Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

Lack of good storyline.

Best movie of this year hands down!

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Shirley Booth had already won a Tony for William Inge's focus on a married couple's problems when she made her film debut with the movie version (for which she won an Academy Award). "Come Back, Little Sheba" is a hard-hitting look at the couple's sexual frustration (apparently a common theme in Inge's works) and inability to be what was supposed to be the "proper" husband and wife. Although it has the feel of a play, there are some intense scenes. Along with Booth, Burt Lancaster turns in an outstanding performance, as expected.All in all, a fine piece of work. It's a shame that Shirley Booth only starred in a few movies after this.

Look Carefully at the scenes involving the automobile, in some scenes the passenger side front windshield is missing to allow for better filming without glare.Beyond this, the movie is a fine example of real film making. Shirley Booth is incredible. At the ambassador east hotel in chicago, they named all the booths after famous celebrities. One of the booths is simply named: SHIRLEY.I seem to recall that DOC is actually a chiropractor though he wanted to be a medical doctor.There is a non musical version of "HELLO DOLLY" called, "THE MATCHMAKER" and Shirley Booth is wonderful in this film too. Far better than Barbara Streisand in the musical version.

One thing for sure—the film certainly goes against the glamorous 50's mold. Probably no movie from that prettified period is as dour as this one, from the dowdy Lola to the grim- faced Doc to the bleak photography to the plebian sets. I kept yearning for lively little Marie (Moore) to bounce in and give my eyes some relief. My guess is Hollywood was out to show Broadway that they could entrust their Meaningful stage plays to the notoriously commercial West Coast.Sure, Booth gets the spotlight and responds by emoting like she's on New York's center stage. But with that whiny voice and desperate demeanor, she's more pathetic than sympathetic. Then again, that may be the point, but you've got to wonder why the hunky Doc (Lancaster) stays with her in about as egregious a piece of visual miscasting as I've seen. But then maybe he too pities her long lost youth that won't ever come back no matter how hard she yearns. Looks like they're both paying a price for a mistake made years earlier. Of course, as might be expected, the screenplay's loaded with symbolism, especially her "dream" soliloquy. So get out your Freud if you care to.In my little book, the movie amounts to a one woman show that hasn't worn well, despite the studio's good intentions. Then too, catch that pat, unconvincing ending, so typical of the time. The dour production, however, does manage to put a dent in the bosomy Technicolor spectacles that ruled the 50's Hollywood roost. I'm just glad the talented Booth eventually moved on to TV and the less stagy Hazel (1961-1966).

First, to deal with the reputed greatness of Shirley Booth's performance. While acknowledging that this is a fine performance, subtle and expressive, Ms. Booth registering an incredible array of nuances, it should also be pointed out that she portrays the wife as a very annoying character, somewhat difficult for the audience to fully sympathize with. Of course, it is the scriptwriter who has her apologizing in every direction, ceaselessly trying to placate her husband, but Ms. Booth employs a whiny voice that diminishes the character and alienates the audience. It reminded me very much of the Shelley Winters whine, which sounds to me like fingernails scratching of a blackboard.Burt Lancaster is badly miscast as her husband. Almost the first time he walks in front of the camera, striding across the living room, his athleticism looks completely out of place. A vigorous, handsome, young-looking man like him, married to such a frumpy wife? This stretches credibility to the breaking point. The mismatch is especially highlighted in the closing scene, where it is not possible to believe that he cannot live without her, in fact, that he can't find a better mate than her (he never wanted to marry her in the first place).The script is very good but crashes and burns in the closing scenes, which seem so easy, so Hollywood. He goes on a terrible binge and comes close to murdering his wife, telling her terrible, cruel truths, but after a little time to dry out, he's good as new, says that he never meant what he said, and begs her never to leave him. It has all the marks of a Hollywood happy ending. Why are we to believe he won't go on another binge, perhaps killing her the next time? Why are we to believe that his resentments against his wife aren't still smouldering in his heart, waiting for another occasion to erupt? In fact, we can't believe any of this, and the ending seems easy and implausible.It's a very good movie, well worth watching, but I wish we could reserve our highest praise, our unconditional praise for movies that are better than this.