I have recently been going back and collecting many of the incomparable Vivien Leigh's works and reviewing them. Miss (not Ms) Leigh remains the only good reason to acquire this film.
I keep wanting Karen Stone to "snap out of it," but it just never happened. Miss Leigh is still beautiful and talented even two decades after Gone With the Wind and Waterloo Bridge, but this Widow Stone character and weak plot gave her little room to develop a following. Karen Stone exhibits depression, despair and frankly just poor judgment but never gives a full range of emotions. Streetcar (1951) was a far better collaboration of Tennessee Williams and Vivien Leigh. Williams' material is often too depressing to entertain many people.
Warren Beatty wasn't so bad here. Many other reviewers trash his Italian accent, but his role has more range and volatility. He does fine. Jill St John is a weak poster backdrop beside Vivien Leigh even at this late point in her career--just laughable.
Lotte Lenya got the Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, and this is understandable. She inhabited her character and her scenes to the point of fear.
I keep wanting Karen Stone to "snap out of it," but it just never happened. Miss Leigh is still beautiful and talented even two decades after Gone With the Wind and Waterloo Bridge, but this Widow Stone character and weak plot gave her little room to develop a following. Karen Stone exhibits depression, despair and frankly just poor judgment but never gives a full range of emotions. Streetcar (1951) was a far better collaboration of Tennessee Williams and Vivien Leigh. Williams' material is often too depressing to entertain many people.
Warren Beatty wasn't so bad here. Many other reviewers trash his Italian accent, but his role has more range and volatility. He does fine. Jill St John is a weak poster backdrop beside Vivien Leigh even at this late point in her career--just laughable.
Lotte Lenya got the Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, and this is understandable. She inhabited her character and her scenes to the point of fear.