“I’m not living with you,” Maggie snaps at Brick. “We occupy the same cage, that’s all.” The raw emotions and crackling dialogue of Tennessee Williams’ 1955 Pulitzer Prize play rumble like a thunderstorm in this film version, whose fiery performances and grown-up themes made it one of 1958’s top box-office hits. Paul Newman earned his first Oscar nomination as troubled ex-sports hero Brick. In a performance that marked a transition to richer adult roles, Elizabeth Taylor snagged her second. Her Maggie the Cat is a vivid portrait of passionate loyalty. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and also starring Burl Ives (repeating his Broadway triumph as mendacity-loathing Big Daddy), Judith Anderson and Jack Carson, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof sizzles.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive brought Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to Blu-Ray in 2016 with a strong 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive in 1.85:1 which delights in high definition. The restoration eliminates any potential dirt or damage for a problem-free viewing experience. This continues with an absence of any unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. Detail and clarity are of the utmost quality with rich natural film grain intact and resolved without a hiccup. The film deploys splendid colors within the costumes and production design that beam off the screen. Black levels are respectable with notable stability throughout, and highlights avoid any signs of blooming. Warner Archive has given this classic title the treatment it deserves.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a wonderful DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that respects the mono origins. As with any Tennessee Williams material, dialogue is the star of the show as it comes through without getting overwhelmed by other elements. The score by Charles Wolcott is every bit as full-bodied and exciting as it should be with its flawless fidelity. Environmental sounds such as rain come through with the distinct clarity that you need. Warner Archive has provided a fabulous presentation that does not exhibit obvious signs of age-related wear and tear. Optional English (SDH) and an array of other subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Commentary Track: Biographer Donald Spoto provides an informative commentary track that gives rich details on the background of the performers, the production of the film, the dramatization of the source material, and much more.

Playing Cat and Mouse: A ten-minute archival featurette narrated by Ashley Judd that explores the place this film holds in the careers of Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.

Theatrical Trailer (2:20)

Final Thoughts

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is the perfect marriage of sizzling melodrama with unbridled star power. While Tennessee Williams can get a bit overboard in some of his thematic elements at times, this material threads the needle quite well once the family starts excavating their secrets at long last. The conversations are compelling, and the performers bring them to life with a staggering urgency. The entire ensemble is putting in great work, but our personal MVP is the towering presence of Burl Ives. This is how you bring stage material to the silver screen. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fetching A/V presentation and a nice showing of supplemental features. Recommended

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.