Playright William Inge had something of a penchant for the catalyst, employing them to good effect in Picnic, Bus Stop and, of course, in this play. Whilst Tennessee Williams is arguably a better dramatist he doesn't always translate to the screen as well as Inge who had four solid successes with the three mentioned above plus The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs, even Ted Williams didn't hit like that. It is, of course, Shirley Booth - in her film debut - who carries the film though Burt Lancaster is solid in support playing much older than his real age. Trivia buffs will relish the fact that Humphrey Bogart lobbied for the part of Doc and was nearer to the correct age than Lancaster; this is only trivia if you know that Booth made her stage debut in 1925 opposite Bogie. This is a fine film that stands up well after more than sixty years.

An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic (Burt Lancaster) and his dowdy, unambitious wife (Shirley Booth) face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.Some have called this the definitive film about alcoholism. Maybe. I personally prefer "Lost Weekend", but this is really all the more tragic. Doc Delaney is bitter towards life. His wife is trapped and faces occasional abuse. And we see how the tiniest slip can be a tragedy.What hit me, maybe even more than the presentation of violent drunkenness, was how vulgar the language was. There are no "f bombs", but by the standards of 1952, I thought it was pushing the envelope. And I don't mean the word "pooped", which I thought was sort of funny.

Shirley Booth (of "Hazel" fame) and Burt Lancaster are married, but don't really communicate in "Come Back, Little Sheba." The film opens on Shirley who gets out of bed and moves about with no motivation to do anything, to dress, to clean. She has a likable disposition, but she doesn't have much drive. Her husband is a chiropractor, who never finished his medical schooling as a doctor, for reasons that are shown to us slowly throughout the film. Little Sheba is a dog they had that ran away and that Shirley has been praying will return. Burt Lancaster is excellent as the husband who just goes through the motions day by day without feeling. Terry Moore is a boarder who they take in for more income, of whom Burt takes a liking to. And, also, he is an alcoholic who has been sober for years and whose world will soon shatter. But this is Shirley Booth's picture, as she breaks your heart. She is both pitiful yet strong in conjuring up the depths of depression. Shirley deservedly won an Oscar for this film. What secrets are behind this façade? Will she come out of her delusions? This film is definitely worth your time. Please look for "Come Back, Little Sheba." It's an experience you won't forget.

First, to deal with the reputed greatness of Shirley Booth's performance. While acknowledging that this is a fine performance, subtle and expressive, Ms. Booth registering an incredible array of nuances, it should also be pointed out that she portrays the wife as a very annoying character, somewhat difficult for the audience to fully sympathize with. Of course, it is the scriptwriter who has her apologizing in every direction, ceaselessly trying to placate her husband, but Ms. Booth employs a whiny voice that diminishes the character and alienates the audience. It reminded me very much of the Shelley Winters whine, which sounds to me like fingernails scratching of a blackboard.Burt Lancaster is badly miscast as her husband. Almost the first time he walks in front of the camera, striding across the living room, his athleticism looks completely out of place. A vigorous, handsome, young-looking man like him, married to such a frumpy wife? This stretches credibility to the breaking point. The mismatch is especially highlighted in the closing scene, where it is not possible to believe that he cannot live without her, in fact, that he can't find a better mate than her (he never wanted to marry her in the first place).The script is very good but crashes and burns in the closing scenes, which seem so easy, so Hollywood. He goes on a terrible binge and comes close to murdering his wife, telling her terrible, cruel truths, but after a little time to dry out, he's good as new, says that he never meant what he said, and begs her never to leave him. It has all the marks of a Hollywood happy ending. Why are we to believe he won't go on another binge, perhaps killing her the next time? Why are we to believe that his resentments against his wife aren't still smouldering in his heart, waiting for another occasion to erupt? In fact, we can't believe any of this, and the ending seems easy and implausible.It's a very good movie, well worth watching, but I wish we could reserve our highest praise, our unconditional praise for movies that are better than this.