Come Back, Little Sheba; The Matchmaker; Summer and Smoke

Besides being part of Paramount's handsomely packaged and low-priced "Great American Writer Series," these three new-to-video releases share the common heritage of being based on plays. William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba is the most powerful of the trio, with an Oscar-winning performance by Shirley Booth (remember Hazel?) as Lola Delaney, the wife of reformed alcoholic Doc Delaney (Burt Lancaster). Just as Doc has been off the sauce for nearly a year, the Delaney's take in a roomer--Marie (Terry Moore), a college student whom the Delaney's treat as the child they never had. As Lola, and later Doc, notice Marie's playful relationship with a college athlete friend named Turk (Richard Jaeckel), they react in different ways. Lola, an overbearingly nice wife, pines inside for the long gone days of romance--but Doc has a deep resentment of the past, and the reason comes out during a raw climactic scene which still has the power to shock audiences today. Throughout the film, a lone bottle of whiskey sits on the kitchen shelves like Chekov's loaded gun lying on the mantelpiece, and like Chekov's example of the gun, we wait with nervous tension, knowing that the bottle will eventually "go off." The Matchmaker, which also stars Shirley Booth, is an engaging comedy of errors from Thornton Wilder who, as he did in Our Town, uses the winning device of talking to the audience. Set in Yonkers, New York, in 1884, the film introduces Dolly Levi (Booth), who has her sights set on the well-to-do Mr. Horace Vandergelder (Paul Ford) who, in turn has been ogling a New York city milliner named Irene Molloy (Shirley MacLaine), who develops a crush on Cornelius Hackle (Anthony Perkins), Vandergelder's overworked and underpaid store clerk. Over the course of one long day in the big city, all of the principals pop in and out of one another's lives and end up in positions drastically different from their respective starting points. Wilder's wonderful wit sparkles throughout (Dolly's comparison of money to manure is choice, as is a minor character's fervent explanation of the importance of nurturing only one vice at a time), and the cast is uniformly excellent. Many will recognize The Matchmaker as the basis for a more well-known film: Hello, Dolly. The plays of Tennessee Williams have usually fared well on the big screen, and Summer and Smoke is no exception. Geraldine Page, in an Oscar-nominated performance, stars as Alma, a repressed young spinster, who handles the chores for her preacher father, since her mother is a malicious little klepto that's been around the bend for some years now. Since they were children, Alma has always harbored an unrequited love for her next door neighbor John Buchanan (Laurence Harvey). Buchanan, returning home from his studies to be a doctor (like his father), courts Alma on and off over a long, wild summer. While he's half-drawn to Alma, he's far more interested in boozing, cockfights, and Rita Moreno (who plays a gambler's daughter). A surprising turn of events towards summer's end will radically change their perceptions of one another and life, in general. While better known for other works, these filmed plays by Inge (Picnic), Wilder (Our Town), and Williams (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Streetcar Named Desire) are all excellent and rarely seen. All three are highly recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--Sept. 21, 2004--Paramount, 95 min., not rated, $14.99--Making its debut on DVD, Daniel Mann's 1952 Come Back, Little Sheba bows on an extra-less disc that sports a very good transfer overall (with minor dirt and scratches) and solid Dolby Digital mono sound. Bottom line: still packing a powerhouse dramatic punch, this adaptation of William Inge's classic play remains a winner and is highly recommended.] [DVD Review--January 25, 2005--Paramount, 100 min., not rated, $14.99--Making its debut on DVD, 1958's The Matchmaker is presented in a glorious widescreen transfer with Dolby Digital mono sound, but no extras. Bottom line: a truly beautiful DVD presentation of a classic adaptation of Wilder's play, this is highly recommended.] [DVD Review—Oct. 12, 2010—Olive Films, 118 min., not rated, $24.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1961's Summer and Smoke features a great transfer, but no extras. Bottom line: a fine-looking DVD debut for this excellent adaptation of Williams' play.] [Blu-ray Review—July 30, 2013—Olive, 118 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $24.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1961's Summer and Smoke sports a fine transfer, but no special features. Bottom line: a welcome Blu-ray debut for this excellent adaptation of Williams' classic play.]