Main Cast: Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth, Terry Moore, Richard Jaeckel, Philip Ober
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
In the original Broadway production of this William Inge play, Shirley Booth played Lola Delaney, the vulgar, dumpy, less-than-bright "shotgun bride" of recovering alcoholic Doc Delaney, played on stage by Sidney Blackmer, who won a Tony award for his efforts. When time came to film the play, Shirley Booth was retained as Lola, but Burt Lancaster replaced Blackmer as Doc. Although Lancaster seems far too youthful for the role, the film is a fascinating and sometimes funny study of an unhappy marriage made unhappier by the arrival of a sexy stranger. Young Marie (Terry Moore) rents a room from Lola, a tiresome creature who never stops talking, especially about the "imminent" return of her runaway dog Sheba. Doc is having enough trouble staying away from the bottle and resigning himself to his marriage without the curvaceous Marie arousing his baser instincts. The characters interact with gloomy consequences, in the typical kitchen-sink-realism style of Inge's Fifties plays, although a tacked-on happy ending, common to Fifties movie melodramas, pretends otherwise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Come Back, Little Sheba is a strong adaptation of William Inge's stage play, featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Shirley Booth as the sweet but banal wife of a alcoholic, middle-aged doctor (Burt Lancaster). Booth originated the role in the Broadway production, and her performance makes the movie work. Little Sheba was also the high point in supporting actress Terry Moore's career. Much of Inge's insightful dialogue is wisely retained by screenwriter Ketti Frings. Director Daniel Mann and cinematographer James Wong Howe do a good job of opening up the material. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
Lisa Golm - Mrs. Goffman; Walter Kelley - Bruce; William Haade - Interne; Anthony Jochim - Mr. Cruthers; Peter Leeds - Milkman; Edwin Max - Elmo Huston; Paul McVey - Postman; Virginia Mullen - Henrietta; Virginia Hall - Blonde; Kitty McHugh - Pearl Stinson; Beverly Mook - Judy Coffman
