Suddenly Last Summer (1959)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1959
Running Times: 114 mins
Format: black and white     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Horizon Films / Columbia Pictures Corporation
Producer: Sam Spiegel
Production Supervisor: Bill Kirby

SCRIPT
Script: Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams
Play: Tennessee Williams

DIRECTION
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Assistant Director: Bluey Hill

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Jack Hildyard
Camera Operator: Gerry Fisher

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: William Hornbeck, Thomas G. Stanford
Assembly Editor: John Jympson
Consultant Editor: William W. Hornbeck

MUSIC
Music: Buxton Orr, Malcolm Arnold
Conductor: Buxton Orr

SOUND
Sound: A.G. Ambler, John Cox
Sound Mix: Westrex Recording System

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: David Aylott
Hair: Joan White
Costume Designer: Oliver Messel
Costumes For Elizabeth Taylor: Jean Louis (uncredited)
Costumes for Katharine Hepburn: Norman Hartnell (uncredited)
Associate Costume Designer: Joan Ellacott

VISUAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Tom Howard

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Oliver Messel
Art Director: William Kellner
Set Decorator: Scott Slimon
Construction Manager: Peter Dukelow

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Elaine Schreyeck

LOCATIONS
Locations: London, England, UK
Studio: Shepperton Studios, England, UK

CAST
Elizabeth Taylor (Catherine Holly)
Katharine Hepburn (Mrs Venable)
Montgomery Clift (Dr Cukrowicz)
Albert Dekker (Dr Hockstader)
Mercedes McCambridge (Mrs Holly)
Gary Raymond (George Holly)
Mavis Villiers (Miss Foxhill)
Patricia Marmont (Nurse Benson)
Joan Young (Sister Felicity)
Maria Britneva (Lucy)
Sheila Robbins (Dr Hockstader's secretary)
David Cameron (young blonde interne)
Roberta Woolley (patient - uncredited)

In the summer of 1936, Sebastian Venable dies in horrific circumstances while on holiday in Europe with his cousin Catherine, who seems to go mad in the aftermath. A year later, Sebastian's mother plans to finance the building of a new psychiatric wing, but only if Dr Cukrowicz will perform a lobotomy on Catherine...

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (04752)

Finland
Rating: K-16

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

1960
Academy Awards, USA
Best Actress in a Leading Role (Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor) - nominated
Best Art Direction / Set Decoration, Black and White (William Kellner, Oliver Messel, Scott Slimon) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Motion Picture Actress: Drama (Elizabeth Taylor) - winner

Laurel Awards, USA
Golden Laurel Top Female Dramatic Performance (Elizabeth Taylor) - winner
Golden Laurel Top Female Dramatic Performance (Katharine Hepburn) - 5th place
Golden Laurel Top Score (Malcolm Arnold, Buxton Orr) - 4th place

1959
December
22: USA - theatrical release

1960
February
11: Denmark - theatrical release

March
10: West Germany - theatrical release
28: Sweden - theatrical release

April
Day Unknown: Austria - theatrical release
8: Finland - theatrical release

2000
August
15: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (04752))

Suddenly, last summer, Cathy knew she was being used for something evil!

Äkkiä viime kesänä - Finnish title
Bruscamente no Verão Passado - Portugese title
De repente el verano - Venezuelan title
De repente, el último verano - Spanish title
Improvvisamente l'estate scorsa - Italian title
Plötsligt i somras - Swedish title
Plötzlich im letzten Sommer - German title
Pludselig sidste sommer - Danish title
Soudain l'été dernier - French title

REMAKE
Suddenly, Last Summer (1993)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The Celluloid Closet (1995)
Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life (1997)

MAGAZINES

The Movie p.1140 (UK)
credits, review

Studio July / August 1988 p.21 (France)
review (by Pascal Merigeau)

BOOKS

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.467
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

cannibalism, carniverous plants, children, spain, sadists, homosexuality, prostitution, birds, brain surgery, lobotomies, psychiatric hospitals