This Property Is Condemned (1966)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Tennessee Williams (play)
Francis Ford Coppola (writer) ...

Release Date:

7 October 1966 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Alva wanted out in the worst way.

Plot:

A railroad official, Owen Legate comes to Dodson, Mississippi to shut down much of the town's railway (town's main income)...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Railroad | Mississippi | Railroad Track | 1920s

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Natalie Wood	...	Alva Starr
Robert Redford	...	Owen Legate
Charles Bronson	...	J.J. Nichols
Kate Reid	...	Hazel Starr
Mary Badham	...	Willie Starr
Alan Baxter	...	Knopke
Robert Blake	...	Sidney
Dabney Coleman	...	Salesman
John Harding	...	Johnson
Ray Hemphill	...	Jim
Brett Pearson	...	Charlie
Jon Provost	...	Tom
Robert Random	...	Tiny (as Bob Random)
Quintin Sondergaard	...	Hank
Mike Steen	...	Max

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:11 | West Germany:16 (f) | UK:12 (2004) | UK:X (1966) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG | Argentina:18

Filming Locations:

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Natalie Wood had to perform a scene standing in a small stream of water. She was so afraid of dark water that costar Robert Blake had to dive under the water, hold his breath and steady her legs so she could perform the scene.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is shown in 1932, even though it wasn't constructed until 1956.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Newhart: This Probably Is Condemned (#1.5)" (1982)

Soundtrack:

Sing You Sinners

A classic!

This is one of those dramas that is never dated. No matter how many times I watch it, it never loses its magic. Having memorized virtually every line in the movie, I continue to enjoy it more with each viewing.

The 1966 masterpiece, which takes place in a fictitious small town in Mississippi during the depression, was only released on DVD in late 2003. It should be a part of everyone's collection.

The characters and the setting are remarkable in their realism. Natalie Wood's vulnerable bimbo may be the best role of her career (and is Alva Star a perfect name, or what?). Kate Reid, as the middle aged mother who runs a shabby rooming house and quasi-brothel, delivers a rock solid performance. The younger daughter, played by child actress Mary Badham (of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) masterfully brings to the screen a complex blend of childlike naivete and cynical worldliness. Redford is memorable in his role as a newcomer on the scene, a temporary guest who clearly has no idea of the conflicted and tragic relationship he is destined to find with an enchanted-but-stained Natalie Wood and her wretched kin.

Indeed, the entire supporting cast in this torrid Tennessee Williams story put in star-quality performances. Collectively, they make this story unforgettable.

Little sister "Willie" is fond of calling her seductive older sister "the main attraction" - a description that could also be used to describe this amazing film.