Peyton Place (1957)

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Grace Metalious (from the novel by)

Release Date:

3 March 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Now all of it is on the screen!

Plot:

A peaceful New England town hides secrets and scandals.

Plot Keywords:

Stepfather | Secret | High School | Village | Coming Of Age

Awards:

Nominated for 9 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Constance MacKenzie
Lee Philips	...	Michael Rossi
Lloyd Nolan	...	Dr. Swain
Arthur Kennedy	...	Lucas Cross
Russ Tamblyn	...	Norman Page
Terry Moore	...	Betty Anderson
Hope Lange	...	Selena Cross
Diane Varsi	...	Allison MacKenzie
David Nelson	...	Ted Carter
Barry Coe	...	Rodney Harrington
Betty Field	...	Nellie Cross
Mildred Dunnock	...	Miss Elsie Thornton
Leon Ames	...	Mr. Harrington
Lorne Greene	...	Prosecutor
Robert H. Harris	...	Seth Bushwell
Tami Conner	...	Margie
Staats Cotsworth	...	Charles Partridge
Peg Hillias	...	Marion Partridge
Erin O'Brien-Moore	...	Mrs. Evelyn Page
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adler	...	Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Jim Brandt	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Edith Clair	...	Miss Colton (uncredited)
John Doucette	...	Army Sergeant (uncredited)
Tom Greenway	...	Judge (uncredited)
Edwin Jerome	...	Cory Hyde (uncredited)
Kip King	...	Pee Wee (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Bill Lundmark	...	Paul Cross (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	White Hall Inn Bar Patron (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)
Scotty Morrow	...	Joseph 'Joey' Cross (uncredited)
Audrey Preisendorf	...	Extra (Parade) (uncredited)
Vernon Preisendorf	...	Extra (Parade) (uncredited)
Alan Reed Jr.	...	Matt (uncredited)
Steffi Sidney	...	Kathy (uncredited)
Alfred Tonkel	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Guest at Whitehall Inn (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits
John Michael Hayes		(screenplay)
Grace Metalious		(from the novel by)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor		(director of photography) (as William Mellor)

Film Editing by
David Bretherton		(film editor)
James B. Clark		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Jack Martin Smith
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Bertram C. Granger		(set decorations) (as Bertram Granger)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Adele Palmer		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Buddy King	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director
Jack Gertsman	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank Moran	....	sound
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound
Don Isaacs	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Jim Leppert	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Bates Mason	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
James Mitchell	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	executive wardrobe designer (as Charles LeMaire)
Adene Henderson	....	costumes: women (uncredited)
Frank Roberts	....	costumes: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant
Lyman Hallowell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Arthur Grinnell	....	musicians coordinator: marching band (uncredited)

Other crew
Curtis Harrington	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Fred Perkins	....	dialectician (uncredited)
Helen Thackery	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox) (A CinemaScope Picture)
• Jerry Wald Productions (as Jerry Wald Productions, Inc.)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• 20th Century Fox (1958) (France) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• ClassicLine (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

157 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | UK:15 | Canada:14A (video rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #18628) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Singapore:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Belfast, Maine, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The real life murder of star Lana Turner's mobster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato by Turner's daughter was later fictionalized in the movie Where Love Has Gone (1964), also scripted by "Peyton Place" writer John Michael Hayes.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Mike Rossi and Dr. Swain are driving in a car and they come to a stop sign. The sign is red. All stop signs were yellow (with little round glass reflectors in the letters) in the 1940s (the time of this picture) and stop signs were not changed to red until the mid 1950s.

Quotes:

Mr. Harrington:This job starts at 3,000 a year.
Michael Rossi:Then we're all wasting our time. That's only $5 a week more than I was making as a teacher, Mr. Harrington
Mr. Harrington:But this offers you security -- a long term contract.
Michael Rossi:Guaranteed poverty is not security.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Jack Benny Program: Modern Prison Sketch (#12.25)" (1962)

Soundtrack:

Keep Your Sunny Side Up

Picturesque Character Study of the Emotional Life of Small Town USA

Peyton Place is a great and realistic observation of human behavior taken in the context of when and where it was written, no matter how shocking truth may appear. After years of medical practice, I have lived many experiences not unlike that of Dr. Swain in this novel/movie. I saw "Peyton Place" for the first time in my late forties as part of a CineClub presentation. I grew up naively in a small North East farm town in the late 50's. My grand uncle was our local Country Doctor. I was frightened if not scandalized by the big city lifestyle when I moved to the city to attend medical school. He assured me that "we" had the same "scandals" in our community, it was just "hidden or kept secret". In all honesty, I had already witnessed some of these issues as they shook my own family of origin. Later, I returned to practice in a rural town. As I got closer to the native citizens, I discovered many secrets, secrets not unlike some of the tragic events that took Peyton Place by storm. As I grew older (and hopefully wiser), I realized that each town has their own "Peyton Place". It's all around us, it's is part of our human nature, part of it is in each one of us. Mrs. Metalious, the author of this great novel, paid the price of her own honesty with her life. This novel and the movie that it is based on, have to be taken in the time context it was created. Unfortunately, many of these events are still taking place around us today. I have witnessed them through my interaction with many patients and friends. Love, lust, passion, ambition, greed, envy... are all basic instincts that drive us through the meanders of life, some leading us to good outcomes others to tragedy. I recently returned from our occupation in Iraq where I was severely injured in combat, ending my career as a physician. I saw the best and also the worst of what man can do to mankind. I witnessed many issues that I saw in Peyton Place, only on a larger scale. Peyton Place bears witness to a part of the world we live in, it is in all of us. The events taking place in her youth were the source of Grace Metalious' novel and shaped the course of her story. I highly recommend this movie, it is part of history, our American history, good or bad. Finally, I greatly appreciate all the viewers that take time to share their opinion about movies with the readers through IMDb's Comments Place. May God or your "Higher Power" bless you all, GLN.