Come Back, Little Sheba
Written by Ketti Frings (screenplay) and William Inge (original play)
Directed by Daniel Mann
Starring Shirley Booth, Burt Lancaster, Terry Moore, and Richard Jaeckel
Runtime 1 hour and 39 minutes
Available from Kino Lorber on special edition Blu-ray here

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

Back of the box synopsis:
2021 HD Master by Paramount Pictures - From a 4K Scan! Based on William Inge’s classic play, Come Back, Little Sheba is the stirring tale of a life-weary couple who rescue hope from the ruins of the past. Shirley Booth (TV’s Hazel) stars as Lola, slovenly housewife to Doc Delaney (Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry), a recovering alcoholic. The Delaney’s life is dull and unchanging, but takes a dramatic turn when the couple take in a charming boarder, Marie (Terry Moore, Shack Out on 101, in an Oscar-nominated role). Marie becomes the daughter the Delaneys never had. But when Marie takes up with a boorish boyfriend (Richard Jaeckel, The Devil’s Brigade), Doc descends into a jealous tailspin and must once again face the temptations of the bottle. Lancaster, in an early and unconventional leading-man part, displays his towering talent; Booth, reprising her Tony Award-winning Broadway role, gives an Academy Award-winning performance (Best Actress, 1952) in her tour-de-force movie debut. Sharply directed by Daniel Mann (The Rose Tattoo) and photographed by James Wong Howe (Hud), Come Back, Little Sheba is an unforgettable film shimmering with life-truths and dramatic intensity.

Features that make it special…

2021 HD Masters by Paramount Pictures – From 4K Scans
Audio Commentary by Film Historian Scott Harrison
Theatrical Trailer
Optional English Subtitles

Why you need to add it to your video library…

“You could use the house as it is your own.”

I have been slowly working my way through Burt Lancaster’s filmography. There is something about his demeanor on screen that instantly soothes me. Even when he plays a zany role like in The Rainmaker or a charismatic charlatan in Elmer Gantry, I can’t help but have a feeling of tranquility when I watch him in a film. Maybe that says something about me… I believe it is his soothing pipes that lull me. To my surprise, in Come Back, Little Sheba almost every scene of his was stolen by his costar and on screen wife, Lola (Shirley Booth).

Shirley Booth is a powerhouse in her silver screen debut. In watching the flick, I was also shocked to learn in the commentary that this was Daniel Mann’s film directorial debut. I feel he did a tremendous job with the pacing and blocking of the actors. Mann was the director of the long running play in which this screenplay was adapted from. Additionally, Booth was part of the same Broadway production which nabbed her a Tony Award for her portrayal.

This is not an uplifting tale, by any means. However, the presentation is absolute aces. You could not ask for a better restoration. Much of the subject matter (alcoholism, miscarriage, lost familial relationships, loneliness, and hang ups with the past) is enough to not just break your heart but pulverize it. The titular Sheba is in reference to Lola’s dog that went missing and all I have to say about this, is that I am relieved that this backstory was left to the imagination. With the somewhat recent passing of my pup Li’l Foxie, there is absolutely no way I could have handled a detailed tragic tale about a doggo.

Honestly, I can’t believe that prior to receiving the disc from Kino Lorber that I had not heard of this picture. The performances alone are a reason to watch and deserve to be talked about. Booth’s and Lancaster’s costars, Terry Moore and Richard Jaeckel manage to hold their own and turn out remarkable depictions. The cinematography from James Wong Howe is spectacular. In doing some digging, I realized he was behind the camera for several pictures I have enjoyed such Sweet Smell of Success, Pursued, Danger Signal, and Mark of The Vampire. This guy rules (as seen by the evidence shown to your left). Over his career he would win two Oscars for his work as a cinematographer on Hud and The Rose Tattoo. Coincidentally, The Rose Tattoo will be featured in my next dispatch and is also a Daniel Mann picture. I can’t wait to check it out and, in the meantime, I hope that this release of Come Back, Little Sheba will get more eyes on it, as it truly is a diamond in the rough.