Suddenly, Last Summer

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Suddenly, Last Summer ★★★½ 1959

Brain surgeon is summoned to the mansion of a rich New Orleans matron who wishes him to perform a lobotomy on her niece, supposedly suffering from a mental breakdown. Based on the play by Tennessee Williams. Softened for the censors, though the themes of homosexuality, insanity, and murder, characterizations of evil, and unusual settings presage many movies of the next two decades. Extremely fine performances from Hepburn and Taylor. Clift never completely recovered from his auto accident two years before and does not come across with the strength of purpose really necessary in his character. Still, fine viewing. 114m/B VHS, DVD . Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Montgomery Clift, Mercedes McCambridge, Albert Dekker; D: Joseph L. Mankiewicz; W: Gore Vidal; C: Jack Hildyard; M: Malcolm Arnold. Golden Globes '60: Actress—Drama (Taylor).