★ 7 / 10
This reminded me a little of "Cat on
CinemaSerf
This reminded me a little of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1954) with Paul Newman playing the roguish "Quick" who arrives in a small town, dominated by the "Varner"…
This reminded me a little of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1954) with Paul Newman playing the roguish "Quick" who arrives in a small town, dominated by the "Varner" family and quickly tries to ingratiate himself into their wealthy ways. They, indeed the whole town, are dominated by the patriarchal "Will" (Orson Welles) who seems determined that his daughter "Clara" (Joanne Woodward) will marry local dullard "Stewart" (Richard Anderson). She, on the other hand, takes an instant shine to the newcomer and when brother, and general loafer, "Jody" (Anthony Franciosa) starts to feel a little threatened by this man who is seemingly of much more interest to his father than he is, things start to become a little tense around the place - to say the least. It's a small point, but the audio from Welles isn't the best and sometimes its quite difficult to make out what he's saying, but as the family dynamic becomes more strained and the backstory fills in a tale of a group of people for whom it's really only money that has become the thing that matters now - we end up with a characterful study of avarice and ambition tempered with some dark humour and an increasingly engaging effort from Welles and a smouldering - if maybe a little too predictable - chemistry from Woodward and Newman. It can be a bit wordy at times, but Martin Ritt keeps the pace even and taut as these folks evolve before us. It's not as intense as it might be, but it's still an easy two hours looking at the less salubrious side of human nature.
★ 8 / 10
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy" Or The Long, Hot Summer with Young Hot Paul Newman
Galina_movie_fan
It was the time when they called him a young new star and it was his breakthrough to stardom, fame, and success. The moment Paul Newman's Ben Quick, rebellious…
It was the time when they called him a young new star and it was his breakthrough to stardom, fame, and success. The moment Paul Newman's Ben Quick, rebellious and irresistible drifter enters a rural Mississippi town of Frenchman's Bend to stir up its women, puzzle its men and to catch the interest of Big Daddy Varner (Orson Welles, the ferocious force of nature seemed to have fun playing Will Varner and experimenting with make-up) the town richest and most powerful redneck who perhaps sees in Ben a lot of himself, the screen legend was born."The Long, Hot Summer" (1958) is based on five short stories and a novel by one of the America's greatest novelists and storytellers, the expert of Southern life, William Faulkner, and the film is a steamy, moving, often funny (perhaps, unintentionally) tale of lust, greed, jealousy, and larger than life personalities and their clashes. I guess I need to read more Faulkner's stories because I was surprised to see the film that is based on the works of the writer known for his heavy use of such sophisticated literary techniques as symbolism, allegory, and especially stream of consciousness, the film which linear narrative is easy to follow from the third person point-of-view.Besides Paul Newman who was as talented as he was hot, his off- screen wife-to-be Joanna Woodward shines as Clara Varner, Will's intelligent, thinking daughter, the teacher in a local school whom her father wants to see married (and not just wants but takes certain steps that Clara does not like and feels offended by). The film was the first of many Newman's and Woodward's collaboration and it is not easy to recall the greater chemistry between two leads. Orson Welles dominates the screen in his every scene as expected. 21-years-old Lee Remick (Eula, Varner's daughter-in-law, sexy and innocent woman-child), Anthony Franciosa (Jody, Varner's overlooked and jealous son), and Angela Lansbury (Minnie, the woman who has her own plans about future that include a widower Varner in them) all add to the sizzling fun that "The Long Hot Summer" is.
★ 8 / 10
Flawed Southern saga
Maverick1962
I've always loved a recording I have by Gordon MacRae of The Long Hot Summer, not knowing it was sung over the titles in this movie by Jimmie Rogers. Good…
I've always loved a recording I have by Gordon MacRae of The Long Hot Summer, not knowing it was sung over the titles in this movie by Jimmie Rogers. Good songs always add to a movie I've always thought and this romantic drama gets a boost from this lovely melody. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward married either here or shortly after and went on to collaborate on many other movies. This must be one of the best although as I say, it is flawed. Mainly because Newman's Ben Quick couldn't really have taken on all the things he gets to do here in the space of just a few days.Nevertheless I loved this movie and the stellar cast that included Lee Remick as Joanne's sister in law, Tony Franciosa as her disturbed brother, Orson Welles as their dominant bullying father, Angela Lansbury as Welles' girlfriend and Richard Anderson as Joanne's boy friend. Beautifully shot and superbly directed by Martin Ritt, the movies just sparkles thanks to these actors.
82%
TOMATOMETER
· 17 reviews
82%
AUDIENCE
· 5K ratings
7.3/10
13.9K
•••
Exceptional