Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - get the guests

[pgweeks]

"Blondie and his frau out of the plain states came" is a reference to *what* line of poetry or literature?

[AbbyNormal777]

His wifey little mousey..

[31Nigel]

Burton was robbed BLIND of an Oscar for this one. Truth.

[Sinatrafan12]

Richard Burton's voice is beautiful. And he's so handsome..

[298625]

Richard Burton at his best. Untouchable!

[stnic07]

"And his mouse is a wifey little thing..."

Love that line.

God the dialogue in this film is incredible. Every time I watch it I'm struck by something new. All 4 are wonderful, but I was truly frightened and hypnotised by Burton- he was amazing.

[alk3tom]

honey funny bunny

[blundellio3049]

This may just be me, but I find the actress who plays Honey to be way too over the top and not believable. Burton and Taylor on the other hand are absolutely phenominal.

[AziaXtremeInphinity]

Richard Burton shoulda won 4 this role

[BeatleBardot1]

@RichardElden You must have a terribly boring life to post negative comments about a successful actor who has been long gone. Sad, sad, sad. Fair enough if you don't like his acting, but a lot of people do. Now shut up.

[WendyKroy77]

Wow, absolutely genius.

[islanderboi89]

alcoholics....

[catgirl1234]

And THAT is how you play "Get the Guests"

[ToughXArmy69]

Miss Taylor was a suprise choice to play Martha. Bette Davis thought she had it all locked up with James Mason playing George. Mike Nichols suggested the Burtons and Jack Warner agreed. A daring move that paid off. What a movie and Miss Taylor was brilliant and justly won the Oscar.

[twisteddresdendoll]

Fantastic film. R.I.P. Liz,Robert & Sandra

[emmabaker1]

she was pregnant and lost the child.

[fewcusi]

What was the puff?

[DrBCorwen]

@fewcusi Baby bump, except it didn't really exist...? I thought it was a hysterical pregnancy, according to Wikipedia--I guess shouldn't be trusted?

[bazzbazzley]

This extraodinary script is served by an extraordinary cast.

It will never be be bettered! Cinematic art as it's most underated!

[brianCIM]

@barbiedoll811" who gargles brandy immodestly and spends half her day in the upchuck." this is a movie you don't get up to go to the "euphemism" for. you have to pause it if you do because every line in the dialogue is just too good. it is a fireworks display of GENIUS. To me it stands neck to neck with the Shakespeare plays. superlatives just don't suffice. unreal.

[brianCIM]

Sandy Dennis completely destroyed by Burton in this scene. "And that is how you play "Get the Guests". They originally wanted Henry Fonda to play George. Henry Fonda is one of the greats but NOBODY and i mean NOBODY could read these lines like Burton. Absolutely scathing. In the scene after this George comes home and knows of course what is going on in the bedroom. He booms that "Burton laugh" and then sits down on the stairs weeping. Acting of GENIUS.

[goback3spaces]

@brianCIM I would've selected Sterling Holloway as George, Shelly Duvall as Blondie, Diane Keaton as Martha, John Belushi as Nick.

[brianCIM]

@goback3spaces only one i question is belushi. He is too likeable to play Nick. lol

[jsrl317]

Burton destroys Dennis so much, even George Seagal's character says "God" as Burton levels her, completely. It's a brutal assault. In the following scenes, she is pretty much out of it, like she has PTSD. George has destroyed a part of her in his assault, and this is a night neither she nor her husband will ever forget. I mean destructive and amazing. You so feel for Dennis even performing this scene. You can feel her disgust and disappointment.

What a performance. Brilliant!

[brianCIM]

@jsrl317 a HUGE thumbs on that comment jsrl. There is a short documentary on here about the making of this masterpiece. you should really check it out. When Sandy Dennis tested for the part of Honey they gave her the role on the spot. they even show her screen test for this scene. I love how you call this a bridge scene. After being humiliated for the better part of an hour the tide starts to turn in the George character. We see towards the end that he is the strong one, not Martha.

[jsrl317]

This is the scene that bridges the entire movie. You're right of course, Burton and Dennis play this to the hilt. By the time the scene ends, you're left exhausted, as they would say in Clockwork Orange "rather limp". You just cannot believe how far George and Martha will go to destroying and then rebuilding their relationship. All life is a prop.

