BUtterfield 8
Directed by Daniel Mann
Written by Charles Schnee and John Michael Hayes
1960/USA
Afton-Linebrook
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Tom, the Bartender: Without her this place is dead. She’s like catnip to every cat in town.[/box]
Elizabeth Taylor is not bad here but was better in other, better, films.
The Hayes Code is still in force. Gloria Wandrous (Taylor) works as a “model” but sleeps around and drinks heavily. Her latest conquest is wealthy married cad Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey). Liggett has the audacity to leave her $250 after a night of passion. She retaliates by stealing his wife’s mink coat.
The next day, Liggett pursues Gloria. He chases her until she catches him and they begin a rapturous week of true love. She forgets all about the mink, which he still does not know is missing.
Love has made Gloria a new woman. When Liggett’s wife returns to their city apartment she finds the mink missing. Gloria is the only person who could have taken it and Liggett now confronts her in a fury. Many complications ensue. With Dina Merrill as the long-suffering wife, Mildred Dunnock as Gloria’s mother, Bettie Field as a catty neighbor and Eddie Fisher as Gloria’s best friend.
I watched this with my husband and brother. My brother liked it more than I did and my husband liked it less. Both my husband and I correctly predicted the ending, driving my brother crazy in the process. A good time was had by all.
Anyway, Taylor did remarkably well for someone who refused to speak to the director (she was forced to make the film to complete her MGM contract) and looks absolutely scrumptuous. The script veers from witty and catty repartee to all-out melodrama by the end. The movie was better than I expected from its low IMDb rating.
Elizabeth Taylor won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in BUtterfield 8. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography, Color.
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I have to go back to Nevada for a few days. May not be able to post until March 19.
