Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

In the quiet humdrum of middle age, Doc and Lola Delaney find themselves entrapped in a marriage that has lost its lustre over twenty years. Once brimming with promise, their life now echoes with the sound of unfulfilled dreams. Doc, who started as a chiropractor, had aspirations of becoming a medical doctor, but his ambitions were thwarted by the obligations of their hasty marriage. Lola, once a radiant beauty, has surrendered to time, her days consumed by idle hours and the soothing melodies from an old radio. Their relationship is further strained by the spectre of Doc's past alcoholism, a vice he adopted as an escape from the drudgery of his existence. Now, a year into an earnest commitment to Alcoholics Anonymous, Doc is teetering on the precipice of relapse. Their mundane existence takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Marie Buckholder, a vibrant university student renting their spare room. Marie's youthful exuberance and romantic entanglements with a local jock, Turk Fisher, and her steady boyfriend, Bruce Cunningham, serve as a stark reminder of the life Doc envisioned for himself. This intense contrast threatens to push Doc over the edge, while the unsuspecting Lola, entranced by Marie's youthful vivacity, begins to nurture a maternal bond with their tenant. With the memory of a lost child and the disappearance of their beloved dog, Sheba, still lingering in the background, Lola and Doc's marital woes come to a head. Will the presence of Marie serve as a catalyst for a new beginning, or will it further drive a wedge in their already strained relationship? "Come Back, Little Sheba" unveils a poignant tale of regret, loss, and the desperate search for a sense of purpose amidst the ruins of shattered dreams.

Come Back, Little Sheba is a drama movie featuring Burt Lancaster and directed by Daniel Mann.

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