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A Summer Place (1959)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
18 November 1959 (USA)
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Plot:
A self-made businessman rekindles a romance with a former flame while their two teenage children begin a romance of their own with drastic consequences for both couples. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
3 wins
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Old Troy Network
(From New York Post. 26 January 2009, 11:21 PM, PST)
Actress Sandra Dee Dies at 62
(From IMDb News. 21 February 2005)
(From New York Post. 26 January 2009, 11:21 PM, PST)
Actress Sandra Dee Dies at 62
(From IMDb News. 21 February 2005)
User Comments:
One of the first and best teen love stories ever!!!!!
more (52 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Richard Egan | ... | Ken Jorgenson | |
| Dorothy McGuire | ... | Sylvia Hunter | |
| Sandra Dee | ... | Molly Jorgenson | |
| Arthur Kennedy | ... | Bart Hunter | |
| Troy Donahue | ... | Johnny Hunter | |
| Constance Ford | ... | Helen Jorgenson | |
| Beulah Bondi | ... | Mrs. Emily Hamilton Hamble | |
| Jack Richardson | ... | Claude Andrews | |
| Martin Eric | ... | Todd Harper, Handyman at Pine Island Inn |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
130 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
UK:A (cut) |
West Germany:12 (f) (cut version) |
West Germany:18 (f) (original version) |
Finland:K-16 |
Sweden:15 |
USA:Approved (certificate #19324)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The house where Ken (Richard Egan) and Sylvia (Dorothy McGuire) lived toward the end of the film is an actual private residence that was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1948. It still stands today on Scenic Road in Carmel-by-the-Sea and is a prime feature in local tours.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Molly is getting ready to go Christmas shopping with her mother, her mother begins to zip up the back of her dress. Molly breaks away and runs to bed to get letters, argues with her mother, still with her dress unzipped. When she runs to fireplace to burn the letters, her dress is zipped.
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Quotes:
Molly Jorgenson:
They came just in time, we better cool off.
Johnny Hunter: Why?
Molly Jorgenson: Because I'm afraid...
Johnny Hunter: Of me?
Molly Jorgenson: [shakes head no]
Johnny Hunter: Of yourself?
Molly Jorgenson: Yes. That and some other new feelings that I can't explain.
Johnny Hunter: Are you angry because...
Molly Jorgenson: No. We've gotta be good Johnny.
Johnny Hunter: Good... Is it that easy to be good?
[...]
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Johnny Hunter: Why?
Molly Jorgenson: Because I'm afraid...
Johnny Hunter: Of me?
Molly Jorgenson: [shakes head no]
Johnny Hunter: Of yourself?
Molly Jorgenson: Yes. That and some other new feelings that I can't explain.
Johnny Hunter: Are you angry because...
Molly Jorgenson: No. We've gotta be good Johnny.
Johnny Hunter: Good... Is it that easy to be good?
[...]
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Soundtrack:
Molly and Johnny Theme
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FAQ
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This is one of the first films to deal with young love, and is by all means one of the best! The story centers primarily on Molly and Johnny, two teenagers who are deeply, madly, and wildly in love, but their parents just won't have it. It seems their parents are willing to do just about everything to keep them apart. Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue are both magnificent as the star-crossed lovers. All right, so Troy seems a little stilted at times, but Sandra is perfection as the beautiful young girl who constantly finds herself at odds with her eagerness to do the right thing, and fulfilling her love for Donahue. Dee hits all the right marks as the emotionally troubled girl, delivering what is possibly her all-time best performance. It was certainly a breakthrough for the gifted young star who proved that she could do more than play smiling, giggling, relentlessly perky teens. It's a magnificent achievement, and anyone who has ever doubted Sandra's acting abilities are in for a big surprise when they see her in this film. Other acting honors go to Richard Egan and Constance Ford as Dee's unhappy parents, and the always marvellous Dorothy McGuire as Egan's old flame. That's not to say that the actors don't stumble at times with some supremely silly dialogue, but their star power and great talent rides rather smoothly over the film's bumpy spots, making this film an enjoyable classic of the teenage-angst genre. It's also one of the most stylishly done films in the genre. The great director Delmer Daves gives the film his full attention, and it's a sleek, colorful production that ranks right up there with other films with similarly-related themes like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS for example. It all may seem rather dated, but truthfully, this film is just as enjoyable now as it was when it was first released in 1959, and that title theme is still hauntingly beautiful and memorable.