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The Long, Hot Summer (1958)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
18 May 1958 (West Germany)
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Tagline:
Adapted from the Sensational Novel by William Faulkner more
Plot:
Accused barn burner and con man Ben Quick arrives in a small Mississippi town and quickly ingratiates himself with its richest family, the Varners. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Barn
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Mississippi
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Ambition
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Arson
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Wild Horse
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Awards:
1 win
&
3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Paul Newman: 1925 - 2008
(From IMDb News. 27 September 2008, 8:49 AM, PDT)
Actor Tony Franciosa Dead at 77
(From WENN. 22 January 2006)
(From IMDb News. 27 September 2008, 8:49 AM, PDT)
Actor Tony Franciosa Dead at 77
(From WENN. 22 January 2006)
User Comments:
The mythic South
more (39 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Paul Newman | ... | Ben Quick | |
| Joanne Woodward | ... | Clara Varner | |
| Anthony Franciosa | ... | Jody Varner | |
| Orson Welles | ... | Will Varner | |
| Lee Remick | ... | Eula Varner | |
| Angela Lansbury | ... | Minnie Littlejohn | |
| Richard Anderson | ... | Alan Stewart | |
| Sarah Marshall | ... | Agnes Stewart | |
| Mabel Albertson | ... | Mrs. Stewart | |
| J. Pat O'Malley | ... | Ratliff | |
| Bill Walker | ... | Lucius (as William Walker) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) |
Mono (35 mm optical prints)
Certification:
Iceland:L |
USA:Approved (certificate #18811) |
Canada:PG (video rating) |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:PG |
Chile:14 |
Finland:S |
Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Director Martin Ritt was forever known after this movie as the man who tamed Orson Welles. During filming Ritt drove Welles into the middle of a swamp, kicked him out of the car and forced him to find his own way back.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Home Improvement: Reel Men (#3.15)" (1994)
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Soundtrack:
The Long, Hot Summer
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (39 total)
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The Long, Hot Summer is what movies are all about. Newman is so sexy it's no wonder that Agnes pleads with her friend Clara not to send this handsome stranger away too fast, even if he's a sewing machine salesman. Joanne Newman as Clara looks beautiful with her blonde hair pulled back tight and a little half twist to her hips when she walks.
Although some reviewers have said this film is more Tennesse Williams than Faulkner, Clara does not resemble Williams' tragic heroines who are mired in the past. She is mightily tempted by Newman's Ben Quick, the "modern man," who advises her than the world is ruled by the meat-eaters. It is Clara who makes their first tryst possible and though it ends with angry words, it is obvious these two are meant for each other.
Will Varner, played over-the-top by Orson Welles, is Clara's father. He owns everything in town and figures his holdings extend to his daughter. He wants sons to carry on his name and Ben Quick looks like the man for his Clara.
The movie creates a town that feels as though it will live on after the film is over and people who relate to each other as if there was no camera present. Granted it's not the real South but the mythic South. Sex goes hand in hand with the dust and the heat. Aristocratic blood is running thin. A handsome "bull" of a stranger appears to liven things up. Newman swings his battered old suitcase with the confidence of a man who knows he'll soon be sleeping on satin sheets.