Review of A Summer Place (1959) by Frank A — 12 Mar 2016

An over-long, soap opera style film with some bad acting but memorable music.

The "good" characters (Sylvia Hunter, John Hunter, Ken Jorgenson and Molly Jorgenson) must look perfect and have perfect hair, with barely a strand out of place. When Molly and Johnny get into strife on the sailing boat, Molly (Sandra Dee) seems more concerned about keeping her bleached and permed hair in place than saving herself or Johnny.

The romance between Johnny and Molly is poorly developed and, as the characters have little chance to get to know each other as people, is based more on lust than love. Their subsequent marriage, brought on by Molly's pregnancy, is justified in the film because Molly's father and Johnny's mother apparently had a similar romance together in their youth, and lived through two decades of misery by marrying other partners whom they did not love .

With the exaggerated lines and sometimes wooden acting performances (Arthur Kennedy being a notable exception), the film is more like the first few episodes of a soap opera than a movie. I could easily imagine it continuing on the island when Molly has the baby and Johnny's eyes wander. Nevertheless, in terms of the controversial themes it touches on, it is more indicative of the '60s than the '50s, and thus ahead of its time.