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Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 6/18

Sheba
6/18: Come Back, Little Sheba was the first play written by William Inge in 1950 while working as a teacher at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

After running for 190 performances, the play found its way to Hollywood. Shirley Booth appeared in both versions, becoming the first ever to win a Tony Award and an Academy Award for Best Actress for the same role. It was her debuting role in a motion picture at age 54, and she did four more films afterwards, preferring the theater instead.

I can see why Shirley Booth won the Oscar, but it's a very melodramatic performance with childlike imbecility, something that's unsuitable for film. It's difficult not to let my eyes roll while watching her character, especially when she called for a lost dog named Sheba, hence the title of the play.

To keep it from becoming too stagy, Burt Lancaster, who was cast in the role that's meant for Humphrey Bogart after his smashing success in The African Queen, lends his credence and turns in another interesting performance while being aged by eighteen years with gray hair. That can happen by putting up with a needy, clinging wife for so long.

Bringing modernism to the table, Terry Moore plays a character who's similar to Eve Harrington of All About Eve and, as a reward, received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Complementing her is the muscular Richard Jaeckel. By the way, only stupid idiots will leave a bottle of alcohol inside the cupboard of a house that's inhabited by an alcoholic. It's like forcing temptation to happen sooner or later.

All in all, despite the ordinary story which goes off the deep end of melodrama, Come Back, Little Sheba is a passable play-turned-film, but it's been Please Go Back, Little Sheba the entire time.