A Place in the Sun

film by Stevens [1951]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Article History

A Place in the Sun, American dramatic film, released in 1951, that was based on a theatrical adaptation of Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 novel An American Tragedy, a searing look at dysfunctional relationships and blind ambition. The film was a popular and critical hit, winning six Academy Awards.

Montgomery Clift played George Eastman, an oppressed young man from the wrong side of town. Despite having wealthy relatives, Eastman can find no entry into the opulent lifestyle that he craves—until he falls in love with a beautiful young socialite (Elizabeth Taylor), whom he wishes to marry. His plans go awry when his ex-girlfriend Alice (Shelley Winters) announces that she is pregnant and demands that she and Eastman be wed. He desperately attempts to put off the unwanted marriage, and he takes Alice on a boat ride during which he plans to kill her. Although he changes his mind, Alice drowns when the boat accidentally capsizes. Eastman is found guilty of her murder and is sentenced to death.

The film, which featured some of the most popular performers of its day, caused quite a stir upon its release. Taylor was only 17 years old when she was signed for the role, and she formed a deep, lasting friendship with Clift, whose personal woes would nearly rival those afflicting his character in the film. Both Clift and Winters received an Oscar nomination for their performances. In Winters’s case, however, the film’s success also led to her being typecast as a hapless victim in future films. George Stevens received the Oscar for best director.