Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

"You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games"

1966 2h 11m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 948

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A history professor and his wife entertain a young couple who are new to the university's faculty. As the drinks flow, secrets come to light, and the middle-aged couple unload onto their guests the full force of the bitterness, dysfunction, and animosity that defines their marriage.

“You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games”

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Cast

Elizabeth Taylor
Martha
Richard Burton
George
George Segal
Nick
Sandy Dennis
Honey
Agnes Flanagan
Roadhouse Waitress (uncredited)
Frank Flanagan
Roadhouse Manager (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mike Nichols
Writers: Harold Michelson, Ernest Lehman
Languages: English, Latin
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

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mike Nichols, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sam O'Steen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and George Segal carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mike Nichols directs. Haskell Wexler behind the camera. Alex North scores. Sam O'Steen cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.
4Directed by Mike Nichols, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Alex North. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Sam O'Steen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and George Segal carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games".
9IMDB entry: tt0061184 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 35 themes, including "adultery", "professor", "married couple", "guest".

The technical file

Cinematography: Haskell Wexler
Original score: Alex North
Editing: Sam O'Steen
Production design: Richard Sylbert
Costume design: Irene Sharaff
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bau
Sound: M.A. Merrick
Runtime: 131 min · 2h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $7,500,000
Box office: $33,736,689
Return: 450% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White
Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
Academy Award for Best Actress

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

Also by

Mike Nichols

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-01-10
★ 7/10
Never mind Virginia Woolf, she's a lightweight compared to "Martha" (Elizabeth Taylor) as "Nick" (George Segal) and his wife "Honey" (Sandy Dennis) are about to discover for themselves. They've already been at a faculty do with her and husband "George" (Richard Burton) and have gone round after for a nightcap. That's their first mistake as a vitriolic battle of sarcastic and venomous wits is just getting started between their hosts. Initially they are sympathetically embarrassed but then that morphs into something a little more participative as the brandy and the bourbon starts to take effect on everyone. In vino vertitas has never been more true as it emerges that the older couple have a son, the other bugger, and it's clear from early on that something on that front is not right. The younger couple are not immune from the prevailing toxicity and before long they are also starting to question some of what underpins their own relationship. As tempers flare, things become even more unpleasant - even violent, as there are no holds barred and psychological cruelty becomes the benchmark for just about all of them. I saw this on stage and loved it. On the big screen, Mike Nicholls has used his cinematic advantages to make it even more potent. By using the cast together, splitting them off into pairs, changing the location from their increasingly small living room, occasionally involving an innocent bystander to temporarily lessen the stress levels and even pouring some coffee into them, we tell a remarkably hard-hitting story of grief. A festering, poisonous emotion that when not dealt with can grow to throttle just about any relationship - especially if the vintner is on it, too. Taylor and Burton excel, there's no other word for it. Her performance makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up and is perfectly foiled by the more understated but just as brutal characterisation of "George" by a Burton rather benignly bedecked in his middle-aged cardigan - but don't be fooled. Though the plot doesn't focus so much on the others at the start, both Segal and a strong effort from Dennis come into their own too as the ghastliness of their new friends proves contagious and noxious. It's also directed as if we were watching from various points in the room, which adds extra impact as we see things from differing perspectives - but always with a horribly natural flow. It often comes across as a continuous stream of filming akin to how it would be presented live on a stage. This is cinema at it's most visceral with compelling characterisations and dialogue that really does hurt. Maybe don't watch if you've just had a row, or a few drinks, or both? No remakes, please.

Production companies