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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a 1958 American drama film directed by Richard Brooks, who co-wrote the screenplay with James Poe, based on the 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson, and Judith Anderson. Well-received by both critics and audiences, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was MGM's most successful release of 1958, and became the third highest-grossing film of that year. Plot Late one night, a drunken Brick Pollitt is out trying to recapture his glory days of high school sports by leaping hurdles on a track field, dreaming about his moments as a youthful athlete. Unexpectedly, he falls and breaks his ankle, leaving him dependent on a crutch. Brick, along with his wife, Maggie "the Cat", are seen the next day visiting his family's estate in eastern Mississippi, there to celebrate Big Daddy's 65th birthday. Depressed, Brick has spent the last few years drinking, while resisting the affections of his wife, who taunts him about the inheritance of Big Daddy's wealth. This has resulted in an obviously tempestuous marriage—there are speculations as to why Maggie does not yet have a child while Brick's brother Gooper and his wife Mae have five children and another on the way. Big Daddy and Big Mama arrive home from the hospital via their private airplane and are greeted by Gooper and his wife—and all their children—along with Maggie. Annoyed by the rehearsed welcoming display his grandchildren put on for him, Big Daddy ignores them in favor of driving home with Maggie. The news is that Big Daddy is not dying from cancer. However, the doctor later meets privately with first Gooper and then Brick where he divulges that it is a deception. Big Daddy has inoperable cancer and will likely be dead within a year, and the truth is being kept from him. Brick later reveals the truth about Big Daddy's health to Maggie and she is heartbroken. Maggie wants Brick to take an interest in his father—for both selfish and unselfish reasons, but Brick stubbornly refuses. As the party winds down for the night, Big Daddy meets with Brick in his room and reveals that he is fed up with his alcoholic son's behavior, demanding to know why he is so stubborn. At one point, Maggie joins them and reveals what happened a few years ago on the night Brick's best friend and football teammate Skipper died by suicide. Maggie was jealous of Skipper because he had more of Brick's time, and says that Skipper was lost without Brick at his side. She decided to ruin their relationship "by any means necessary," intending to seduce Skipper and use this information to make her husband question Skipper's loyalty. However, Maggie ran away without completing the plan. Brick had blamed Maggie for Skipper's death, but actually blames himself for not helping Skipper when Skipper repeatedly phoned Brick in a hysterical state. After an argument, Brick lets it slip that Big Daddy will die from cancer and that this birthday will be his last. Shaken, Big Daddy retreats to the basement. Meanwhile, Gooper, who is a lawyer, and his wife argue with Big Mama about the family's cotton business and Big Daddy's will. Brick descends into the basement, a labyrinth of antiques and family possessions hidden away. He and Big Daddy confront each other before a large cut-out of Brick in his glory days as an athlete. After Big Daddy relates to Brick about his hobo father, a veteran of the Spanish-American War who despite being a poor tramp, loved his young son and kept him with him always, the pair ultimately reaches a reconciliation of sorts. The rest of the family begins to crumble under pressure, with Big Mama stepping up as a strong figure. Maggie says that she would like to give Big Daddy her birthday present: the announcement of her pregnancy. After the jealous Mae calls Maggie a liar, Big Daddy and Brick defend her, even though Brick knows the statement is untrue and Big Daddy suspects the statement may be untrue. In their room, Maggie and Brick reconcile, and the two kiss, with the implication that they will make Maggie's "lie" become the "truth". Cast Production notes The original stage production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened on Broadway on March 24, 1955, with Ives and Sherwood in the roles they subsequently played in the film. Ben Gazzara played Brick in the stage production and rejected the film role. Athlete-turned-actor Floyd Simmons also tested for the role. Lana Turner and Grace Kelly were both considered for the part of Maggie before the role went to Taylor. Production began on March 12, 1958, and by March 19, Taylor had contracted a virus which kept her off the shoot. On March 21, she canceled plans to fly with her husband Mike Todd to New York City, where he was to be honored the following day by the New York Friars' Club. The plane crashed, and all passengers, including Todd, were killed. Beset with grief, Taylor remained off the film until April 14, 1958, at which time she returned to the set in a much thinner and weaker condition. Music and soundtrack The music score, "Love Theme from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", was composed by Charles Wolcott in 1958. He was an accomplished music composer, having worked for Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Rudy Vallee and George Burns and Gracie Allen. From 1937 to 1944, he worked at Walt Disney Studios. In 1950, he transferred to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios where he became the general music director and composed the theme for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The remaining songs on the soundtrack are composed by a variety of artists such as Andre Previn, Daniel Decatur Emmett and Ludwig van Beethoven. Song list "Lost in a Summer Night" by André Previn and Milton Raskin "Nice Layout" by André Previn "Love Theme from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Charles Wolcott "Dixie" by Daniel Decatur Emmett, played by the children on various instruments "Skina Marinka", adapted by Marguerite Lamkin, sung by the children "I'll Be a Sunbeam" by E.O. Excell, sung by the children "Boom, Boom Ain't It Great to Be Crazy", adapted by Marguerite Lamkin, sung by the children "Kermit Returns" by André Previn "Fourth Movement, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67" by Ludwig van Beethoven, played on a radio "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", traditional, sung by the family "Some Folks" by Stephen Foster, played on a phonograph "Soothe My Lonely Heart" by Jeff Alexander Release Reception Tennessee Williams was reportedly unhappy with the screenplay, which removed almost all of the homosexual themes and revised the third act section to include a lengthy scene of reconciliation between Brick and Big Daddy. Paul Newman, the film's star, had also stated his disappointment with the adaptation. The Hays Code limited Brick's portrayal of sexual desire from Skipper, and diminished the original play's critique of homophobia. Williams so disliked the toned-down film adaptation of his play that he told people waiting in line to see the film, ".... Discover the The Crazy Cat Daddy popular books. Find the top 100 most popular The Crazy Cat Daddy books.