The Long, Hot Summer 1958

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The Long, Hot Summer ★★★½ 1958

A tense, wellplayed adaptation of the William Faulkner story about drifter Ben Quick (Newman), who latches himself onto a tyrannical Mississippi family, the Varners, led by larger-than-life Will Varner (Welles). The first onscreen pairing of Newman and Woodward (who plays spinster daughter Clara), and one of the best. Remade for TV in 1986. 117m/C VHS, DVD . Paul Newman, Orson Welles, Joanne Woodward, Lee Remick, Anthony (Tony) Franciosa, Angela Lansbury, Richard Anderson; D: Martin Ritt; W: Harriet Frank Jr., Irving Ravetch; C: Joseph LaShelle; M: Alex North. Cannes ‘58: Actor (Newman).