No wonder this movie was so critically acclaimed. It also heralded the ratings system that eventually ruined movies such as this.

[cerzule]

"I know these people." LOL @ Honey's cluelessness and Sandy's comic timing!!!

[brianCIM]

Blondie and his frau out of the plain states came. Awesome. I love Paul Scofield and A Man For All Seasons but that said, Burton deserved the Oscar. He is incredible here. And the scene that preceded this with him telling the story of the "bergin" which is a 7 minute monologue he did in one take. As naturally gifted as any actor ever, he didn't always fulfill those talents. Well he did here and he deserved that Oscar.

[jsrl317]

@brianCIM Agreed. Why in the f**k was he overlooked so? It is one of his best performances ever. His linguistic and oratorical acrobatics are a freaking marvel, and you know ONLY Burton could have pulled this off!

[brianCIM]

@jsrl317 well i know that Burton was frequently bashed throughout his life in America as someone who took movie roles to support his lavish lifestyle. In England he was bashed for what they considered not fulfilling his awesome stage talents. Many considered him a "star" while actors like Scofield were considered "serious actors" who didn't "sell out". I remember reading an excellent biography about 10 years ago which dealt with the fact that he really didn't like acting that much.

[metalfang5]

"but hell that's...blood under the bridge."

[radstainforth]

Most of my Saturday nights end up like this ...

[KURISUCHRIS99]

does anyone else picture mia farrow as honey?

[wlhardy]

The quality of the movie is great but what language is in the subtitles? Can't quite figure it out.

[gioiadellavita33]

@wlhardy the language of the subtitles is Portuguese!

[lashkaretoiba]

violence. violence.

[2225530]

to the point that it faileth human understanding

[2225530]

his mouse is a wifey little thing...gargles brandy

[beatlebaby4ever]

One of the best movies ever made! Best dialogue!... and the casting couldn't be more spot on...besides I just love Liz and Dick. Oh Sandy and George hold their own very well too!

[sstuddert]

excruciatingly magnificant.

[Kaichita]

his mouse was a wifey little thing.

[goldenthroat86]

Hump the hostess!!!

[vbonilla79]

One of my favorite works! Brutal. Excellent.

[AMASSEY1000]

This is an ultimate movie. The foreign language sub-titling crap takes away from the moments of it's history. Never knew I'd have to try to ignore that crap while re-visiting a place in time I love. English is the language of the US of A. Learn it, speak it, write it.

[BlissfulFury]

@AMASSEY1000 Actually, the U.S. doesn't have an official language.

[mojave19]

@AMASSEY1000 There are people from all around the world coming to Youtube to view some great American film clips. It would be impossible for me to learn all the languages of all the foreign films I've enjoyed watching. It's a great way to learn about another culture, though I'm embarrassed a bit that George and Martha (as in the Washingtons) here were meant to represent the American marriage! (My brother won't watch this film because it reminds him too much of what we heard when we grew up!)

[lenilenape]

Richard and Liz did this so well, because it was not very far from their own true lives.

[jdncoke2]

This was one of Burton's more natural performances, what a fukin film!!!!

[BoomerReb]

Brutal. No one could have carried that scene off like Burton.

[WasteTime4Passwords]

OMG I forgot. Richard didn't get one? Oh yeah. RIGGED. FIXED. A game of favoritism.

Anyway, everyday words of mine aside, I was hoping this clip would last long enough to play my favorite Burton line in the movie, 10 seconds after this clip ends...

"You'll regret this!"

Burton:  "I regret everything."

[TheAgentChaos]

They don't make 'em like Richard Burton any more...

[Calsummersishere]

and thats how you play get the guests! crikey! what a movie!

[Calsummersishere]

why are people so cynical?

[blackngoldgal65]

Burton is brilliant; Taylor too. Burton---my favorite actor of all time! Love that accent and his manner of delivery.

[calciumkid85]

What a tricky and mean game this is...and i truly love it! It something which come back and bite you in the ass...

I would play this game to get my revenge

[RFlorentina]

Wonderful movie!

