Patricia Neal...OMG

I agree totally. Checking on her and Griffith's birth dates they are the same age (She slightly older by a few months),and both still alive. They are the only part of the starring cast still living. Mattheau died in 2000. Franciosa in 2006 and Lee Remick in 1991.

I agree. She was amazing and compelling in this movie and the cinematography really captures her reactions. Such an expressive face! Andy Griffith's character and performance is somewhat over the top, although still worth seeing, especially as a change from the persona for which he is best known. The extent to which Schulberg's writing, Kazan's directing and Griffith's over-acting are "to blame" is debatable. Probably Kazan overdid it a bit. Anyway it's still a worthwhile performance, but Neal's reaction to Griffith's character is very important in making the picture watchable and was more interesting to me.

I agree with you on every count. When I saw the film, many years after becoming accustomed to Griffith from his television work, I couldn't believe that he was capable of such acting. He blew me away.
And the late Neal? No words can describe her in EVERYTHING that she did. She was beyond brilliant in this film as she was in her entire body of work.

Glad there is a thread on the elegant, earthy, and sophisticated Patricia Neal here. I admittedly have not seen a lot of her films, but I loved her in this one- sort of a forerunner of Jane Craig from 'Broadcast News.' Stunning at her job as radio producer and jounalist, she probably stuns herself when she falls in love with her own mercurial creation- Andy Griffith's Lonesome Rhodes. Saw it again on 8/26 on TCM and recorded it so I can watch her breakdown in the control room again and again!!

[deleted]

And what about that incredible look on her face as she stands at the hotel doorway and calls Lonesome back to her - as she realises she is going to finally give in to him and have sex. Sexy and soulful at the same time.
I believe she had some tough times in her real life - I believe her career was halted for many years because of a crippling disease - polio - I think. She got over it went back into the movies in the 60s with films like In Harms Way. She ended up marrying writer Rauld Dahl.

Patricia knocked my socks off. I am used to seeing her only in films where she plays the cynical *beep!* who gets dumped like in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Here I completely believed her as the nice girl from a small Southern town and almost wanted to cast her as Nelle Harper Lee in a movie about her life.

ETA: Strike "almost". She'd have been perfect. And I wish she were still around.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

I have always enjoyed Patricia Neal, as well. Be sure to watch her in "The Fountainhead" with Gary Cooper. NOTE: The movie was a very, very, very poor adaptation of a brilliant book; without Patricia Neal, the movie would not have been bearable. But, the casting of Patricia Neal as Dominique Francon was inspired, as she embodied the quintessential "perfect female." Ninety-nine people out of one hundred would suggest you watch HUD, so I will not belabor the obvious...enjoy. Let me know what you think.