Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), Marat/Sade (1967), Inherit the Wind (1960), The Lion in Winter (1968), The Children's Hour (1961), The Odd Couple (1968), Street Scene (1931), The Boys in the Band (1970) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Stage Play Adaptation movies.
Storyline: Having fled New Orleans to avoid arrest, the undeniably alluring Valentine "Snakeskin" Xavier (Val), a trouble-prone guitar-playing drifter, wanders into a small Mississippi town aiming to go straight and lead a quiet, simple life. He gets a job in the dry goods store owned by a sexually-frustrated middle-aged woman named Lady Torrence, whose sadistic elderly husband, Jabe, is dying. With an obscure past and passions of her own, Lady finds herself attracted to Val, pulsating with passion anew, as he presents an arousing antidote to her bitter marriage and small-town hum-drum life, but also vying for Val's attention are the alcoholic, sex-crazed Carol Cutrere and the unhappily-married Vee Talbot. Each bring their share of problems into Val's plans, himself equally tempted by these women though he succumbs to the charms of Lady. But the jealous Jabe is friends with Sheriff Talbot, who's also Vee's wife - things can't possibly end well for Val and Lady. The screenplay by Meade Roberts and Tennessee Williams is based on Williams' own 1957 play "Orpheus Descending".—pdlussier1
Plot Keywords: crime, drama, film noir, adaptation, fugitive, loneliness, social outcasts ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: It's 1912 and the patrons of 'The Last Chance Saloon' have gathered for their evening of whiskey to contemplate their lost faith and dreams, when Hickey (Lee Marvin) arrives. Hickey is out to convince everyone that he can help them all find peace of mind by ridding them of the foolish dreams and by bringing them back to reality. Hickey is working especially hard on Larry Slade (Robert Ryan) a former anarchist who has lost his will for life and is awaiting the eventuality of death. Larry is not affected by the cajolings of Hickey but his young companion Parritt (Jeff Bridges) is strangely affected and this leads to revelations about his own mother and feelings of betrayal and loss. As the night wears on the mood changes as everyone has the their faith and dreams slowly destroyed by Hickey. As the anger builds everyone turns on Hickey about his wife and the iceman. This leads to more revelations and with Hickey having the faint questioning of his own new found convictions.—Dr pepper <j0468@aol.com>
Plot Keywords: drama, adaptation, broadway, stage play adaptation, alcoholism, despair, existentialism ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Toni Simmons believes that the only reason her married lover won't leave his wife is because of the children. Actually, her lover, dentist Julian Winston, doesn't have any children. In fact, he doesn't even have a wife--he just tells women he does to avoid getting involved. When Julian does decide to take the plunge with Toni, she insists on meeting the first wife and Julian enlists the aid of his long-time nurse/receptionist Stephanie Dickinson to play the part.—A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>
Plot Keywords: comedy, romance, drama, classic, 1960s, american film, romantic comedy ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The Disciples of James Dean meet up on the anniversary of his death and mull over their lives in the present and in flashback, revealing the truth behind their complicated lives. Who is the mysterious Joanne and what's the real story behind Mona's son, James Dean Junior ?—David Gibson <djg@ukc.ac.uk>
Plot Keywords: drama, comedy, musical, nostalgia, american south, lgbt, friendship ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: To get background for a new book, author Charles Condomine (Sir Rex Harrison) and his second wife Ruth (Constance Cummings) light-heartedly arrange for local mystic Madame Arcati (Dame Margaret Rutherford) to give a séance. The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond) returns from beyond the grave to make his life something of a misery. Ruth too gets increasingly irritated with her supernatural rival, but Madame Arcati is at her wit's end as to how to sort things out.—J-26
Plot Keywords: comedy, fantasy, romance, supernatural, ghost, marriage, farce ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play. A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords: musical, musical film, classic hollywood, romantic comedy, stage play adaptation, broadway, marital relationship ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Baptista (Sir Michael Hordern), a rich Paduan merchant, announces that his fair young daughter, Bianca (Natasha Pyne), will remain unwed until her older sister, Katharina (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), a hellish shrew, has wed. Lucentio (Michael York), a student and the son of a wealthy Pisan merchant, has fallen in love with Bianca. He poses as a tutor of music and poetry to gain entrance to the Baptista household and to be near Bianca. Meanwhile, Petruchio (Richard Burton), a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona, arrives in Padua, hoping to capture a wealthy wife. Hortensio (Victor Spinetti), another suitor of Bianca, directs Petruchio's attention to Katharina. When Hortensio warns him about Katharina's scolding tongue and fiery temper, Petruchio is challenged and resolves to capture her love. Hortensio and another suitor of Bianca, Gremio (Alan Webb), agree to cover Petruchio's costs as he pursues Katharina.—alfiehitchie
Plot Keywords: comedy, romance, classic literature, period drama, marriage, gender roles, farce ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Out of hit ideas and seemingly in the twilight of his career, Broadway producer Russ Ward (Clark Gable) decides to give up the game. But when Russ lays off his nubile secretary, Ellie Brown (Carroll Baker), she shocks him with a declaration of love. Inspired, Ward commands playwright MacDonald (Lee J. Cobb) to rewrite his latest show as a May-December romance starring Brown herself. Ward struggles to make a comeback as his ex-wife, Kathryn (Lilli Palmer), plots to end his new relationship.
