Plays on Film

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There was a golden age of american theatre on the big screen in the mid to late fifties into the early sixties. Plays shot very theatrically, single sets, limited camera angles, theatrical acting. So Search and destroy? And why the hell aren't things like this done any more.

My favorite of this genre has to be 'Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf' starring elizabeth taylor and richard burton in what i would take to be their best roles, although maybe just bringing home life to the silver screen. Closely folloing this has to be the brilliant adatption of Tenassee Williams' 'Streetcar named desire', search also 'Twelve angry men' and although its more cinematic I'd bring on the waterfront into this category.

― Ed, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wrong Liz Taylor movie , the one you are looking for is Cat on a hot tin roof .

― anthonyeaston, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I love it because as a double act they are unrivalled. I don't know their history but I feel sure that they brought the vitriol form their relationship out on the silver screen.

― Ed, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

More recent example: Glengarry Glen Ross.

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This is because there was a golden age of US theatre full stop in the 40s and 50s. The current climate of 'd'oh!' in the US seems unfathomable when you see what was produced back then and how *fast* the dialogue was, and how well-referenced. But rather a lot of these intellectual people were hauled up before Joe McCarthy's Anti-US Activities panel so I suppose America can't sustain that kind of conscientious-objector intelligence for too long before 'majority' interests kick in.

If you want a really good one, Ed, rent All About Eve, it's a total bitchfest which even has George Sanders (v. famous b/w cinema cad) in it being even more snide than Bette Davis and Ann Baxter put together.

― suzy, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As usual the answer to "why don't they do them like that anymore" is that they do, kind of. Various Mamet plays, obviously, plus the first two Neil LaBute films which are pretty much identical to his stage work. Then there's the new Richard Linklater movie-that-isn't-Waking Life, Tape: one room, three actors, based on a stage play (although admittedly it uses DV cameras rather frantically to make sure you feel that this is a cinematic experience). Then there was The House Of Yes... could probably think of some more...

― Mark Morris, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is this the same brilliant adaptation of Streetcar which has Marlon Brando drawling incomprehensibly and where they completely rewrite the ending making it shit?

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The film version of Pinter's 'The Homecoming' is good in a kind of hardly changed from the stage version kind of way - good as a record of certain performances.

― Andrew L, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Also - The Man Who Came To Dinner. For top curmudgeonly old man comedy action, Bette Davis, and huge Smiths lyric lift revelation.

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And Morrissey used to send letters as Sheridan Whiteside, the Man in the film.

I was going to say about Neil LaBute. Pretty good. More successful than Fucking David Bastard Mamet (I've called him this for ages not because I hate him, 'cos I don't, but because of profanity quotient of plays). Also Motion Picture Production code fucked with a LOT of Tennessee Williams plays going on screen. If you have to show couples with all feet on the ground while in a bedroom, how do you allude to mother- fucking and other Williams mayhem?

― suzy, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And Morrissey used to send letters as Sheridan Whiteside, the Man in the film.

Mm. And 'MURDER AT THE WOOL HALL (X) STARRING SHERIDAN WHITESIDE' is etched on the run-out groove of the I Started Something I Couldn't Finish single...

It's Smiths trivia day!

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oooh, The House Of Yes (Posey Grate - script poor). Oddly though Mamet is writing direct for the screen these days, and directing - yet they still seem stagey. It the dialogue that does it (La Bute - pre Nurse Betty had that too).

The Madness of King George (III) is a good example of stage stuff opened out pretty well. Period stuff is quite easy to do this way because setting wise they never really depended on good scenery - they just said it was set in a forest and a couple of wooden trees were plonked on the stage. Hence Shakespeare can work pretty well because you at least have a lot more liberty with setting. Modern plays aim a degree of realism which lead to complex one set plays.

Stoppards own version of Rosencrantz & Guildernstern Are Dead was supra-stagey.

― Pete, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dastoor: ROMANTIC AND SQUARE IS HIP AND AWARE

Does this say anything to you about your life?

― suzy, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am romantic, vaguely aware and somewhere between hip and square. So I don't know. I never had that one btw - I had to look it up on the interweb just now. Turns out it was only on the green covered one. I had lilac with yummy pic of Billie Whitelaw.

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I figured out a lot of things like that in the 'research period' between the release of Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead. I have the green one in both 7" and 12" versions and the mountain of Smiths junk in my attic back home pretty much points to high school obsession.

― suzy, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hepburn in glass menagerie...god tha tplay spoke to me when i was 16/17

― geoff, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

starring elizabeth taylor and richard burton in what i would take to be their best roles

I'd nominate either Cleopatra for the sets or Boom! for the 'how many drugs did you take before signing on' factor.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't hold back anymore.

....TWO MINUTES LATER.

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That one's at home, unforch.

But I'll see your two minutes and raise you SLAP ME ON THE PATIO

― suzy, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bless your goddamn heart, Nick, I was just thinking of that myself. Although damn you for stealing my thunder. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Suzy, I think you're getting confused. I've forgotten all about the Smiths and am now on a DURAN DURAN tip.

― Nick, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Missing on Duran Duran and trying to recover the initial thread: Top one Elizabeth Taylor's movie based on a theatre play-'Suddenly the last summer'. That white swimming costume, that Plathesque post-electroshock trauma. Plus Katherine Hepburn as the wicked millionaire aunt and swoony Monty Cliff to the rescue as the gentle, lean psychotherapist...

― Laetitia, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yet they still seem stagey. It the dialogue that does it

No it isn't, it's the direction. Sorry. I can argue this one all day! It's the actor's job to make the lines natural - no matter what they are - and the director's job to give her the suggestions and time needed for this to happen. Proof: when Shakespeare's done well you FORGET that you can't understand half the words!!

destroy "Albino Alligator", Kevin Spacey's directorial debut. In the first few minutes of the movie there's a dolly shot of regulars at a bar: they're ALL FAMOUS ACTORS and you get this sinking feeling - "oh god, we're going to be in this bar for a WHILE". Search: "The Women"

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

search: Death of A Salesman. Ten Things I Hate About You (while aimed at teens has some wonderful parts in it all the same)
Not As Bad As I Thought: Mel Gisbson in Hamlet (okay so I thought this was going to be BAD) or the Nazi take on Richard III (or was it second help me out here).
Destroy: Too many to name.

― Mr Noodles, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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