BUtterfield 8 (1960)

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

John O'Hara (novel)
Charles Schnee (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 November 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

...the best-seller that tells Gloria's story...from first man to last!

Plot:

The romantic life of a fashionable Manhattan beauty who's part model, part call-girl--and all man-trap.

Plot Keywords:

Model | New York | Divorce | Moral Reformation | Telephone Time Service

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Gloria Wandrous
Laurence Harvey	...	Weston Liggett
Eddie Fisher	...	Steve Carpenter
Dina Merrill	...	Emily Liggett
Mildred Dunnock	...	Mrs. Wandrous
Betty Field	...	Mrs. Fanny Thurber
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Bingham Smith
Kay Medford	...	Happy
Susan Oliver	...	Norma
George Voskovec	...	Dr. Tredman

Also Known As:

Butterfield 8 (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:15 (1994) | UK:X (1960) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (w) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Afton-Linebrook

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~11.3 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~10.8 seconds.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although the title BUtterfield 8 might have made some sense as a viable telephone exchange when the novel was printed in the Thirties, it was an anachronism by 1960 when local phone numbers had seven digits. At one point, Steve claims he has been calling BUtterfield 8 for days with no answer; no wonder, he was four digits short.

Quotes:

Gloria Wandrous: Command performances leave me quite cold. I've had more fun in the back seat of a '39 Ford than I could ever have in the vault of the Chase Manhattan Bank.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mad Men: For Those Who Think Young (#2.1)" (2008)

That mink coat!

John O'Hara's novel was way ahead of its time. Daniel Mann's "Butterfield 8" was a film that capitalized on the lurid aspects of the book, but actually was turned into a soap opera. By today's standards it looks kind of ridiculous, but of course, it was meant to reflect the period of the late fifties in which the action is set.

Elizabeth Taylor was at the height of her beauty when the movie was shot. She comes out as the gorgeous creature she was in this vehicle that won her the Oscar that she should have received for other films, notably "Suddenly, Last Summer".

The film will entertain whoever hasn't seen it before. It's obvious Ms. Taylor and her co-star, Lawrence Harvey, had no chemistry whatsoever, as it shows in the film. What was shocking then wouldn't raise an eyebrow now. In the supporting cast, Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field, Dina Merrill give good performances.

Watch this film as curiosity piece to see some of the New York of that era.