"BUtterfield 8" has to be one of the most undeserving movies to win an Academy Award (alongside the glorification of rich English people that was "Chariots of Fire"). I suppose that it's trying to make a point about child abuse, but it comes out as two hours of blandness. It truly goes overboard on trying to be a soap opera. It's well known that Elizabeth Taylor didn't like it; she and co-star Eddie Fisher (her then-husband) apparently called it "Butterball 4". The Best Actress Oscar should've gone to Shirley MacLaine for "The Apartment" (the story goes that they gave it to Liz basically as a get well present after her tracheotomy).The car chase and its shocking result turn out to be the only interesting part of the movie. If you're looking for a poodle skirt-era soaper that's at least memorable, I recommend "A Summer Place": it shows how the parents are (meanwhile, the Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee characters actually have a healthy, loving relationship but their parents insist on keeping them apart because they're "not right" for each other). As for John O'Hara, I haven't read any of his works, but a good adaptation of one of his works is the Paul Newman-Joanne Woodward movie "From the Terrace". Daniel Mann's good movies - that I've seen at least - are "Come Back, Little Sheba", "Teahouse of the August Moon" and "Willard".

Being one of the least-regarded among all major Oscar-winning titles, it has taken this me long to check the film out; indeed, I have missed out on countless screenings of it on both TCM UK, Italian and local TV and, for what it is worth, before acquiring the widescreen edition I finally watched, I had already landed a pan-and-scan copy (at the time of star Elizabeth Taylor's passing)! In retrospect, while such glossy melodramas seem so unenticing on paper, actually experiencing them can prove highly entertaining (if not always for the expected reasons) – and this was certainly the case here!The Academy Award bestowed upon Taylor was famously a note of appreciation from her colleagues for having pulled out of a life- threatening illness shortly before; that said, her having stolen co-star Eddie Fisher from his wife Debbie Reynolds was considered water under the bridge by this time – of course, a couple of years down the line, Richard Burton would come into her life…and the rest, as they say, is history; in fact, this was her very last film role before attaining superstardom with the long-running Burton association! Anyway, the leading lady had had an impressive run of parts during the latter half of the 1950s (this, in fact, was her fourth nomination in a row – with a second, and more deserving, Oscar coming her way for the best of her many teamings with Burton i.e. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? {1966}): here, she plays a high class call-girl (the film's title being her professional number) who principally juggles relations with businessman Laurence Harvey and musician Fisher (a singer in real life, this was the last of only two movie roles of any consequence) among many others. However, the former is unhappily married (into an eminent family) and the latter intends marrying his girlfriend (treating Taylor only for the childhood friend she is…but, needless to say, her constant presence in his life and home is not easily explained to the 'other woman'!). For the record, among that year's Best Actress nominees were also Melina Mercouri's star-making turn as a Greek 'whore with a heart of gold'-type in her husband Jules Dassin's NEVER ON Sunday and Taylor was the third actress director Mann guided towards Oscar glory (both flanked by 1960's own Best Actor Oscar winner Burt Lancaster, no less!) following Shirley Booth in COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA (1952) and Anna Magnani in THE ROSE TATTOO (1955). As I said, this looks good (receiving its sole other Oscar nod for Best Color Cinematography) – given the expected MGM polish – and, while the subject matter (adapted from a John O'Hara novel inspired by true events) is understandably toned-down in view of the Production Code being still in force, the script proves so hilariously overwritten (especially the quips Betty Field – best friend to the star's mother, played by Mildred Dunnock – makes with respect to Taylor…who, incidentally, describes herself to the latter as "the slut of all time") that one cannot help but have a field (no pun intended) day with it! Typically, watching expensive production values and a familiar cast at work can be enough for a film – especially when, as here, there is little substance otherwise; perhaps more surprisingly, there were several instances of sloppy editing and continuity errors throughout which, frankly, only added to the fun! Unlike the actress herself, there is no happy ending for the film's heroine; curiously enough, the same year also saw the release of another O'Hara soaper i.e. FROM THE TERRACE (itself yet another teaming of another famous Hollywood couple: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward)…while Taylor and Harvey would themselves be reunited much later for his penultimate effort, the psychological thriller NIGHT WATCH (1973).

*** SPOILERS ***A "shocking" movie about sex! Which, in America, must be met with punishment! And, of course, Liz Taylor is made to pay for being a call girl. The whole very-soap-opera-y film concerns the five-some romantic goings-on of Liz's Gloria, Weston, the client she's fallen in love with, Emily, Weston's neglected wife, Steve, Gloria's decades-old friend, and Norma, Steve's girlfriend.There's LOTS of drama, little of it believable. And, everyone, including Gloria, are utterly horrified that she's a call girl! Liz gives a very good performance, and won an Academy Award for it. The irony is that she really didn't want to do the part, but had to so she could finish her MGM contract. She did insist that her husband of the time, Eddie Fisher, be in the film. His acting skills are certainly lacking, which impacts the film somewhat. But, the other performances are fairly soap-opera level, so it doesn't make too much of a difference.You can see the ending coming a mile away, since Liz, as I said, must pay for being a call girl, and more importantly, having sex. Oh, my! Shocking! But, not really. There could have been much more interesting ways to approach the material, but they certainly aren't attempted here! The film score gets to be too much, but the composer does know where to be quiet. Everything else is fine, but not especially remarkable.***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)

This movie has not aged well. The score is distracting and overly bombastic, telegraphing with a heavy hand until the Morse code of the director's intent is tattooed on the viewer's forehead. Lovely mid-century fashion and buildings, terrific color and framing, but it all gets lost in the heavy-handed melodrama of a bygone time.Fortunately, Elizabeth Taylor is there to watch, and she makes the most of a horrid script, story, and denouement.Pass this one by unless you're a huge Taylor fan or feel like seeing something unintentionally hilarious. The five stars are for Liz and the sets.