Sweet Bird of Youth - Definition and Overview

Sweet Bird of Youth is a play by Tennessee Williams which tells the story of a drifter who returns to his home town with a faded movie star, hoping she can help him to break into the movies. Back in his home town, he runs into the girl whose father, the sheriff, had run him out of town years before.

In 1962, the play was made into a movie starring Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Shirley Knight, Madeleine Sherwood, Ed Begley, Rip Torn and Mildred Dunnock. The movie was adapted and directed by Richard Brooks.

It won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ed Begley), and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Geraldine Page) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Shirley Knight).

Sweet Bird of Youth was made for television in 1989, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mark Harmon, Valerie Perrine, Ronnie Claire Edwards and Rip Torn. It was adapted by Gavin Lambert and directed by Nicolas Roeg.