jettisones, only lightly even suggested, was a crucial subplot about the lead male's homosexual behavior with a fellow football player. In general, though, Williams had a tough time in Hollywood. Frank Freeman, then running Paramount. loaned me out to the production company that was making "The Last Of My Solid Gold Watches" at Warners to "see what I could do about the dialogue". I read it and knew that I couldn't do anything about the dialogue. I believe I told Mr. Freeman, that, as amused as I had been working with "Miss Wood" as she insisted on being called, "Daisy Clover" had finished me off and I turned it down. Maybe someone could have done something, William Inge comes to mind as a possibility although I belive by then he was deceased. It's interesting to note that, today, his works are in something of a decline. While many of his plays are a treat for actors they can be a threat to the audience. The late Edward Tanner (nee' Patrick Dennis) said he knew his works wouldn't last as they were too much of a time, too sophisticated in a world that increasingly wasn't amused by wit and social comedies of manners and mores. "Auntie Mame" as hilarious as I found it in 1956, had already been emasculated when it first hit the theatre. Another step down when it got to the movies, then back to Broadway where Angela Lansbury played it as a tour de force and, finally, and sadly, Lucille Ball killed the antic aunt forever. Williams had far more misses than he did hits but along with only a few other writers expanded the realm of what was drama and what was formulaic drama. In thinking about the '50's only one play really stands outh and that's "The Bad Seed" this peaen to junk psychology and the only reason it does is because I am an adopted person and the play rather directly says that the little homocidal maniac in the piece was given up for adoption as someone knew she was "bad".
At all events, it's good to find someone else who has even heard of this film/play. It may run on something like TCM but only because of the star power of Paul Newman and, to a lesser degree, Geraldine Page. Thanks for your comment. PJ
