(1958)
1.5
Craig Butler
Hot Spell, the last feature film made by Shirley Booth, reunites her with Daniel Mann, the director who had helmed her Oscar-winning debut in Come Back, Little Sheba. Unfortunately, both star and director are this time working with a script that, while it offers some meaty moments, is in general poorly written. The basic situation cries out for Tennessee Williams at his best, but James Poe's screenplay is tired, clichéd, and unconvincingly melodramatic. Structurally, it also belies its stage origins, and there's an unacceptable level of predictability to its plot. Even these flaws would not prove fatal if the dialogue contained keen insight or was written with an ear for poetry; unfortunately, most of the dialogue is merely serviceable. The cast certainly tries hard, and most of the leads all have moments that are worth catching. But there's no chemistry between Booth and Anthony Quinn, each of whom seems to be acting in a different style. Shirley Maclaine still seems to be cutting her film acting teeth a little, but she does well on the whole, and Eileen Heckart is dependable, if wasted. The direction is stilted and ponderous, making Hot Spell difficult to endure.
Hot Spell on AllMovie
Hot Spell (1958)
