A sweltering Southern melodrama dripping with resentment, unfulfilled desires, and agonizing family secrets. Brick's broken crutch and Maggie's desperate, feline pacing perfectly encapsulate the claustrophobic agony of a loveless marriage teetering on the scorching edge of mendacity.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
"Just one pillow on her bed... and just one desire in her heart."
Director:
Richard Brooks
Cast:
Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Burl Ives, Judith Anderson, Jack Carson
Drama
Budget:
$3,000,000
Box Office:
$17,570,324
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
Maggie's heart-shaped diamond pendant necklace.
The stunning diamond solitaire pendant Elizabeth Taylor wears in the film was not a mere costume piece; it was a deeply personal gift from her recently deceased husband, Mike Todd. She wore it throughout the production as a sentimental tribute to him following his fatal plane crash.
The massive, sprawling console in the bedroom.
The enormous combination TV, radio, and liquor cabinet in Brick and Maggie's room is a direct nod to Tennessee Williams' original stage directions. Williams described it as a 'monumental monstrosity' and a 'shrine to virtually all the comforts and illusions behind which we hide,' perfectly matching the film's theme of mendacity.