Sweet Bird Of Youth (1962)

A handsome but aging gigolo (Paul Newman) returns to his hometown in the company of an older fading film star (Geraldine Page), who is both an alcoholic and drug user. It is his intention to blackmail the actress into signing both him and the girl (Shirley Knight) he loves to a film contract. Based on the play by Tennesse Williams and directed by Richard Brooks (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF). It's not one of Williams' essential plays but unfortunately, the movie dilutes much of what power the play had by cleaning up the material. Thus the girl's contracting an STD and having a hysterectomy is now an abortion and the hero's castration is now a brutal beating. Thankfully, the film makers were smart enough to let Page recreate her stage role for the film version. Her bravura performance is a master class in acting in itself. Her scene on the telephone with a columnist is the kind of stuff that make performances legendary. With Ed Begley (who won an Oscar for his work here), Rip Torn, Madeleine Sherwood, Mildred Dunnock and Roy Glenn.