I finally watched "Night of the Iguana" last night after taping it for about the third time. (Every other time I've taped it, I haven't gotten around to watching the tape, taped over it accidentally, etc. etc.)
Grayson Hall must have been in her element with this role -- she was a hoot! I missed some of the dialogue of some of the other actors, but not a syllable was indistinct with Grayson Hall's no-megaphone-needed style of delivery.
I was also blown away by Tennessee Williams' play. My top pick of American plays are "Streetcar," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and "Glass Menagerie" (followed by Miller's "Salesman" and most of Wm. Inge), and I've read and/or seen two or three others of Williams plays, but I had never seen "Iguana." I think I'd need to read the script or at least watch the movie a couple more times to begin to get a grasp of all of the philosophy (and humanity) in this play. The other Williams plays I mentioned are great drama with great characters and poetic writing, but I don't remember member them being as complex with "ideas."
One thing that didn't seem clear to me, though, from Ms. Hall's performance, was that she was a "suppressed lesbian." Until the Ava Gardner character brought that up, I had no indication of this from her character. Did I miss something?
It's surprising that Grayson Hall's film career didn't take off more than it did given the Academy Award nod, which I thought was well deserved. And I was surprised that her role was as big as it was. Some of the supporting role nominees seem to be little more than cameos.
I'm also puzzled how it is that Deborah Kerr is in every movie that I've seen in the last few weeks. First it was "Eye of the Devil," then "The Innocents," now "Night of the Iguana."
Also coincidentally, last weekend when talking with my parents, my mother said she had been thinking of old movies she'd like to see again, and the one she mentioned was "Night of the Iguana." So I said I had been planning on taping it in just a few days!
The cast overall was excellent. Richard Burton was so talented ... the expression on his face in one scene was priceless. I was also surprised at how humorous the play/movie was.
Does anyone know how Grayson Hall got on with her co-stars? Is there information online about the filming of the movie?
I'll hang up now and listen.