God Grant Me the Serenity...

For reasons that defy all logic, I watched two movies by Daniel Mann about alcoholism in a row. Come Back, Little Sheba and I'll Cry Tomorrow were released in 1952 and 1955, respectively, and both were also released on December 25th of their respective years.

I was honestly stunned by how good the mid-century play-cum-film Come Back, Little Sheba is. William Inge wrote the original play, and I have always made fun of William Inge's particular brand of Americana (I have been particularly derisive about Bus Stop, if I'm honest, and I take none of it back.) But Come Back, Little Sheba is good; it is a stunning portrait of small-town terror caused by prejudices and mistakes and awful suburban malaise.

Furthermore, Shirley Booth is extraordinary in this film. Burt Lancaster is, of course, excellent as well, but Booth's performance, which won the Oscar in 1953, is a powerhouse of Method work. It's just fantastic.

I got lucky and came across this film the night before it rotated off of the Criterion Channel, and I was blown away. It would deserve to be watched if only for Booth's brilliant performance, but it's also just a really great script.

And then the next night I somehow came across I'll Cry Tomorrow and watched it. (Apparently Susan Hayward, once she was hired to play the main part, hired Daniel Mann to direct. I'll Cry Tomorrow is good.

This story was filmed on location... – this film promises – inside a woman's soul! Dear lord.

This is a preachy film, of course (it is about alcoholism in 1955, of course), but it is well made. And Susan Hayward is at her absolute best. Otherwise I'll Cry Tomorrow is a typical sort of thing. Susan Hayward can sing, though! It's crazy because she was dubbed for so many movies, and yet her voice is really lovely. Jo Van Vleet is really good in this too. I am very surprised she wasn't nominated for supporting actress for this movie. (She won a year later for East of Eden, so I guess it's water under the bridge, but still!)