Southern moneybags Big Daddy (Burl Ives) and wife Judith Anderson welcome family for his birthday bash/deathwatch, but son Paul Newman’s downward spiral forces Taylor to fight to save their marriage and their inheritance. Helming an ideal cast, Brooks made one of the top stage-to-screen transfers of a Tennessee Williams play; Taylor was on a sizzling streak herself at the time of this critical and box-office hit, which was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress.