Summer Flight (1963)

Mike, a famed racing driver and an old flame of hers, is worried that Laura may be ill. Tricking her into a doctor's examination, she discovers she is; a brain operation to remove a tumor ... See full summary »

Director:

Daniel Petrie (as Daniel M. Petrie)

Writers:

George Emerson Brewer Jr. (play), Bertram Bloch (play)

Stars:

Susan Hayward, Michael Craig, Diane Baker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Susan Hayward	...	Laura Pember
Michael Craig	...	Dr. John Carmody
Diane Baker	...	Ellen
Edward Judd	...	Mike Bannerman
Paul Rogers	...	Dr. Eric McKenzie
Robert Bacon	...	Peter
Paul Stassino	...	Dalporto
Jerry Desmonde	...	Colonel
Ellen McIntosh	...	Miss Kendall
Gwen Nelson	...	Hospital Sister
Peter Madden	...	Reynolds
Joan Young
Joan Newell	...	Mrs. Hewitt
Chet Baker	...	Himself

Storyline

Mike, a famed racing driver and an old flame of hers, is worried that Laura may be ill. Tricking her into a doctor's examination, she discovers she is; a brain operation to remove a tumor is performed and her symptoms disappear. All isn't well, however, but she is unaware of it, and she and her doctor fall in love. Finding out she is not actually cured, Laura renounces her new love and goes back to her old "jet-set" ways wasting the time she has left until a racing accident shows her how important the hours she has left are.

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Plot Keywords:

automobile racing | terminal illness | melodrama | brain tumor | based on play | 

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Taglines:

Do you know what they say about Laura Pember...? They say she uses men like pep-up pills!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Summer Flight

Filming Locations:

Fowey, Cornwall, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barbican Films, The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Also titled "Stolen Hours"

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Goofs

In the garden scene with Laura, her sister Ellen, Mike & John, Ellen and Mike have a scene where they are looking at Laura and they move closely together, almost touching. The camera immediately changes to a distance shot with all four people in it, and now Ellen and Mark area almost 2 feet apart.

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Connections

Version of Ponds Theater: Dark Victory (1954)

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Soundtracks

Stolen Hours
Music by Mort Lindsey
Lyrics by Marilyn Bergman (as Marilyn Keith) and Alan Bergman

User Reviews

Terrific film!

Perhaps I am too much of a fan of Susan Hayward to be objective, but this film, which I saw when I was a nineteen-year-old sophomore in college, was one of the most memorable films I have seen. It was definitely a "chick flick" and my friends and I, needing a break from studying, went to see it only because there was nothing else playing. The film's emotional impact caught me off guard. I remember walking out of the theater after seeing the film. I recall walking into the damp San Jose, California night and feeling the pleasure ordinary sensations at a much more intense level - the cold fog against my face, the street lights reflected off of the wet streets, the sound of my footsteps on the sidewalk - the appreciation of each moment of life. Perhaps some would say Hayward was too old for the part. But Hawyard, as she had demonstrated over and over again (e.g. I Want to Live), could carry a film on the power of her acting. And at 45, she was still a knock out - even in the eyes of a 19-year old. Like many great actresses, she overacted. If you could accept it and allow her to draw you in, you could experience her character at a deeper emotional level than you would ever enjoy had she been held back by a director who did not appreciate her artistry. I highly recommend this film. I would, however, recommend that the film be viewed on a big screen. The cinematography is an important part of the film and it cannot be appreciated on a TV screen. Two other fabulous actresses did this story: Betty Davis in the original Dark Victory, and Elizabeth Montgomery in an excellent made-for-TV piece made, as I recall, in the 1980's. Both were fantastic. But I believe that you will find Susan Hayward's interpretation to be more compelling.