The Long, Hot Summer
Directed by Martin Ritt
Written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr.
1958/USA
Jerry Wald Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Ben: Life’s very long and full of salesmanship, Miss Clara. You might buy something yet.[/box]
It’s such joy to watch a young, sexy Paul Newman woo Joanne Woodward on screen!
Ben Quick (Newman) has a reputation as a “barn-burner”. There is no proof but he is kicked out of one town after another. The sure thing is that he is an inveterate con man. At the urging of her sexy sister-in-law Eula (Lee Remick), Clara Varner (Woodward) picks up Quick as he is walking down the road toward town, a suitcase in his hand. Clara is smart and cultivated and wants as little as possible to do with Quick. She has been dating the genteel son of an old Southern family for years. He’s not proving to be very quick on the uptake though.
Clara is the daughter of Will Varner (Orson Welles), a crude self-made man who owns just about everything in town. Will is sorely disappointed in his son Jody (Anthony Franciosa), who just lacks the Varner ruthlessness, and in Clara for not giving him grandsons. Will sees Quick as a kindred spirit. Soon he has him lined up as the father of his grandbabies. Quick had been trying to get under Clara’s skin before but this new offer makes him relentless. With Angela Lansbury as Will’s lady love.
Here Newman plays Hud before there was a Hud. He is superb and irresistible. Woodward matches him every step of the way. There is a wonderful playfulness in their scenes. The story is sort of an ersatz blend of William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams but with this cast and the sparkling dialogue I didn’t mind a bit.
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