A review by blueyorkie
BUtterfield 8 by John O'Hara

5.0

John O'Hara's novel, BUtterfield 8 (the title came from Gloria's telephone exchange when phone numbers were a combination of letters and numbers), differs considerably from Elizabeth Taylor's film. A significant contrast is set in 1931, the beginnings, but not yet the depths of the Depression, in a New York City where Prohibition is still in force—spent that a great deal of time drifting from one speakeasy to another, a portrait of a city starved for alcohol. It takes a while for Gloria Wandrous to focus as the book's central character, as it begins as a kaleidoscopic portrait of the city and its inhabitants. The torn evening gown and the stolen mink coat, so memorable in the film, propel the plot forward. In the movie, the trio of Gloria, Liggett, and her friend, Eddie (as played by the hopelessly inept Eddie Fisher) eventually takes control of the narrative.