Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958) is a major American motion picture based on the 1955 Broadway play of the same name, written by Tennessee Williams. This full-length family drama feature revolves around the events surrounding a rich Southern family on the birthday of Big Daddy (Burl Ives), a cotton tycoon and their patriarch. Tensions build as old family wounds are explored and secrets are revealed. This entry is going to focus on Brick (Paul Newman), a former high school football hero turned fall-down drunk, his tumultuous relationship with his wife, Maggie “The Cat” (Elizabeth Taylor), and his torment over his late teammate, Skipper.
To consider Brick as a significant entry into the pantheon of bisexual male characters in film, it’s essential to examine the historical and social context of the story. In the original play, Maggie directly accuses Brick of harboring homosexual feelings for Skipper, who confessed his feelings to Maggie before tragically taking his own life. Brick’s profound grief over Skipper’s death suggests a connection that goes far beyond the typical mourning of a former high school teammate. However, adapting this story for 1950s American cinema posed a significant challenge: the Hays Code, a strict set of moral guidelines that prohibited explicit references to homosexuality or sexual innuendo in films. This restriction forced the filmmakers to navigate carefully when bringing the play to the silver screen.
One key adaptation choice in the film, unlike the play, is Brick’s response to Maggie’s final confrontation. In the movie, Brick is visibly aroused by Maggie’s defense, and it’s implied that he willingly goes to bed with her, aligning with heteronormative expectations for a “happy ending.” Yet, the emotional core of Brick’s conflict — his unresolved feelings about Skipper’s death — remains intact. This tension is conveyed through Paul Newman’s masterful performance. Every mention of Skipper brings a visible wave of emotional anguish to Brick’s face, allowing the audience to glimpse the depth of his struggle. Through these subtle but powerful choices, the film manages to preserve the complexity of Brick’s character, even within the constraints of its time.
Therefore, yes, in the source material, it is safe to say that Brick is gay and married Maggie for a lavender marriage. But in the film adaptation, his orientation is changed to bi (though the terms “bi” and “homosexual” are never used, the interpretation is crystal clear).
So, is this a resounding example of bisexuality in modern media? Not quite. But, is it a rare example of a bi male character steeped in the constraints of a time that would not let anything but straight love speak its name? Most definitely. Considering the hurdles and collective effort from both production and actors to make this read well for the Hays Code as well as for clear, queer subtext, it is rather a bit of an achievement for the time, and important to look at as a stepping stone for more complete, out-loud male bi representation in film that we are lucky enough to experience a few generations later.