[6]

John Huston adapts Tennessee Williams’ play for the big screen, and finds big stars to play the parts. Richard Burton and Ava Gardner deliver great performances as a defrocked priest and a jaded hotel owner, both on the verge of nervous breakdowns, who mingle with libidinous guests at Gardner’s jungle inn south-of-the-border. It’s less stagey than most theater adaptations, even though it stays largely within the confines of the hotel and with a small ensemble of colorful characters. Sue Lyon plays another nymphet, after having played Lolita for Stanley Kubrick a few years earlier. Grayson Hall delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as the watchful den mother of several young visiting school mistresses. My favorite part: the ubiquitous, shirtless Mexican boys who appear out of nowhere, shaking their maracas, whenever Ava Gardner calls for them.

Academy Award: Best Costume Design
Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Hall), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction