Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a 1955 play by Tennessee Williams, explores truth and illusion in the context of a Mississippi family that is struggling and the tensions between characters who are faced with family crisis. Richard Brooks’ 1958 adaptation simplifies Williams’ thoughts and ideas about modern American life. Williams is a critic of 1950s society, and in particular the restrictions placed on women. Brooks’ adaptation shares many similarities with Williams’ play. To appeal to a conservative audience in the 50s, Brooks has diluted or removed multiple themes. Brooks sexualizes Maggie in her relationship to Brick by simplifying women’s roles. The Hollywoodised ending of Brooks clarifies, unlike Williams, that the American Dream really is achievable. For the Hay code, it is necessary to remove any references to Brick’s sexuality. The focus instead is on the marital issues between Brick & Maggie.
Brooks’ film version simplifies women’s roles by vilifying Mae and sexualizing Maggie in order to appeal conservative audiences from the 50s. The film has a much different portrayal of women and men. Williams introduces Maggie in a straightforward manner, as she’shout[s] atop the roaring waters’. Williams displays masculine traits not typically seen in females at the time. Brick’s cool air of detachedness and submissive nature contrasts with Maggie’s catty attitude. This gender text reversal shows that Brick is not able to live up to the ideal he has for himself, so he allows Maggie to take on the role. She then deviates from the expectations of society. Brooks’ adaptation does not reflect this. Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of Maggie is more submissive and desperate than masculine. Taylor’s over-the-top acting and her clinging to Brick is a good example of this. Maggie’s dependence on Brick is more evident in the movie, as he tries to fix their marriage and conform her to social standards. Brick informs Maggie that Big Daddy is dying of cancer. In the film, she loses the power she had when she first told Brick about the terminal illness in the play. Maggie’s masculinity is portrayed as she tries to achieve the same level of success that she achieved in the previous play. Moreover, Brick’s and Maggie’s romance is sexualized in the film. This causes the audience’s focus to be on their relationship rather than Maggie, thus reducing her role. Brick’s hatred’ of Maggie is an overt romance conflict designed to please audiences at the time. The jarring jazz music that is played between scenes of high tension and intense interaction further intensifies the sexual tension. This helps to dull Maggie’s overly catty personality, which is present throughout the entire play. Maggie is not given any masculine characteristics by using sultry, soft music in conjunction with the lighting. This is especially true during her intimate scenes. Maggie is therefore simplified to focus more on the sexual tension between her and Brick than her complexity. Taylor, who plays Maggie, is a good choice for the role because her beauty distracts from the character of a stubborn, masculine woman. The 1950s-style dresses, which are feminine and cute, emphasize this. Taylor’s costumes hug the body and her slip was scandalous at the time. Newman often appears standing in front of Taylor. He is a more dominant character. Brick’s dominance is further emphasized and Maggie, who represents the role and expectations of women during the 1950s, is placed in an inferior position. Maggie often wears white, which is the color of purity and femininity, making her a symbol of femininity. Brooks has also portrayed Mae’s character as villainous and irritating. Brooks emphasizes Mae’s irritation over Goopers’ constant, yet subtle dismissal. Brooks also shows how Mae is annoyed at Goopers’ unattractive, pink dress and large, protruding, bows in comparison with Maggie’s attractive, thin outfits. In the play Gooper’s wife is shown to be less annoyed by him and the couple works together to keep Big Daddy’s estate out of the hands of ‘irresponsible persons’. Madeleine Sherwood, in her portrayal as Mae, uses a loud and shrill tone to exaggerate her character’s irritation. Brooks simplifies Mae to fit Hollywood’s archetype for the villain. Brooks simplifies the female characters in his films to make them more archetypal and feminine to appeal to conservative audiences.
Brooks says that the American Dream can be achieved, contrary to Williams’ criticisms. Brooks’ Hollywoodised conclusion to the play sees all characters resign, except for Mae the villain, who is defeated. Brooks could appeal to audiences in the 1950s with Hollywood drama and glamor. Despite the fact that Big Daddy has cancer, the film’s conclusion is optimistic. This is overshadowed by the reconciliation between characters, which leads to a positive Hollywood ending. Big Daddy appears only in Act 3, but his absence from Act 2 makes it a very uncomfortable experience. The argument between Brick and Skipper is not resolved when he leaves. When a child comes in with a slap and a firecracker, Big Daddy slaps him and chases after the child. Brick remains motionless until the lights go out. Big Daddy cries out in agony at the end, letting the readers know that his death is imminent. The film has Big Daddy present at the end of the movie, which changes the outcome. Brick’s crutch is abandoned after Big Daddy reunites with Brick in the cellar. Brick, after he returns from the cellar with Big Daddy and reunites with his family, does not drink any alcohol. This is a symbol that he will be mending their relationships. The storm that was present at the film’s climax recedes as a parallel to the reunion of the family. The film reconciles relationships that were at odds with the text of the play. Brick and Big Daddy mend their relationship by adding a scene to the basement. Big Daddy and Big Mama reconcile as they leave the drawing rooms hand-in hand, gazing affectionately into one another’s eyes. Gooper, despite Mae and Gooper taking villainous actions against Brick, redeems himself. Gooper staring at Big Daddy while Mae is scrambling for documents on the ground highlights Big Daddy’s looming, threatening presence. Gooper eventually mends with Brick and says that Brick didn’t “rip him apart”. Mae, the film’s villain, does not reconcile, but instead sits on the stairs, defeated. Brooks uses a variety of effects to create an emotional and sensual atmosphere in the closing scenes of Brick & Maggie. Williams’ play avoids a conventional resolution and instead focuses on the mendacity, isolation, and sultry jazz music until the very end. Brick says that it would be funny if Maggie’s affection was “true”. In a bedroom, the setting is intimate and can make the characters feel secluded. The characters’ unhappiness eliminates any possibility of an American Dream. Brooks says that the American Dream was made possible by the strong portrayal men, the unity within the family unit as well Maggie’s willingness to conceive. Williams offers a more open-ended interpretation, wherein the characters are happy but successful. Brick, the alcoholic and broken character Brick, remains unresolved.
Brooks removed Bricks homosexuality in the film and focused instead on Bricks and Maggies marriage issues. Brick and Big Daddy’s dialogues remain the same in both texts. Due to the political climate during the 1950s and Hays Code, however, the film rejects any homosexual undertones. In the film,’mendacity” is only used to describe the family’s actions and the presumption of infidelity between Skipper & Maggie. Brick’s mendacity speech in the play is influenced by Skipper and Big Daddy assuming Brick to be homosexual. Brick and Big Daddy discuss Brick’s sexuality in Williams’ play. Big Daddy refers to Brick as ‘not normal’. This section is not included in Brooks adaptation. Brick tells Big Daddy he ‘dragged’ Skipper’s relationship ‘through the mud’. Williams’ references to Brick’s homosexuality are removed in the film, and their conversation is refocused on Brick’s guilt for Skipper’s passing rather than his disdain of their relationship while he was still alive. Williams’ original play has Big Daddy have this conversation with Brick, focusing primarily on Bricks homosexuality, and alcoholism. Brooks adapted the play in a way that drastically changed the conversation between Brick and Big Daddy about Skipper. Maggie was brought into the scene and asked to divulge the truth. In Brooks’ film adaptation, however, this conversation is now centered around Brick’s accusation of an affair and Maggie and Brick’s marital difficulties. It has shifted the focus off Brick’s friendship with Skipper which displayed “a tenderness that wasn’t common”. Paul Newman’s portrayal of Brick allows for Brick to be portrayed as an archetype masculine, and the heteronormativity of Brick can be highlighted through the romance and sexual tension between Brick and Maggie. The film is made more appealing for 1950s audiences by the sultry music and soft camrea lights. The premise is changed, since all references to Brick’s homophobia are removed. This drastic shift in thematic elements highlights a conservative and traditional 1950s society. The theatre community, while more open to abnormalities than the general public, expected their lives to be reflected on the readily accessible film medium. The film ignores the unfiltered dialogue about homosexuality by relying solely on marital difficulties.
Richard Brooks’ 1958 film adaptation Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof simplifies, clarifies, and obscures many themes and ideas in the play. Brooks’ adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is remarkably similar to the play. However, it alters the message and the character aspects to suit the 1950s. Brooks, by simplifying Brick’s sexuality and the role of woman, emphasizes the American Dream.