Review of The Long, Hot Summer (1958) by Laura C — 21 May 2010

I really enjoyed this film for many reasons. First of all Paul Newman is well cast in this very sensual film.

The chemistry between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward is amazing! It's the first film they made together and were married in real life the same year the film was made.

Joanne's character Clara is beautiful, smart, cool yet vulnerable. Newman's character Ben Quick is blunt, overtly sexual and the perfect catalyst. Sparks fly when Ben and Clara meet and continue as he becomes emmeshed with the rest of the Verner family.

The head of the family Will Verner is played by the larger-than-life Orson Welles. There's some interesting gossip included on the special features. It is revealed that the director panicked during the editing process when he realized that Welles' lines were barely discernable! It doesn't seem that this problem was entirely resolved.

Regardless, Welles portrayal of a Southern patriarchal, domineering father who seems more concerned about a future heir than his daughter's happiness is moving as he inches his way into the hearts of the audience, or at least that was true in my case!