bombersflyup The Long Hot Summer is an engaging small town drama with a terrific cast.Orson Welles really was the stand out for me, as the patriarch and owner of the town. The film went up a notch every scene he was involved, meaning it did lack in other areas. The film isn't really about anything and the characters don't really grow or change at all, but I liked it.Will Varner: I was young myself once. I used to hide in the greenery and hoot and bellow. Clara: I'll bet you did. I'll bet you stayed longest and yelled loudest. Will Varner: Your mama listened. Clara: Mr. Quick, I am a human being. Do you know what that means? It means I set a price on myself: a high, high price. You may be surprised to know it, but I've got quite a lot to give. I've got things I've been saving up my whole life. Things like love and understanding and-and jokes and good times and good cooking. I'm prepared to be the Queen of Sheba for some lucky man, or at the very least the best wife that any man could hope for. Now, that's my human history and it's not going to be bought and sold and it's certainly not gonna be given away to any passin' stranger.Clara: You're too much like my father to suit me, and I'm an authority on him. Ben: He's a wonderful old man. Clara: One wolf recognizes another. Ben: Tame us. Make pets out of us. You could.

ma-cortes Interesting and thought-provoking melodrama with marvelous acting from the entire cast , and outstanding Paul Newman as a stranger bringing with him a reputation for burning people's barns if they cross him . As Ben Quick (Paul Newman) , a young opportunist dirifter arrives in a little town and problems brewing . On the basis to get a job , Ben makes a strong impression on his landlord Will Varner (Orson Welles, he was 42 years old, but was cast as a 61 year old man due to his weight ) , the town bigwig and he meets his match in his sassy daughter Clara Varner (Joanne Woodward) . As Ben quickly ingratiates himself with its richest family, the Varners , formed by father , Will Varner (Welles) and sons : Clara , Eula Varner (Lee Remick ) married to Jody (Anthony Franciosa) . This tense and well performed adapatation is based on two short stories and part of a novel by Nobel winner William Faulkner , set in a small Mississippi town . The picture shot Paul Newmans as a man taken under a Southern patriarch's wing , his wife Joanne Woodward , and Lee Remick to stardom . Newman and his real-wife , Woodward , luckily carry the whole movie as the main roles . This is the first on-screen pairing of Newman and Woodward ; in fact , a month after production wrapped, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward got married in Las Vegas. In this movie there is betrayal , scheming, seduction, improbable luck , suspicion, vengeance , heroism, compassion, and redemption . The locations, the soundtrack by Alex North , cinematography by cameraman Joseph LaShelle and the dramatic moments as well as the love stories between characters deliver an attractive and interesting flick . When the drama emerges there takes place incident and passion , and there's plenty of both . Paul Newman gives a fine acting as an accused barn burner and con man . Joanne Woodward is first-class as the spinster daughter Clara and one of the best characters . Support cast is pretty nice . Anthony Franciosa is fine as Welles' wimpish son who schemes a relentless vendetta . Orson Welles provides a boisterous and top-notch acting as the tyrannical Mississippi ¨pater familias¨ on his larger-than-life role . Lee Remick is wonderful as his sweet-natured daughter ; besides , Angel Lansbury as Will's longtime mistress . Being remade for TV in 1986 by Stuart Cooper with Don Johnson , Cybill Shepard , Jason Robards and Judith Ivey . The motion picture was well directed by Martin Ritt . The smash hit of the film helped Martin Ritt reestablish himself as a major director. Martin was one of the best and most sensitive American directors of all time, was a director, actor and playwright who worked in both film and theater. He was born in New York City. His films reflect, like almost none other, a profound and intimate humane vision of his roles . Ritt went on to direct 25 more films, including such classics as Black orchid (1958) , Hud (1963), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) , Hombre (1967) ,The Great White Hope (1970), Norma Rae (1979) and Murphy romance (1985). He was Blacklisted in the 1950s for his alleged support of causes deemed to be "Communist" by the House Un-American Activities Committee

dougdoepke A wealthy local tyrant in the deep South runs roughshod over his son and daughter until an equally sharp stranger drifts into town. For better or worse, this 2-hour movie has about all the earmarks of a 1950's A-production. Consider the following: wide-screen Technicolor, (no little b&w TV here); strong acting, (the New York Method has invaded Hollywood); a sex suffused plot, (just don't go beyond kissing); a contrived happy ending, (send the audience home feeling good); and no thought-provoking politics (there's a Cold War going on). All of these are present in spades in this slick production, marking results very much a creature of the time.I can see why the devilish Ben Quick amounts to Newman's breakout part. I expect girls were swooning in the aisles. That combination of manly chest, deep blue eyes, and tricky smile must have struck deep from Maine to California. I like the way the screenplay builds Ben's battle of wits with old man Varner (Welles) into mutual respect. They're like two circling foxes that may not like each other, but a mutual shrewdness commands respect. On the other hand, Woodward's Clara presents an apt contrast to both Dad and Ben. Woodward's excellent as the proudly self-contained Varner daughter. The actress makes her resistance to the assured Ben not only believable but compelling. Considering what must have been going on off-camera between the soon-to-be-marrieds, makes Woodward's on-camera distance a real accomplishment. All in all, Clara's may not a glamorous role, but it is a pivotal one.Then there's Welles as the obnoxious paterfamilias and local tyrant. To say he over-does his role would understate the result. But, according to IMDb's trivia, he's not about to let this bevy of Method graduates overshadow the great man. (Contrast his version of a big daddy with Burl Ives' calibrated version in the thematically similar Cat on a Hot Tin Roof {1958}). Frankly, I thought Franciosa miscast as the weakling son, Jody. The actor's natural forte is a strong personality. To me, his efforts here strike a sometimes hollow note. There's no really cohesive plot. Instead the narrative is more like an album of how a dysfunctional family finally comes together. The production does a good job of providing authentic southern background, filming extensively in Louisiana. Those dirt roads the horses escape on are both revealing and atmospheric. Then there's Richard Anderson's enigmatic Alan Stewart. His stiffly proper bearing remains an interesting wild card in the mix. It's not clear, to say the least, why he rejects marriage to the willing Clara (Woodward) and life on easy street. The screenplay sort of implies he's a mama's boy, but that doesn't come through in the dramatics. My guess is that he's, oh my gosh, gay, a topic that 50's Hollywood could not safely broach, but would explain his behavior with Clara. On the other side of the coin, is Lee Remick's wanton little Eula. With her low-cut frocks, I was hoping director Ritt would find more reasons for her to lean over before the camera. Oh well, the teasing titillation is also very much indicative of the time.Anyway, the movie's generally over-heated but still entertaining, with colorful characters, and sometimes sharp dialog. Maybe most importantly, it's the first of Newman's rascally characters that he would later raise to a near art form.

madcardinal An excellent movie. Considered very racy at the time of its release, today it is the excellent performances that stand out. Welles, Newman and Woodward are superb. There's one scene where Welles breaks a table (not in the script), and it's fantastic. All the other actors are very good. Plus Lee Remick is a wet dream come true for heterosexual young men. And how can you go wrong with William Faulkner providing the source material?Well written; stylish; and clever, simmering dialog. This film deserves its classic status.