Suddenly Last Summer (1959)

Suddenly Last Summer (1959)

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (A Letter to Three Wives (1949) & All About Eve (1950)) with a screenplay written by Gore Vidal & Tennessee Williams (on whose play of the same name this film is based) this engaging drama features some terrific Academy Award nominated acting from two of its three leads: Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn. Montgomery Clift holds his own as the third lead actor. The film’s Art Direction-Set Decoration also received an Oscar nomination if only for Ms. Hepburn’s garden! The story is about a rich woman whose deceased son (only seen in flashback late in the film) is the subject of some past controversy. An event (revealed in the aforementioned flashback) which resulted in the son’s death took place that left Ms. Taylor’s character hysterical to the point of insanity. Hepburn’s character wishing to avoid a scandal and/or anything that might besmirch her (or her son’s) name tries to get Clift’s a surgeon to cover it up the (film titled) event by giving Taylor’s a lobotomy. Albert Dekker plays Dr. Hockstader who employs Dr. Cukrowicz (Clift) and would very much like to accept Ms. Hepburn’s generous donation for their financially strapped hospital regardless. Mercedes Cambridge and Gary Raymond play Taylor’s mother & brother respectively who are in need of some financial assistance themselves. Taylor is admitted to the doctors’ institution and interests Clift’s character enough that he questions the earlier diagnosis & Hepburn’s motivation. He becomes determined to get to the bottom of things especially after discovering Hepburn’s eccentricities … really something!

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