Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) is an Academy Award-nominated MGM film directed by Richard Brooks based on the Tony-nominated play of the same name by Tennessee Williams adapted by Richard Brooks and James Poe. One of the top-ten box office hits of 1958, the film stars Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives.
Plot
Late one night, Brick Pollitt is out trying to recapture his glory days of college sports by leaping hurdles on a track field, dreaming about his glory moments as a youthful athelete. Expectedly, he falls and injures his ankle and needs crutches. Just afterward. he, along with his wife, Maggie "the Cat", are visiting with his family in Mississippi, awaiting to celebrate Big Daddy's 65th birthday. Depressed, Brick decides to spend his days inside drinking while resisting the affections of his wife, who taunts him about the inheritance of Big Daddy's wealth.
Big Daddy, arriving from the hospital, is unaware that he is dying from cancer because his family and doctors refuse to tell either him or Big Mama. Maggie begs Brick to put care into getting his father’s wealth, but Brick stubbornly refuses. When Big Daddy is fed up with his alcoholic son’s behavior, he demands to know why he is so stubborn. Brick angrily refuses to answer.
Big Daddy forces the issue and the revealing moment ensues when Maggie tells what happened the night Brick's friend Skipper committed suicide. In the film, Maggie reveals she was jealous of Skipper because he had more of Brick's time. She claimed she wanted to ruin their relationship "by any means necessary." She intended to seduce Skipper and put the lie to his relationship with her husband. She got scared and ran away without going through with it. Brick blamed Maggie for Skipper's death. Later, when Big Daddy learns that he will die from cancer before his birthday, he along with Brick decides to give his inheritance to Maggie who "has life". Brick, with his troubles behind him, recognizes the affections of Maggie and the film ends, with the couple having a long kiss.
Cast
- Elizabeth Taylor as Margaret "Maggie/Maggie the Cat" Pollitt
- Paul Newman as Brick Pollitt
- Burl Ives as Harvey "Big Daddy" Pollitt
- Judith Anderson as Ida "Big Momma" Pollitt
- Jack Carson as Cooper "Gooper" Pollitt
- Madeleine Sherwood as Mae Flynn Pollitt
- Larry Gates as Dr. Baugh
- Vaughn Taylor as Deacon Davis
