Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

We want Pollitt! Brick Pollitt!

We want Pollitt! Brick Pollitt!

Don't you do that.

I'm warning you, Trixie.

Gooper, can't you stop that child of yours

from putting her hot little hands in the ice cream?

Trixie!

Couldn't you at least wash your hands before you did that?

Maggie, you stop that!

Maggie, how could you do that to a child?

Like this, honey.

- Gooper, did you see what she did? - Huh?

- I told her to wash her hands first. - Oh!

One of those no-neck monsters hit me with some ice cream.

Now, why did you call Gooper's kiddies no-neck monsters?

Because your brother's children got no necks, that's why.

Oh.

At least, none visible.

Their fat little heads sit on their fat little bodies without a bit of connection.

That's too bad.

Specially 'cause you can't wring their necks if they've not got any necks to wring.

Isn't that right, honey?

Trixie, come on.

Here we are!

Come on, Buster, Sonny.

Come on. Everybody in the car now. We're all going to go.

Did you ever hear so many dogs' names tacked on to children?

Think of it. They've got five monsters and number six coming up.

Grab the whole bunch down here like animals to display at a county fair.

It's so obvious, it's disgusting. Well, it's obvious what they're up to.

What are they up to, Maggie?

I'll tell you what they're up to, boy of mine.

They're up to cutting you out of your father's estate.

Everybody knows Big Daddy's dying of...

Oh, I ought to send Sister Woman a bill for a new pair of stockings.

- Do we? - Do we what?

Know that Big Daddy is dying of...

Don't you believe it?

You'll know soon enough.

Suppose he is?

There's some things you got to face, baby.

There's some things in this world you've simply got to face.

Why did they have Big Daddy in that horrible old clinic for six weeks?

If the examination didn't show anything

then why'd Brother Man bring his whole screaming tribe down here

in this sticky heat?

And why so many allusions to you and Rainbow Hill?

You know what Rainbow Hill is?

It's a place that's famous for treating famous alcoholics and dope fiends.

- I'm not famous, Maggie. - No.

And you don't take dope.

Otherwise you'd be a perfect candidate for Rainbow Hill.

That's where Brother Man's going to tell Big Daddy to ship you.

Over my dead body.

Rainbow Hill.

And if they get you out of the way, brother Gooper gets ahold of the estate

and signs all the checks, and cuts off our credit whenever he wants.

How would you like that, baby?

You're doing just about everything you can

to aid and abet them in grabbing control after Big Daddy...

Well, you are.

Quitting work, devoting yourself to the occupation of drinking.

Breaking your ankle last night on the high school athletic field.

Brick?

We got one thing on our side.

No, two things. Are my seams straight?

Big Daddy dotes on you, honey.

He just can't stand Brother Man and Brother Man's wife,

that monster of fertility. She's downright odious to him. I can tell.

Just like I can tell he likes me.

That's the second thing we got on our side.

He likes me.

The way he looks me up and down, over.

- He's still got an eye for girls. - That kind of talk is disgusting.

Anybody ever tell you you were a back-aching Puritan, Brick?

I think it's mighty fine the way that old fellow on the doorstep of death

still takes in my shape with what I consider deserved appreciation.

You know, that brother Gooper of yours

still cherishes the illusion he took a giant step up the social ladder

when he married Mae Flynn of the no-neck Memphis Flynns.

Because she was Queen of the Cotton Carnival.

Oh, I can just see Gooper falling for Her Majesty.

Sitting on that brass throne, riding on that tacky float down Main Street.

Smiling and bowing and blowing kisses to all the trash on the street.

You know what happened to her?

No, what happened to her, Maggie?

Somebody spat tobacco juice in her face. That's right.

Some drunk at the Hotel Gayoso leaned out the window and said,

"Hey, Queenie. Hey, there, Queenie."

Sister Mae looked up and smiled and waved,

and that drunk shot a squirt of tobacco juice... right in her face.

Why are you looking at me like that?

- Like what, Maggie? - Like you were just looking.

I wasn't conscious of looking at you, Maggie.

I was conscious of it.

