(1959)
3
Craig Butler
Propelled by a certain degree of infamy (due to its stand on sexual matters), an attractive pair of young lovers and a theme song that for a while was pretty near inescapable, A Summer Place was a big hit upon its initial release. Seen today, it's pretty tame stuff, and modern audiences will laugh at some of the soapier moments (as well as some of sappier moments, usually given to Troy Donahue and/or Sandra Dee). Still, there's enough to A Summer Place to make it consistently enjoyable. Delmer Daves has directed slickly and stylishly, and there's some good over-the-top fun from the wicked Constance Ford. Indeed, the cast in general makes the film worth watching. Donahue can't really overcome a great deal of his material, but Dee does very well and in her centerpiece "examination" scene is exceptional. Richard Egan also does a fine job, even making the bluntly written "this is what the film is really all about" speeches work as well as can be expected. Even better are Arthur Kennedy and a gorgeous Dorothy McGuire who bring much more skill to their roles than is necessary, and Beulah Bondi, who seems to relish the rare opportunity of playing a member of the upper class. They're all shown off to their best visual advantage via Harry Stradling's yummy cinematography, which by itself is almost enough to make the viewer forgive the screenplay for its strained stretches.
A Summer Place on AllMovie
A Summer Place (1959)
