Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Tennessee Williams (play)
Richard Brooks (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 September 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

This is Maggie the Cat...

Plot:

Brick, an alcoholic ex-football player, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife, Maggie. His reunion with his father, Big Daddy, who is dying of cancer, jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

Plot Keywords:

Mississippi | Pregnancy Issue | Children | Reconciliation | Disease

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Margaret 'Maggie the Cat' Pollitt
Paul Newman	...	Brick Pollitt
Burl Ives	...	Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt
Jack Carson	...	Cooper 'Gooper' Pollitt
Judith Anderson	...	Ida 'Big Momma' Pollitt
Madeleine Sherwood	...	Mae Flynn Pollitt
Larry Gates	...	Dr. Baugh
Vaughn Taylor	...	Deacon Davis

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Portugal:M/12 (re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15 | USA:Not Rated | West Germany:18 (original rating) | UK:12A (re-rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Coleman Estate, Muttontown, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ben Gazzara' , who originated the role of Brick on Broadway, turned down the role for the film version.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the first scene of the film, when Brick is arranging the obstacles, his shadow is projected to the right side of the screen. After he approaches the car and drinks from the bottle, his shadow is projected to the left side.

Quotes:

Dr. Baugh: Sometimes I wish I had a pill to make people disappear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Radar Secret Service (#6.20)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Some folks

Brilliant

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is quite brilliant. Even though it's an adaptation of a play it's never boring. Of course, it's impossible to make a film based on a play that isn't 'talky,' but Brooks has managed to make a film that is fascinating and interesting despite the theatrical feel. It helps that the cast is uniformly sensational! Elizabeth Taylor, Burl Ives, and -- especially -- Paul Newman. This film is not quite as good as another adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play, "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Elia Kazan, but it comes pretty close. (9/10)