Hot Spell

"Hot Spell" is probably Shirley Booth's next to her greatest film, the greatest being "Come Back, Little Sheba. Synopses put aside, the A- List cast shines, along with the story line. It takes you directly to, and into, a dysfunctional family, the Matriarch who desperately tries to keep everything "just fine," the Patriarch who's going through a midlife crisis and "plays around, and the three children with young adult and teen angst the latter defining their personae. Each scene intertwines with the other and tightens up the script marvelously. It's all realistic, poignant and in wonderfully good order. The whole thing actually seems to put you right there as if you were part of the family. You feel their pain. Ironically, Jack Duval's character, played by Anthony Quinn, is both abhorrent and also worthy of compassion at the same time Earl Holliman's, Shirley MacLaine's and Clint Kimbrough's characters are definitely direct descendants of both of their parents. Very believable. The scene with Booth and Eileen Heckart gives just the right and timely comic relief to give the viewer a break before the next dose of drama. There's enough conflict to go around and it keeps you interested. I'd recommend this film to anyone who appreciates serious drama, either on the stage or on the screen. It's too bad it's not being distributed for movie buffs-yet. It's been hibernating for way too long.

A husband is struck by mid-life crisis, torn between his obligation to family and self. He decides there must be something more to life, seeks happiness with another woman. This is the basic plot, but there are meaningful little scenes that highlight conflicts. Ordinary people, ordinary fates. No fantasy. A family of five loners clinging to each other, friendless, desperately seeking warmth and affection outside the nest. Then there is the oppressive nostalgia for the radiant past that vanished. Things seemed more meaningful back then. The future has come and gone. One is desperate to make the most of the little time one has left. One knows it's "now or never". The difference between drama and melodrama is that drama deals with real issues in a serious manner. Every scene stands on its own two feet and is not just killing time for the final twist of the plot. The emphasis is on the how, not the what. A melodrama on the other hand, hinges on some unique revelation or twist of the plot. If you know the ending there is no point to watching the movie. Movies whose ending may not be given away are invariably lousy. "Hot Spell" is definitely not a melodrama.

"Hot Spell" is an extremely painful movie to watch....so if you are feeling depressed you might want to think about seeing something else. The story is about a family that is a total wreck due to a petulent jerk of a husband....and the wife tries desperately to convince everyone, especially herself, that she has a good life.

The story begins with Alma (Shirley Booth) running about town meeting with her grown children to organize a birthday dinner for her husband, John Henry (Anthony Quinn). It's obvious that she is desperately trying to make sure everything is perfect. Once John Henry arrives home, however, it's obvious he's a disease....an ugly, selfish jerk who enjoys destroying those around him and cheating on his wife...because it's all about him. It's truly painful seeing the man emotionally mistreat them all...and his wife, through it all, keeps a stiff upper lip and convinces herself that life with this jerk is great. Her kids, also, are part of this game...deluding each other into thinking they have a functional family. You know that sooner or later, something's gotta give.

In some ways, "Hot Spell" is similar to "Death of a Salesman". Both are about men with an inflated view of themselves and who represent the worst of fathers...a man who is emotionally stunted and selfish. Watching him and the way his family reels as a result of his whims is pretty sad to see. And, like "Death of a Salesman", an excellent portrait with some wonderful dialog....though painful throughout and draining. Because of the excellent writing and some amazing actors, it's a very good film....painful...but good. And, it's so painfully realistic...I never want to see this movie again!!

"It takes an awful lot of energy to fool yourself"...and this pretty much sums up this film.

Shirley Booth was one of those few actresses that could break your heart with a glance over the shoulder, a flutter of the hand, a stumbling voice.

Like Geraldine Page in "A Trip To Bountiful," Cecily Tyson in "A Woman Called Moses" or Jessica Tandy in "The Gin Game," her performance stays with you for years afterward.

I pitied her in this film - a cheating husband; children who tried their best to protect her from the truth while covering for their dad. She was a woman who lived in the past, longing to return to the happier times in her life in a small town where she first met her husband and a town, New Paris, where she had good friends and family.

Anthony Quinn was like a lot of men, who are addicted to sex and loose women. His wife, heavy-set and clinging was quite aware that she could not compete with the younger, shapelier girls her husband craved.

Eileen Heckart was wonderful as her good friend who tried to give her hope, but knew it wasn't possible, that her friend was doomed to failure with this man.

I believe this movie was from a novel by Lonnie Coleman called "Next of Kin," which I thought was a better title for the film. Hollywood had a tendency to "soup up" titles to make them sound sexy to draw in customers. They did the same thing with Joanne Woodward's "The Stripper," which was based on a Broadway play called "A Loss of Roses," clearly a much better title and probably the reason that the picture didn't get much respect.

It's a shame that Hot Spell wasn't given a chance on the stage; the screenplay was based off an unproduced play. The script is fantastic. Lonnie Coleman's work would have been wonderful in front of a live audience. All the elements to a great play are present: a dysfunctional family, infidelity, tragedy, young lovers, and of course, a hot, Southern summer.

In Hot Spell, Shirley Booth is preparing a birthday dinner for her husband Anthony Quinn. She's baked a chocolate cake, bought presents for each of her three children to give him, and takes lessons from her neighbor and friend Eileen Heckart on how to turn her husband's head. The audience can see the writing on the wall from the opening scene, and the tragedy squeezes pity for her out of every pore. The family dinner does not go as she planned. Quinn is having an affair with another woman, as we find out in the opening scene. He fights at the dinner table with his son and leaves the house to meet his mistress before the cake is cut.

As depressing as the story is, it really is a quintessential play, so it's expected to be sad. The story is great, but the acting is where the film really shines. Everyone does a spectacular job, but for some reason, this film was completely ignored by the 1959 awards season. Booth is heartbreaking and incredibly easy to root for. Anyone watching her denial of her husband's affair will cry in sympathy. Quinn is fantastic. It would be easy to play his character as merely "the bad guy" but he gives so many layers to his performance, showing the audience his frustration and deep feelings. Shirley MacLaine must have been on a roll in 1958; this same year she gave a career-best performance in Some Came Running, and in Hot Spell, she's truly heartbreaking. Any girl who's ever been in love will cry alongside her and feel her humiliation deeply.

Those who like to go to the theater will be in a position to appreciate Hot Spell. If you like lighter films, you probably won't like it, but for those who aren't faint of heart, it's a very good movie.