Review of The Long, Hot Summer (1958) by Peter P — 03 Dec 2011

You shut a door in a man's face before he ever knocks on it.

Ben Quick is an accused con man and barn burner. In the south, these are serious accusations. He travels the countryside as a hitch hiker until he encounters a small town and settles down for work. As he is beginning work he also meets a beautiful young lady he would like to settle down with. She is not a fan of his but her eccentric and stubborn father may prefer Quick over the daughter's choices. The young lady's father will manipulate the situation to try to get quick to marry his daughter and provide him with grandchildren.

"What's a man do for work around here?".

"Honest or dishonest?".

"What's open?".

Martin Ritt, director of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Hombre, Norma Rae, and the Black Orchid, delivers A Long Hot Summer. The storyline for this film is interesting and the script and delivery of the characters is awesome. The cast delivers remarkable performances and includes Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Orson Welles, Richard Anderson, and Angela Lansbury.

"Who says wedding aren't made in heaven?".

"Hell wouldn't have this one.".

I have become a fan of Paul Newman's old films and thought this would be a worthwhile movie to DVR this past summer. I finally got around to watching it and I was thoroughly impressed by every interaction between Newman and Woodward. This is a marvelous movie that is definitely worth your time and perhaps even adding to your DVD collection.

"I have a reputation for being a dangerous man.".

Grade: A.