If you were thinking the same thing I was...

- No, Maggie. - Why not?

- Will you please keep your voice down? - No!

I know you better than you think.

I've seen that look before and I know what it used to mean.

- And it still means the same thing now. - You're not the same woman now, Maggie.

Oh, don't you think I know that?

- Don't you think I know... - Know what, Maggie?

That I've gone through this horrible transformation.

I've become hard and frantic and cruel.

You planning on meeting Big Daddy's plane?

Oh, Brick.

- I get so lonely. - Everybody gets that.

Living with somebody you love can be lonelier than living entirely alone

when the one you love doesn't love you.

You can't even stand drinking out of the same glass, can you?

- Would you like to live alone, Maggie? - No!

No, I wouldn't.

Why can't you lose your good looks, Brick?

Most drinking men lose theirs. Why can't you?

I think you've even gotten better-looking since you went on the bottle.

- You were such a wonderful lover. - You'll be late!

You were so exciting to be in love with. Mostly, I guess, because you were...

If I thought you'd never, never make love to me again,

I'd find me the longest, sharpest knife I could

and I'd stick it straight into my heart.

I'd do that.

Oh, Brick, how long does this have to go on, this punishment?

Haven't I served my term? Can't I apply for a pardon?

Lady, that finishing-school voice of yours

sounds like you was running upstairs to tell somebody the house was on fire.

Is it any wonder?

You know what I feel like?

I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Then jump off the roof, Maggie. Jump off it.

Now, cats jump off roofs and they land uninjured. Do it. Jump.

- Jump where? Into what? - Take a lover.

I don't deserve that.

I can't see any man but you.

Even with my eyes closed, I just see you.

Why can't you get ugly, Brick?

Why can't you please get fat or ugly or something, so I can stand it?

You'll make out fine. Your kind always does.

Oh, I'm more determined than you think. I'll win all right.

Win what?

What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof?

Just staying on it, I guess.

Long as she can.

Calm down. Not now. Now wait a minute. Not yet.

- Where are the flowers, darling? - Aren't you putting it on a little thick?

Get ready now.

Mama, she didn't bring anything for Big Daddy.

Pretty seedy-looking flowers for Big Daddy, don't you think, Gooper?

I picked them myself.

Looks like she picked them off somebody's grave.

Now you stop talking about graves

when we don't know whether Big Daddy's going to live or die.

Get ready.

Hi. Hello, Mae.

Hello, children.

Don't they look great?

Kiss me.

- Mae, darling. - You look wonderful.

Kiss your grandmother.

Oh, darling Big Daddy.

You look fine, Big Daddy. Just fine.

Doc, you want to tell them the news?

The exploratory operation proved there's nothing wrong with Big Daddy.

Nothing at all!

Just a little old spastic colon. And that's all.

- That's great news. - Isn't that great news?

That's the best birthday present of all.

Where's Brick?

Uncle Brick got drunk and broke his leg.

- How? - What's that?

Yeah. Seems he got drunk again and tried to jump the hurdles at 3:00 in the morning.

That poor boy thinks he's still a great, big athlete.

Couldn't keep it out of the local paper.

AP got a hold of it, too.

Yeah, and UP,

and, thanks to your professional legal advice, every other "P."

Let's go home.

Don't you want to ride with the children, honey?

No!

He is his sassy old self again, all right.

Be quiet, woman!

Hush up!

Welcome home, Captain Pollitt.

I'm going to live, Maggie. I'm going to live.

You know, they had me real scared.

You know, I've wasted so much time.

You know, I've got a million different kinds of feelings left in me.

And I want to use them. I'm going to use them all.

Why did you and Brick suddenly decide to drive up from New Orleans?

For your birthday, what else?

I had a birthday last year and the year before. Didn't see you then.

You know how Brick is sometimes.

Maybe he thought he was coming to my funeral instead of my birthday.

Why, Brick loves you. He does.

But does he love you?

What do you want? Proof?

If I was married to you three years, you'd have the living proof.

You'd have three kids already and the fourth in the oven.

We love you out of sight

We love you in the morning We love you in the night