The Night of the Iguana (1964) on Netflix
Defrocked clergyman T. Lawrence Shannon guides a bus of Baptist schoolteachers along the Mexican coast. Judith Fellowes, the group's leader, chaperones Charlotte Goodall, her teenage ward.
- Netflix3.6/5
- IMDb7.5/1014,237 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes75%
Trailer
Plot summary
Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon, an Episcopal clergyman, loses his church and is defrocked after an inappropriate relationship with a young Sunday school teacher. Two years later he works as a tour guide for Blake's Tours in Mexico, taking a bus of Baptist schoolteachers to Puerto Vallarta. Judith Fellowes, the group's leader, is chaperone to Charlotte Goodall, a sixteen-year-old who pursues Shannon. When Charlotte comes to his hotel room at night, Shannon begs her to leave before Fellowes finds them together. Fellowes accuses him of seducing the girl and promises to ruin him. Shannon, who drinks, drives the group off its route to a remote hotel run by his friend Maxine Faulk.
Cast
- Gladys Hillas Miss Dexter
- Fidelmar Duránas Pepe
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Night of the Iguana (1964)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Early on, Bette Davis was attached to reprise her 1961 Broadway role as Maxine Faulk, with Ingrid Bergman as Hannah Jelkes and Nancy Kwan cast in an undisclosed role.
- James Garner said he was offered the role of Dr. Shannon but turned it down because it was "just too Tennessee Williams for me"; Christopher Plummer was also considered and Mimsy Farmer screen-tested for Charlotte.
- Because many shooting locations could be reached only by boat, the production built a small village of 25 houses to serve as a residence for the cast and crew.
- At the 16th Writers Guild of America Awards dinner, where John Huston received a Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, Allan Sherman sang a song to the tune of "Streets of Laredo" mocking the film's on-location behavior.
- A statue of director John Huston stands in Puerto Vallarta, honoring the film's part in turning the area into a popular destination.
- Producer Ray Stark wanted John Huston, who had just been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Cardinal, to play Nonno himself, but Huston declined so he could focus on directing.
