BUtterfield 8 (1960)

If dated 60's camp with sexual innuendo and great outfits for the leading lady are your thing, then B8 will not disappoint. However speaking as a fan of such fare, this film leaves me a bit cold. Its camp moments and dialog are numerous enough, but B8 holds its best shocker for the end. The film, like Liz's character is a big tease. Taking small but well-placed stabs at sexual mores of the time period, but never really going further. Add Laurence Harvey's womanizing alcoholic, Dina Merrill as the waspy compliant wife, Eddie Fisher (La Taylor's current hubby at the time) in the non-essential role as Liz's pal, and Mildred Dunnock as Liz's annoying mother in denial, and you'll be hard pressed to find a likable character. Liz herself did not consider this her best performance. Shirley MacLaine called it "the Oscar I lost to the tracheotomy" referring to Taylor's near death from pneumonia complications in 1960. B8 (like other films that were based on camp sex novels of the 60's) would make a great remake if it remained set in the 60's but kept the shocks of the original book intact. If you love Liz, chances are you'll love B8. If you're looking for an accurate portrayal of O'Hara's landmark novel, this is not it.

Fmovies: Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most beautiful women in the world back in 1960 and she's always been a very talented actress. As the promiscuous model that finally fell in love, Taylor was the best thing in the dated, overly melodramatic, often ridiculous movie that was adapted from the John O'Hara's novel (written in 1935). I did not read "Butterfield 8" but I can't believe that the author of "Appointment in Samarra, and "The Lockwood Concern" wrote the stuff the cheap soap-operas are made of. Liz was big and she deserved her first Oscar but there are so many bad things about the movie - uninteresting characters, uninspired acting by the male protagonists, horrible irritating musical score - just a few of them. I read that Taylor hated the move when she was making it and she hates it now - I don't blame her. Taylor - Yes, the movie - no

Taylor is tasty in this role, but is it the way she smokes or the way she smokes? Much of this movie is cheap psychobabble, but Taylor smolders with a raw sensuality that you would never guess she had in her. You knew she was strong, beautiful, and flawed, but you never knew she could be all three and still be able to act with that much cleavage.

The unfortunate thing about this movie is that there are other people in it. It's Taylor's movie, but somehow it gets mangled and it ends up being Laurence Harvey's story. Who the Hell let the last twenty minutes of this movie get through the production line? What a complete letdown. And Bronislau Kaper's absolutely horrible musical score doesn't help matters. If there was ever a movie that didn't need this kind of filler music, this is it.

BUtterfield 8 fmovies. "Butterfield 8" is a good movie, but a better sexy movie. This is Elizabeth Taylor's sexiest part. Even though Ms. Taylor hated this movie, she deserved the Oscar. Laurence Harvey was perfect as her leading man. Mr. Harvey should have been nominated for his performance, too. Of all her leading men, Mr. Harvey complimented her the best. Too bad they never worked again!

The movie was well-cast. The surprising performance was by Eddie Fisher, who is not an actor. He did a good job.

My first complaint about "Butterfield 8" is the description of the plot summary calling Ms. Taylor's character (Gloria Wandrous) a call girl. In the movie, Gloria Wandrous was portrayed as a model who liked to party. The point of the movie was Gloria was insulted that Weston Liggett portrayed by Lawrence Harvey gave her money for their first night together. Throughout the movie, she kept complaining she never took money for sex. Well, I never heard of a call girl not getting paid. Perhaps in the book, Gloria was a call girl. It seems censorship confused the storyline.

My second complaint about the movie was it should have been filmed in black and white. This movie was a black and white story and many of the colors were in black and white. MGM did the same thing years earlier in the movie, "That Forsyte Woman". Very distracting and what a waste of money! Both movies would have been accepted better if they were in black and white.

When I started watching this film, I didn't know what to expect. At first it seemed like a slick, empty showcase for Elizabeth Taylor's beauty. However, it gradually turned into an involving (and extremely good-looking) little drama. You may have heard that it is campy; that's not true, although there is an unnecessary little speech by Harvey at the end. It's slickly produced, well-paced, entertaining and has an excellent cast.

John O'Hara's novel was way ahead of its time. Daniel Mann's "Butterfield 8" was a film that capitalized on the lurid aspects of the book, but actually was turned into a soap opera. By today's standards it looks kind of ridiculous, but of course, it was meant to reflect the period of the late fifties in which the action is set.

Elizabeth Taylor was at the height of her beauty when the movie was shot. She comes out as the gorgeous creature she was in this vehicle that won her the Oscar that she should have received for other films, notably "Suddenly, Last Summer".

The film will entertain whoever hasn't seen it before. It's obvious Ms. Taylor and her co-star, Lawrence Harvey, had no chemistry whatsoever, as it shows in the film. What was shocking then wouldn't raise an eyebrow now. In the supporting cast, Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field, Dina Merrill give good performances.

Watch this film as curiosity piece to see some of the New York of that era.