{"id":58624,"date":"2020-12-20T11:31:01","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T18:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=58624"},"modified":"2023-10-31T22:50:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T05:50:20","slug":"summer-place-a-1959","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=58624","title":{"rendered":"Summer Place, A (1959)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Are you bad, Johnny? Have you been bad with girls?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-58625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster-674x1024.png 674w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Poster.png 725w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA self-made millionaire (Richard Egan) travels with his wife (Constance Ford) and daughter (Sandra Dee) to a summer resort run by Egan&#8217;s former flame (Dorothy McGuire), her alcoholic husband (Arthur Kennedy), and their son (Troy Donahue). Soon Egan and McGuire have rekindled their romance, and Dee and Donahue have fallen for one another &#8212; but will Ford&#8217;s prudish sensibilities and sinister plans to milk her husband for alimony ruin everyone&#8217;s chance for happiness?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arthur Kennedy Films<\/li>\n<li>Beulah Bondi Films<\/li>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Cross-Class Romance<\/li>\n<li>Delmer Daves Films<\/li>\n<li>Dorothy McGuire Films<\/li>\n<li>First Love<\/li>\n<li>Sandra Dee Films<\/li>\n<li>Teenagers<\/li>\n<li>Troy Donahue Films<\/li>\n<li>Virginity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary argues that this &#8220;first-rate trash about &#8216;we&#8217;ve gotta-be-<em>good<\/em>&#8216; young lovers&#8230; trying to find a refuge from their mixed up parents&#8221; is &#8220;lots of fun: it&#8217;s corny, there&#8217;s a lot of emphasis on sex, there&#8217;s hysteria.&#8221; He writes that &#8220;Dee and Donahue are a movie match made in camp heaven:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Couple-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and Ford is deliciously diabolical.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Ford-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, there is so much overwrought melodrama and laughable dialogue in this soaper it&#8217;s hard to know where to begin in a critique. For instance, abusive Ford subjects Dee to a full physical examination after she&#8217;s been shipwrecked for a night with Donahue, despite Dee crying out in agony: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I haven&#8217;t done anything wrong. I&#8217;ve been a good girl. I haven&#8217;t done anything wrong. Please, I want my father. No! No! No! I&#8217;ve been a good girl! No! No!&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-Crying-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Eventually, of course, Donahue and Dee&#8217;s love for one another transcends their parents&#8217; fruitless attempts to keep them apart and they land in the Ultimate Trouble. Meanwhile, Kennedy&#8217;s alcoholism continues to worsen: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Kennedy-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>while McGuire and Egan live out their newly validated romance in a Frank Lloyd Wright house by the shore. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Wright-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>How will everything work out for the young lovers? You&#8217;ll have to watch to see &#8212; but be forewarned that Max Steiner&#8217;s recognizable score will remain stuck in your head indefinitely. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fine Technicolor cinematography and location shooting<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Technicolor-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Mirror-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Egan-Malone-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-58636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee.png 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Summer-Place-Dee-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once, simply for its notoriety. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0053320\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1959\/10\/23\/archives\/summer-place-opens.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2217summ.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/16117\/a-summer-place#articles-reviews?articleId=362728\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_Ejt5HoqXHo\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Are you bad, Johnny? Have you been bad with girls?&#8221; Synopsis: A self-made millionaire (Richard Egan) travels with his wife (Constance Ford) and daughter (Sandra Dee) to a summer resort run by Egan&#8217;s former flame (Dorothy McGuire), her alcoholic husband (Arthur Kennedy), and their son (Troy Donahue). Soon Egan and McGuire have rekindled their romance, and Dee and Donahue have fallen for one another &#8212; but will Ford&#8217;s prudish sensibilities and sinister plans to milk her husband for alimony ruin&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=58624\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58624"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92912,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58624\/revisions\/92912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}