[Stephanie3189]

I like "Get the Guests".

[7beers]

The phrase "a way with words" properly applies to one who comes up with brilliant words, not one who parrots the words handed to him by someone else.

[14jwh]

its an allegory really...probably

[alfcab]

get the guests is the absolute best speech in this play/film.

"one day the mouse....went over to blondie's house and she knocked on the door and she stuck her puff out... 'oh my goodness!', said blondie."

burton was robbed of an oscar.

[AtLastOnTheGround]

I always laugh whenever he says "How about a little round of Get the Guests". It's such a poor attempt to be funny from the character and still be cynical and bitter, I love it!

[7beers]

Why do you love that?

[Tigerlily21]

Liz Taylor's performance is genius in this. And I agree that Burton was robbed of an Oscar but I'm also glad Liz and Sandy Dennis won. They deserved it.

[lenilenape]

One of the most intense movies I have ever seen. I revisit it time and again myself.

[brucefan19]

Richard Burton is amazing. This is the best performance in film I have ever seen. Like BillyL96 said he sould have won an Oscar for this.

[RespectDiCaprio]

Burton and Dennis are just incredile. Liz, too.

[BillyL96]

They all (except Segal) go from brilliance, to above and beyond brilliance. Richard Burton, giving a truly magnificent (and underrated) preformance, should have won Best Actor hands down. Paul Scofield doesn't even come close to Burton's amazing acting. If anyone dosen't believe this, is crazy!

[missbabyice]

where can i watch this online?

[Janine4t]

Sandy Dennis is brilliant. I remember the days of Liz and Dick and the romance full of trauma. They remain the epitome of true love (as hate is a close relative)and I do think this movie was more biographical than even they imagined.

[missbabyice]

I think this play is brilliant! nick and honey are just pawns in martha and george's games.

[lenilenape]

This play is R-A-W and this is what makes it so compelling.

I wonder if Liz and Richard were not actually like this together in real life.

[yaemal]

"And we don't want to play hump the hostess yet, NOT YET!"

Absolutely classic. Just done this for my GCSE drama piece as Nick. Love the play so much.

[Logan5v]

I love the way the camera zooms in on george segal as he slowly looks up, realising the direction of where this new 'game' is going.

Classic!

[queenastilon]

On the subject of what an actor, how about George Segal? Marvellous. If you see him these days in Just Shoot Me, note the energy he brings to every scene in which he appears.

[kiajoon]

I wasn't expecting a comedy.

[soundslikefrank]

Burton would have been 82 on Saturday, Nov. 10th! What a talent, what a voice, what an ACTOR!! R.I.P. Richard Burton

[Logan5v]

-Get the guests. A vicious game. The George character has no remorse as he reduces Sandy's character to tears leaving Segal to pick up the pieces - he is also hurt by this game. George sees it as his "just revenge" for the two of them laughing at him alnight along with Martha his wife.

[Cleapatra25]

And thats exactly what they deserve.

[queenastilon]

I think it's a remarkable recovery on his part; you can hardly blame him after Martha's just destroyed him, revealed his deepest darkest secret to two comparative strangers. It was Nick laughing at him, while openly flirting with his wife, rather than the very drunk and clueless Honey - and it's Nick that George is getting at.

[Logan5v]

It is Nick that George is getting at but he destroys Honey in the process. The humiliation was orchestrated by Martha who needed an audience to be most effective at the game she was playing. The young couple made the mistake of laughing along with Martha which made them targets for George to shoot down. Very Nasty.

[queenastilon]

Honey isn't laughing along, seems oblivious to goings-on until George tries to throttle Martha. He certainly doesn't care that he crushes Honey but his main goal is the resulting trouble for Nick. Nick intentionally flatters/laughs with Martha to sneer at George, and because of her dad, but forgets George has something on him. But he didn't know how bad Martha's tale was going to be nor just how nasty George could be.

[Logan5v]

The quaterback and his slim-hipped-wife have both laughed at Martha's well rehearsed 'humiliation of george' speeches and unknowingly set themselves up as targets for the shoot down that is to follow (the main target being 'blondie'). The worst is reserved for Martha.