Suddenly, Last Summer

Labor Day arrives like an unloved in-law next weekend, closing down my favorite season to usher us none too gracefully into falling leaves, ice and snow — and, to the chagrin of my neck, back and arm, painfully unpleasant arthritis. Why I’ve allowed myself to live in the northeast region of the United States is a mystery, especially to me. (I’d be much happier in a shack out in the desert.) These things considered, the one title (not the play, not the film, but the title) that can stir up all sorts of melancholy in my head is Suddenly, Last Summer, as it denotes the passing of those sultry three months into history. Because the summer of today will be, suddenly, last summer a week from now — despite the fact that autumn proper doesn’t begin until the 23rd. Thanks to Pirates and Revolutionaries for the screen grabs above (all of which click to enlarge) of Liz Taylor in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1959 film of the Tennessee Williams drama.