Plot Keywords: romantic, comedy, love, drama, classic, black and white, american film ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Gregory invites seven friends to spend the summer at his large, secluded 19th-century home in upstate New York. The seven are: Bobby, Gregory's "significant other," who is blind but who loves to explore the home's garden using his sense of touch; Art and Perry, two "yuppies" who drive a Volvo and who celebrate their 14th anniversary together that summer; John, a dour expatriate Briton who loathes his twin brother James; Ramon, John's "companion," who is physically attracted to Bobby and immediately tries to seduce the blind man; James, a cheerful soul who is in the advanced stages of AIDS; and Buzz, a fan of traditional Broadway musicals who is dealing with his own HIV-positive status.—Dennis Lewis <dsl@sprynet.com>
Plot Keywords: lgbtq+, drama, comedy, friendship, summer vacation, ensemble cast, romance ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A woman married to a wealthy socialite, is compromised by the accidental death of a man who had been romantically pursuing her, and is forced by her mother-in-law to assume a new identity to save the reputation of her husband and infant son. She wanders the world, trying to forget her heartbreak with the aid of alcohol and unsavory men, eventually returning to the city of her downfall, where she murders a blackmailer who threatens to expose her past. Amazingly, she is represented at her murder trial by her now adult son, who is a public defender. Hoping to continue to protect her son, she refuses to give her real name and is known to the court as the defendant, "Madame X."—Richard Blinkal <phelam@netcom.com>
Plot Keywords: drama, romance, family, tragedy, female lead, marriage, social class ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In 1980s Britain, a group of young men at Cutlers' Grammar School all have the brains, and the will to earn the chance of getting accepted in the finest universities in the nation, Oxford and Cambridge. Despite the fine teaching by excellent professionals like Mrs Lintott in history and the intellectually enthusiastic Hector in General Studies, the Headmaster is not satisfied. He signs on the young Irwin to polish the students' style to give them the best chance. In this mix of intellectualism and creative spirit that guides a rigorous preparation regime for that ultimate educational brass ring, the lives of the randy students and the ostensibly restrained faculty intertwine that would change their lives forever.
Plot Keywords: drama, comedy, british, school, education, coming of age, history ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A couple uses extremely black comedy to survive taking care of a daughter who is nearly completely brain dead. They take turns doing the daughter's voice and stare into the eyes of death and emotional trauma with a humor that hides their pain.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords: drama, comedy, black comedy, family, marriage, disability, ethics ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The Marx Brothers try and put on a play before their landlord finds out that they have run out of money. To confuse the landlord they pretend that the play's author has contracted some terrible disease and can't be moved. Originally a stage play, the setting shows its origins, but this is vintage Marx Brothers.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Plot Keywords: comedy, farce, classic, 1930s, black and white, hotel, misunderstanding ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Jerry Ryan is wandering aimlessly around New York, having given up his law career in Nebraska when his wife asked for a divorce. He meets up with Gittel Mosca, an impoverished dancer from Greenwich Village, and the two try to straighten out their lives together.—Will Gilbert
Plot Keywords: romance, drama, black and white, new york, urban life, relationships, romantic comedy ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Hugo and Biff were friends until they met Virginia. Biff could think of no one but Virginia, but she would never be happy with a big slow bully. So she married Hugo and Biff married Amy just because his Virginia got married. Amy loves Biff, but Biff constantly thinks of Virginia even after Hugo takes his job and has him put into prison for two years.—Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>
Plot Keywords: romance, comedy, drama, music, musical, nostalgia, retro ...
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