Drama

The Long, Hot Summer

- The people of Faulkner...the language of Faulkner...the world of Faulkner!

Accused barn burner and conman Ben Quick arrives in a small Mississippi town and quickly ingratiates himself with its richest family, the Varners.

Release Date : 1958-05-17

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Jerry Wald Productions20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ben Quick

Original Name : Paul Newman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clara Varner

Original Name : Joanne Woodward

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jody Varner

Original Name : Anthony Franciosa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Will Varner

Original Name : Orson Welles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eula Varner

Original Name : Lee Remick

Gender : Female

Character Name : Minnie Littlejohn

Original Name : Angela Lansbury

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alan Stewart

Original Name : Richard Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agnes Stewart

Original Name : Sarah Marshall

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elizabeth Stewart

Original Name : Mabel Albertson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ratliff

Original Name : J. Pat O'Malley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucius

Original Name : Bill Walker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ambulance Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Adler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wilk (uncredited)

Original Name : Val Avery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Linus Olds (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Brandt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harry Peabody (uncredited)

Original Name : Brian Corcoran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom Shortly (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Erickson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harris (uncredited)

Original Name : Byron Foulger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Houston (uncredited)

Original Name : I. Stanford Jolley

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Fisher (uncredited)

Original Name : Nicholas King

Gender : Male

Character Name : J. V. Bookright (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Reed

Gender : Male

Character Name : Buddy Peabody (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Widders

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Auction (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minor Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Wallace

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-09-29

This reminded me a little of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1954) with Paul Newman playing the roguish "Quick" who arrives in a small town, dominated by the "Varner" family and quickly tries to ingratiate himself into their wealthy ways. They, indeed the whole town, are dominated by the patriarchal "Will" (Orson Welles) who seems determined that his daughter "Clara" (Joanne Woodward) will marry local dullard "Stewart" (Richard Anderson). She, on the other hand, takes an instant shine to the newcomer and when brother, and general loafer, "Jody" (Anthony Franciosa) starts to feel a little threatened by this man who is seemingly of much more interest to his father than he is, things start to become a little tense around the place - to say the least. It's a small point, but the audio from Welles isn't the best and sometimes its quite difficult to make out what he's saying, but as the family dynamic becomes more strained and the backstory fills in a tale of a group of people for whom it's really only money that has become the thing that matters now - we end up with a characterful study of avarice and ambition tempered with some dark humour and an increasingly engaging effort from Welles and a smouldering - if maybe a little too predictable - chemistry from Woodward and Newman. It can be a bit wordy at times, but Martin Ritt keeps the pace even and taut as these folks evolve before us. It's not as intense as it might be, but it's still an easy two hours looking at the less salubrious side of human nature.