IMDb > Tea and Sympathy (1956)

Tea and Sympathy (1956) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   801 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Vincente Minnelli
Writers:
Robert Anderson (play)
Robert Anderson (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Tea and Sympathy on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 May 1957 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Where does a woman's sympathy leave off -- and her indiscretion begin?
Plot:
Tom Lee is a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Grace Kelly: To Catch A Thief, The Swan
 (From Alternative Film Guide. 5 November 2009, 4:03 PM, PST)

Playwright Anderson Dies
 (From WENN. 10 February 2009, 4:00 AM, PST)

User Comments:
"Years from now when you talk about this--and you will--be kind..." more (28 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Deborah Kerr ... Laura Reynolds
John Kerr ... Tom Robinson Lee
Leif Erickson ... Bill Reynolds
Edward Andrews ... Herb Lee
Darryl Hickman ... Al
Norma Crane ... Ellie Martin

Dean Jones ... Ollie, Tennis Partner
Jacqueline deWit ... Lilly Sears, Laura's friend
Tom Laughlin ... Ralph, 'Regular Guy'
Ralph Votrian ... Steve, Ralph's side-kick
Steven Terrell ... Phil
Kip King ... Ted
Jimmy Hayes ... Henry
Richard Tyler ... Roger
Don Burnett ... Vic
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
122 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This film was adapted from a Broadway play that originally starred Deborah Kerr, John Kerr and Leif Erickson, who recreate their stage roles in this film. Also in the Broadway cast in supporting roles were Alan Sues (who later appeared on TV's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1967)) and Dick York (the first actor who played Darrin on TV's "Bewitched" (1964) starring Elizabeth Montgomery). Joan Fontaine and Anthony Perkins also later appeared in the stage version of "Tea and Sympathy" as cast replacements during its long run. The stage production opened on Sept. 30, 1953 at the Ethel Barrymoore Theatre and ran for 712 performances. more
Goofs:
Continuity: A pair of china dogs are back to back in a master shot (overall wide view). But when the camera moves in for close-ups, the dogs are face-to-face. more
Quotes:
Laura Reynolds: Manliness is not all swagger and mountain climbing. It's also tenderness. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "NYPD Blue: Tea and Sympathy (#7.19)" (2000) more
Soundtrack:
The Joys of Love more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful.
"Years from now when you talk about this--and you will--be kind...", 1 October 2008
6/10
Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

Robert Anderson adapted his own play for the screen about a sensitive young man ostracized at his all-male school for pursuing interests not typically associated with red-blooded males circa 1950. Seems he enjoys cooking and sewing, singing folk music, and chatting with the faculty wives--all of which have alienated him from his classmates (as well as his own father!), though not the lonesome wife of the head schoolmaster, who takes a special and heartfelt interest in the lad. As played by John Kerr (reprising his stage performance), the central character is curiously presented without even the slightest hint of affectation; yes, he shows no resistance to playing a female role in the class play (requiring him to wear a flouncy dress), yet the filmmakers want us to see something in this boy which isn't standard, and John Kerr is incredibly, blandly standard (even his walk, which is mocked, is utterly ordinary). Ironically, though the film has a dated viewpoint of masculinity--the opposite of which is practically labeled 'abnormal'--the picture has a large following among gays. Though it is a serious-minded movie, one is apt to hoot in derision at the script's loftier passages. Thankfully, Deborah Kerr also reprises her stage role as Mrs. Reynolds, and she pulls out whatever honesty there is in the dialogue and actually gives it some depth and worth. The theme here is certainly an unusual one for 1956 Hollywood--and even stranger for having Vincente Minnelli direct it, he the subject of much gossip himself--but the production is plush and the story is engrossing despite the soapy undermining. **1/2 from ****

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Tom had it easy tennman3
This Movie did not work for me!! suel41452
Was 'Sister Boy' really a term used at the time? gurgitoy2
The ending evenstar9
Where Is The DVD mpofarrell
the great John Alton goes high gloss danielj_old999
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