Come Back, Little Sheba is one of the finest old movies ever made. It's not an epic or resplendent in Technicolor, but it's such a fantastic representative of a 1950s classic in every element-and it's stood the test of time amazingly well.
Based on William Inge's Broadway play, Ketti Frings adapted the script for the screen, and although it's clear it used to be a play, the lines aren't wooden, artificial, or boring like many play adaptations are. The acting, like the script, is clearly stylized and old-fashioned, but at the same time it's realistic and heartbreaking to the most modern audiences. Shirley Booth played the lead on Broadway, won a Tony, then starred in the film and won an Oscar-not bad for her film debut! If you don't know who she is, or you only associate her with the tv series Hazel, you need to watch Come Back, Little Sheba so you can appreciate her true talent. Every time I see her in a movie, she brings tears to my eyes. She's instantly sympathetic, and you can see all the pain and hope in her eyes during every moment.
Burt Lancaster, only thirty-eight years old at the time, plays Shirley's husband. Hollywood aged him up for the role rather than cast an older actor-and there were several vying for the part-and it's easy to see why they made that choice. This is one of his best performances, rivaled only by Birdman of Alcatraz, and the Academy snubbed him terribly during the awards season. When you watch this tortured, heartbreaking performance, you'll feel sick that he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar that year.
Now for the plot: Shirley and Burt play an older, unhappy, married couple. Burt is recently sober, and Shirley is recently distraught that their beloved dog Sheba has run away. While they struggle through, a young college girl rents a room in their house, attracting different attentions from each. There's much more to the story, but I'd rather describe the skeleton and let the rest unfold for you as the film plays. It's a very emotional experience, and I can't recommend this classic highly enough.
Based on William Inge's Broadway play, Ketti Frings adapted the script for the screen, and although it's clear it used to be a play, the lines aren't wooden, artificial, or boring like many play adaptations are. The acting, like the script, is clearly stylized and old-fashioned, but at the same time it's realistic and heartbreaking to the most modern audiences. Shirley Booth played the lead on Broadway, won a Tony, then starred in the film and won an Oscar-not bad for her film debut! If you don't know who she is, or you only associate her with the tv series Hazel, you need to watch Come Back, Little Sheba so you can appreciate her true talent. Every time I see her in a movie, she brings tears to my eyes. She's instantly sympathetic, and you can see all the pain and hope in her eyes during every moment.
Burt Lancaster, only thirty-eight years old at the time, plays Shirley's husband. Hollywood aged him up for the role rather than cast an older actor-and there were several vying for the part-and it's easy to see why they made that choice. This is one of his best performances, rivaled only by Birdman of Alcatraz, and the Academy snubbed him terribly during the awards season. When you watch this tortured, heartbreaking performance, you'll feel sick that he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar that year.
Now for the plot: Shirley and Burt play an older, unhappy, married couple. Burt is recently sober, and Shirley is recently distraught that their beloved dog Sheba has run away. While they struggle through, a young college girl rents a room in their house, attracting different attentions from each. There's much more to the story, but I'd rather describe the skeleton and let the rest unfold for you as the film plays. It's a very emotional experience, and I can't recommend this classic highly enough.