Peyton Place (1957)

Great Film, Actor Commentary So-So

While I've read the book and think it is much better than the film, I still love this film a lot for the great acting, music, and filmography. The DVD reproduction is much clearer than the VHS version.

I was a little disappointed in the commentary with Russ Tamblyn and Terry Moore. Both rambled on about personal items not relevant to the movie and a lot of silent gaps. While part of the commentary was enjoyable, I think maybe since so many years have passed they might have forgotten more than they remembered.

I always like the extras with the DVD versions, but this one was lacking in extras. Overall it is worth having this movie on DVD because it is a classic. The picture and audio quality is superb and worth the price. It's too bad Lana Turner died before the production of this DVD. Her commentary would have been priceless.

Unfortunately they don't make great movies like this anymore! July 10, 2008

classic romance

My husband & I were married at the White Hall Inn in Camden, Maine. The movie was shot at that location. I purchased this for an anniversary present for us and as a momentum for our wedding memories. There are many clips and photos while making this film there."Scandal in a New England Town."That's were it all took place.It is truley, a classic romance! May 19, 2008

Secrets Of A Small Town

The scandalous best-selling novel by Grace Metalious is brought to life in this somewhat watered-down 20th Century Fox production, although it was still considered shocking and controversial for the time. Filmed on location in Camden, Maine with some interiors at the studio, the movie has an authentic feel, particularly in comparison to previous pictures shot entirely on backlots. Lana Turner, whose career needed a shot in the arm, took on the role of Constance MacKenzie, a woman who hides her teenage daughter Allison's (Diane Varsi) illegitimacy, and strives to control the girl from making the same mistakes that she did. Although this is the main storyline, several others intertwine, exposing the underside and hypocrisy of small town life. Next in line is definitely the plight of Allison's best friend, Selena Cross (Hope Lange), whose poverty-stricken existence isn't even the half of what goes on in her luckless life. Her despicable stepfather Lucas Cross (Arthur Kennedy, who at this stage in his career masterfully portrayed drunken lowlifes), rapes her (which results in a pregnancy which Selena later miscarries), and her mother Nelly (Betty Field), who also happens to be the MacKenzie's maid, discovers this and commits suicide. Betty Anderson (Terry Moore) is the town "fast girl" whose romantic liaisons set the community's tongues wagging, while Constance tries to fight her attraction to high school principal Mike Rossi (Lee Phillips), again afraid of history repeating itself. Betty loves Rodney Harrington, son of the most prominent family in town, and the two manage to marry before he goes off to battle in WWII.

Allison finds innocent love with Norman Page (Russ Tamblyn), which sets off her mother's suspicions. Distraught over Constance's revelation over the truth regarding her father, Allison angrily leaves Peyton Place for New York. Rodney dies in the war, Norman finally comes into his own with the war service (the incestuous relationship with his domineering mother is hinted at, but never expanded upon). The tug of war waged between mother and daughter comes full circle as does everything else when Selena murders her stepfather in self-defense, goes on trial, and so in a sense, does Peyton Place. During the climatic courtroom sequence, the town's secrets and faults are exposed. The wonderfully wistful narration by Varsi adds an air of poignancy. Mildred Dunnock, Lloyd Nolan, Leon Ames and Lorne Green also have notable roles. Director Mark Robson would go on to direct the 1967 film version of "Valley Of The Dolls", while Peyton Place would inspire a sequel book and film, as well as a primetime soap opera from 1964 to 1967.

A box-office smash upon its release in 1957, more than partly due, no doubt to the scandal which immediately followed the 1958 Oscars for which Turner, Varsi, Lange, Kennedy and Tamblyn received nominations for their performances in the film. Lana Turner's mobster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, was stabbed by her teenage daughter, Cheryl Crane, during a violent argument in which he threatened to kill Turner, as well as her mother and daughter. (Turner is wearing jewellery given to her by the mob figure in some scenes). Lana's testimony at Cheryl's trial was seen as a direct parallel to her performance as Constance in the courtroom scene in the movie, and in later years, Crane revealed that her mother's husband prior to her involvement with Stompanato, Lex Barker, was molesting her, another coincidence that did not go unnoticed by Crane when she first saw the movie. Author Metalious reportedly based both books on her own hometown, and the characters of Allison and Selena were apparently based on herself.

Not as explicit as the novel or as films of today, Peyton Place nevertheless is an intriguing, dramatic and watchable movie that definitely captures an earlier time, and it remains an interesting example of how art can imitate life.

The DVD: Commentary by Russ Tamblyn and Terry Moore (recorded separately, alas, so no interaction), on the flip side, AMC Backstory documentary on the filming, theatrical and teaser trailers, as well as the Photoplay Awards. April 22, 2008

Long and preachy

It's hard to believe that this preachy movie about life in a small New England town was nominated for one Oscar, let alone nine. I was not a big fan of the book of "Peyton Place" (more due to the bad writing than the content), but the movie takes everything that was remotely interesting in the book (the murder; the relationship between one of the locals and the new school principal, etc) and turns it into a 2 ½ hour sermon on why hypocrisy and gossip are wrong. All of the "shocking content" of the book has been toned down, presumably so as not to upset the more sensitive movie-going audiences (or the censors) and to make matters worse, the movie includes a voice over by Allison, a self-righteous teenager whom I think was meant to be based on the book's author, Grace Metalious, which is so sickeningly sentimental that I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or puke.

The acting is atrocious and melodramatic and I wonder what possessed the makers of this film to cast Lee Phillips as one of the romantic leads (the school principal). Phillips has a voice that makes him sound as though he has just inhaled helium, which is actually quite amusing, but not the least bit attractive.

This film is hopelessly dated, and an absolute ordeal to watch (my mother gave up after the first 45 minutes). I only recommend it to fans of the book or people interested in seeing how people thought back in 1957.
March 24, 2008

Garishly Overwrought Soap Opera

This is not a film that aged well. It might have been edgy iand salacious in its day, but contemporary audiences will find it melodramatic in an unintentionally funny manner...and full of cliches. Seriously, I was laughing out loud in parts that were meant to be serious.

I gave this two stars instead of just one because the performances were, for the most part, good. The only reason to watch this movie is to see where the expression, "Wow...[such-and-such] is becoming a regular Peyton Place!" February 24, 2008

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