The Catered Affair

"When you're in love, nothing else matters"

1956 1h 34m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 49

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An Irish cabby in the Bronx watches his wife go overboard planning their daughter's wedding.

“When you're in love, nothing else matters”

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Cast

Bette Davis
Agnes Hurley
Ernest Borgnine
Tom Hurley
Debbie Reynolds
Jane Hurley
Barry Fitzgerald
Jack Conlon
Rod Taylor
Ralph Halloran
Robert F. Simon
Mr. Halloran
Madge Kennedy
Mrs. Halloran
Dorothy Stickney
Mrs. Rafferty

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Brooks
Writers: Gore Vidal
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Brooks, shot by John Alton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gene Ruggiero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine and Debbie Reynolds carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When you're in love, nothing else matters".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049061 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 49 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Brooks directs. John Alton behind the camera. André Previn scores. Gene Ruggiero cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

170 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Richard Brooks, shot by John Alton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Gene Ruggiero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine and Debbie Reynolds carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "When you're in love, nothing else matters".
7IMDB entry: tt0049061 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 49 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "parent child relationship", "taxi driver", "irish-american", "based on play or musical".

The technical file

Cinematography: John Alton
Original score: André Previn
Editing: Gene Ruggiero
Makeup / hair: John Truwe
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Catered Affair (1956)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Richard Brooks

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-01-08
★ 7/10
Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine are cracking in this really rather agonising drama of a couple who must reconcile their own (differing) aspirations for their daughter's forthcoming wedding with their reputations and their pocket books - and the peer pressures of neighbours and their soon-to-be in-laws alike. Initially, the young couple "Jane" (Debbie Reynolds) and "Ralph" (Rod Taylor) just want a simple ceremony to save everyone fuss, hassle and money. When his father offers them an apartment, and her neighbours start to wonder about the "haste" of it all, Davis ("Aggie") convinces thrifty husband "Tom" (Borgnine) that they must go all out on the wedding of the century. At times funny, with plenty of pathos and some super character parts from Barry Fitzgerald as "Uncle Jack" and cutie brother Ray Stricklyn as army-bound brother "Eddie" the story moves along at one hell of a pace. The star looks every inch the dreary housewife, Borgnine is super as the beleaguered cabbie husband who has saved all his life so as he can go into business on his own - and the kids all combine to convey the frustrations and expectations of this "big day" in a way that must make any impending nuptials scare the heck out of anyone. Great entertainment.

Production companies