''Hot Spell'' is a 1958 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Daniel Mann Daniel Chugerman (August 8, 1912 – November 21, 1991), known professionally as Daniel Mann, was an American stage, film and television director. Originally trained as an actor by Sanford Meisner, between 1952 and 1987 he directed over 31 feat ...

, starring Shirley Booth and

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

, and released by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

Alma Duval is a Louisiana housewife planning a 45th birthday celebration for her husband John Henry, known to all as Jack, who is carrying on with a much younger woman named Ruby behind her back. Her adult children try to tell her this but she refuses to face reality and denies their claims. During the birthday dinner, Jack picks an argument with eldest son, Buddy, mocking him about his business ideas and daring him to show some backbone. No one touches the birthday cake Alma made. After the dinner breaks up, he takes teenaged son Billy out to play pool and drink beer, trying to demonstrate to him how a man ought to behave. Jack confides in Billy that he is not content with his life and makes Billy cry. Jack tells Billy to stop crying and to act like a man. Later in the evening, Alma shares some of the cake with her neighbor, Fan, while Fan tries to convince her to take up smoking and casual drinking to impress Jack. While her father dallies with Ruby, his 19-year-old mistress, Virginia Duval becomes lovers for the first time with boyfriend Wyatt, a medical student, who then says he cannot marry her because he needs to be with someone of greater position and wealth. Throughout the movie, Alma has been holding onto a belief that if she can move the family back to New Paris where she and Jack started out, everything will be all right. But Jack refuses to return to New Paris after admitting he never truly loved her. Alma slaps Jack after discovering his affair. He decides to leave her and move to Florida, but while enroute Ruby forces him to drive the car too quickly. As it crashes into construction signs Jack yells Alma's name and he and Ruby are promptly killed in the crash. Alma and her children return to New Paris to bury Jack and she realizes that people and places have changed and there is no happiness to be found there anymore. The family goes home, with Alma still denying reality by deciding to travel to Florida, stating it will bring her happiness as it is the "land of eternal sunshine".

Cast

* Shirley Booth as Alma Duval *

as John Henry "Jack" Duval * Shirley MacLaine as Virginia Duval *

Earl Holliman Henry Earl Holliman (born September 11, 1928) is an American actor, animal-rights activist, and singer known for his many character roles in films, mostly Westerns and dramas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He won a Golden Globe Award for the film ' ...

as John Henry "Buddy" Duval Jr. *

Eileen Heckart Anna Eileen Heckart ( Herbert; March 29, 1919 – December 31, 2001) was an American stage and screen actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Early life Heckart was born Anna Eileen Herbert in Columbus, Ohio. The daughter of Esther (), ...

as Alma's friend Fan *

Clint Kimbrough Louis Lacy Clinton Kimbrough (March 8, 1933 – April 9, 1996) was an actor from the United States. Early life Kimbrough was born in Oklahoma City, to parents Fred and Lucinda (Yoakum) Kimbrough. After his birth, his family moved to Allen, Oklah ...

as Billy Duval * Warren Albert Stevens as Virginia's boyfriend Wyatt *

Jody Lawrance Jody Lawrance (born Nona Josephine Goddard; October 19, 1930 – July 10, 1986) was an American actress who starred in many Hollywood films during the 1950s through the early 1960s. Biography She was born October 19, 1930 as Nona Josephi ...

as Dora May *

Harlan Warde Harlan Warde (born Harlan Ward Lufkin; November 6, 1917 – March 13, 1980) was a character actor active in television and movies. Career Warde showed up in supporting roles as detectives, doctors, and ministers. Warde made five guest appearan ...

as Harry * Valerie Allen as Ruby

Production

The screenplay for ''Hot Spell'' was developed from an unproduced play by

Lonnie Coleman William Lawrence "Lonnie" Coleman (1920–1982) was an American novelist and playwright best known for writing the Beulah Land trilogy. He was born on August 2, 1920 in Bartow, Georgia. He attended grade and high schools in various cities in Geor ...

, ''Next of Kin'', purchased by producer

Hal Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and '' True Grit'' (1969), along wi ...

in June 1956. Production occurred from January 23 to early March 1957, with filming in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

and

Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area was home to Native Americans, some of whom left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish b ...

Release

''Hot Spell'' had its premiere in New Orleans on May 21, 1958, and went into wide release in June.

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' gave it a moderately good review, singling out Booth, Quinn, and MacLaine for their portrayals.

In pop culture

During the 2010 film ''

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

'', Estelle and Edgar Paddington (played by MacLaine and

Héctor Elizondo Héctor Elizondo (born December 22, 1936) is an American character actor. He is known for playing Phillip Watters in the television series ''Chicago Hope'' (1994–2000) and Ed Alzate in the television series '' Last Man Standing'' (2011–2021) ...

) reunite at a showing of ''Hot Spell'' at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

. Edgar points to MacLaine on the screen and tells Jason Morris (played by

Topher Grace Christopher John Grace ( ; born July 12, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Eric Forman in the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'', Eddie Brock / Venom in Sam Raimi's film ''Spider-Man 3'', Pete Monash in '' Win a Date with Tad H ...

), "that's my

trifecta file:Trifecta.svg, Trifecta A trifecta is a parimutuel betting, parimutuel bet placed on a horse race in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. Known as a trifecta in the US and Austra ...

References

External links

* {{Daniel Mann 1958 films 1958 drama films Adultery in films American black-and-white films American drama films American films based on plays Films directed by Daniel Mann Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films scored by Alex North Films set in New Orleans Films with screenplays by James Poe Paramount Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films