Although most people watch director George Steven’s 1951 American tragedy to see luckless Monty Cliff struggle with his morals—and to swoon over the breathtaking Elizabeth Taylor—the real yolk of A Place in the Sun is Shelley Winters. Nominated for an Oscar for her whiny, pathetic turn as Alice—Cliff’s jilted, pregnant lover who just won’t go away—Winters steals every scene, eliciting both viewer contempt and empathy. Ultimately, she gets offed, and while we would all have done the same thing, we’re glad mean old Monty pays for it in the end!
Mon., Feb. 23, 8 p.m., 2009
