Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton act their hearts out in “The Sandpiper.” This may be because the film’s theme of marital woes closely paralleled their own personal lives at the time. They were married in March, 1964, shortly before filming began, just after very high profile divorces from Eddie Fisher and Sybil Williams Burton, respectively.
The supporting cast behind Dick and Liz are all top-rate: Eva Marie Saint, Charles Bronson, Robert Webber, Torin Thatcher, James Edwards, Tom Drake, Douglas Henderson, and Morgan Mason, son of James Mason, as Liz’s son.
The producers hired Vincent Minnelli to direct, which ensured high-quality production values, including the screenplay by Michael Wilson. Cinematographer Milton R. Krasner took full advantage of the filming location in California’s beautiful Big Sur country. The watchable melodrama “The Sandpiper” was very popular at the box office for Filmways Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The movie’s theme song, “The Shadow of Your Smile,” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics). It was used throughout the film, featuring the trumpet of Jack Sheldon, and sung by an uncredited choral group during the credits. An excellent version performed by Tony Bennett became a hit on the record charts which won the Grammy Award for the Song of the Year.
The Sandpiper (1965)
cinema
My Review
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton act their hearts out in “The Sandpiper.” This may be because the film’s theme of marital woes closely paralleled their own personal lives at the time. They were married in March, 1964, shortly before filming began, just after very high profile divorces from Eddie Fisher and Sybil Williams Burton, respectively.
The supporting cast behind Dick and Liz are all top-rate: Eva Marie Saint, Charles Bronson, Robert Webber, Torin Thatcher, James Edwards, Tom Drake, Douglas Henderson, and Morgan Mason, son of James Mason, as Liz’s son.
The producers hired Vincent Minnelli to direct, which ensured high-quality production values, including the screenplay by Michael Wilson. Cinematographer Milton R. Krasner took full advantage of the filming location in California’s beautiful Big Sur country. The watchable melodrama “The Sandpiper” was very popular at the box office for Filmways Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The movie’s theme song, “The Shadow of Your Smile,” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics). It was used throughout the film, featuring the trumpet of Jack Sheldon, and sung by an uncredited choral group during the credits. An excellent version performed by Tony Bennett became a hit on the record charts which won the Grammy Award for the Song of the Year.