Elizabeth Taylor in "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959)

Elizabeth Taylor in "Suddenly, Last Summer" (image from JSR Pages)

REVIEW:
"Mike is dead, and I'm alive! What do you expect me to do: sleep alone?" - this is what Hedda Hopper claimed Elizabeth Taylor told her when the scandal broke. A nation wide scandal began in 1958, generating a huge social phenomenon across America and throughout the western world: tabloids and serious newspapers, television and civil society leagues, professional associations and the Hollywood community, everybody was monitoring on a daily basis the attitude of the Americans regarding the love triangle "Liz - Eddie - Debbie" ! The evolution of this scandal would overshadow every political or cultural event, and even Khrushchev's visit to America became uninteresting for the newspapers and television. Mike Todd's widow had fallen in love with Todd's best friend, singer Eddie Fisher. And Eddie Fisher was the husband of Debbie Reynolds, the best friend of Elizabeth Taylor ! And Eddie Fisher had left Debbie Reynolds and their two children to marry Liz Taylor ! The love triangle, as expected, divided America into two parties: one that suffered with Debbie Reynolds and the other that inclined to forgive Liz Taylor. Nobody sympathized with Eddie Fisher, whose artistic career collapsed. Jaqueline Kennedy used to say: "If I run away with a man, everyone hates me, except he's Eddie Fisher". It seemed only the man came out wrinkled from this scandal. Debbie Reynolds began to be better paid for her movies, while Liz Taylor got an irresistible offer: $500,000 for her next role in "Suddenly, Last Summer". Debbie Reynolds will testify that no one could have ever resisted to the most beautiful woman on earth, so she understood Eddie Fisher's gesture, saying: "Hell, nobody could not love her! Even I voted for her at the Oscar !".

"This film was done by degenerated people, obsessed with rape, incest, homosexuality and cannibalism" (wrote Bosley Crowther, film critic). Gore Vidal (co-screenwritter) used to tell that such critics have helped ​​the film to become a mega-hit, basically forcing everybody to break into public theaters. Elizabeth Taylor gives one of her finest performances ever. Her role in this film is considered by many critics to be her best during her long career.

FILM TITLE
"SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER" (U.S.A./Colombia Pictures/1959)

PROMO
"Suddenly, last summer, Cathy realized that she was used for something evil!" (Columbia Pictures)

OVERVIEW
New Orleans, 1937. Mrs. Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), one of the richest women in town, plans to finance a state hospital with $1 Million, provided that Dr. John Cukrowitz (Montgomery Clift) operates a lobotomy on her niece, Catherine (Elizabeth Taylor). Mrs. Venable is destroyed after the death of her son, the poet Sebastian Venable, with whom she used to make their vacations around the world, with the exception of the last summer, when, suddenly, he left with his cousin, Catherine, in Spain, at Cabeza de Lobo. Catherine had a nervous breakdown after the day Sebastian died in mysterious circumstances. Since then, Catherine has been locked into an asylum. Dr. John Cukrowitz accepts the proposal of the rich widow, but he first wants to find out the truth from Catherine. The young woman has amnesia and is under the effect of medication, so that she can not provide credible details about what happened. John, however, continues to try to communicate with Catherine. The result is spectacular, and the end is apotheotic. The final minutes of the film are shocking and anthological.

CAST
Elizabeth Taylor (Catherine Holly), Montgomery Clift (Dr. John Cukrowicz), Katharine Hepburn (Mrs. Violet Venable), Albert Dekker (Dr. Hockstader), Mercedes McCambridge (Mrs. Holly), Gary Raymond (George Holly).
DIRECTED BY
Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
SCREENPLAY
Gore Vidal and Tennessee Williams, after Tennessee Williams's play.
PRODUCED BY
Sam Spiegel.
PRODUCTION DATES
between May to September 1959.
RELEASED
December 1959.
DURATION
114 minutes.
GENRE
drama, thriller.

NOMINATED at
- Oscar for Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor), Oscar for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn), Oscar for Best Art Direction (Oliver Messel, William Kellner, Scott Slimon);
- Golden Globe for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn);
- Golden Laurel for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn), Golden Laurel for Best Music (Buxton Orr, Malcolm Arnold).
AWARDS
- Golden Globe for Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor), Golden Laurel for Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor).

TRIVIA
- Katharine Hepburn was depressed by the increased attention given by the director to Elizabeth Taylor and by the fact that she was forced to stay away from her lover, Spencer Tracy;
- Elizabeth Taylor was depressed by the relationship with Eddie Fisher, because she had already understood the huge mistake she had done;
- Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were both angry at the director and the producer because of the way they treated Montgomery Clift;
- Montgomery Clift was already under the influence of drugs and alcohol, often behave inconsistently, forgetting movie lines;
- Once again the studio wanted to replace Montgomery Clift, but Elizabeth Taylor opposed;
- Katharine Hepburn is said to have waited to finish the last day of shooting and then she spat in front of the director for his behavior towards Monty Clift;
- Both Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn were nominated for Oscars, but both lost to Simone Signoret;
- The film was a mega box-office success and the image of Elizabeth Taylor in a bathing suit is emblematic for the American pop culture;
- Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor became friends again after several years, and they even played together in a movie!
- The daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Carrie Fisher, was to later become the famous Princess Leya in "Star Wars";
- Also in 1959, "Some Like It Hot" with Marilyn Monroe was released. The success of both films emphasized the notorious rivalry between the two superstars (Taylor and Monroe).

Watch TRAILER here.