Verão 42 (1971)

During his summer vacation on Nantucket Island in 1942, a youth eagerly awaiting his first sexual encounter finds himself developing an innocent love for a young woman awaiting news on her soldier husband's fate in WWII.

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writer:

Herman Raucher

Stars:

Jennifer O'Neill, Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jennifer O'Neill	...	Dorothy
Gary Grimes	...	Hermie
Jerry Houser	...	Oscy
Oliver Conant	...	Benjie
Katherine Allentuck	...	Aggie
Christopher Norris	...	Miriam
Lou Frizzell	...	Druggist

Storyline

Silent as a painting, the movie shows us day-dreamer Hermie and his friends Oscy and Benjie spending the summer of '42 on an US island with their parents - rather unaffected by WWII. While Oscy's main worries are the when and how of getting laid, Hermie honestly falls in love with the older Dorothy, who's married to an army pilot. When her husband returns to the front, Hermie shyly approaches her.

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Plot Keywords:

summer vacation | teen angst | coming of age | world war two | obsession | 

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Taglines:

In everyone's life there's a...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

M/18

Did You Know?

Trivia

originally banned in Ireland when first released in 1971 because the hermie character is shown buying contraceptives from a drugstore whilst under aged (contraception was banned in Ireland in the 1970s until 1980). it was eventually released theatrically in Ireland in 1980 (uncut).

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Goofs

After Hermie get the ice cream cone from the druggist, they converse for some time, yet the ice cream never seems to melt despite it being summer.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: [voice-over] When I was 15 and my family came to the island for the summer, there weren't as many houses or people as they are now. The geography of the island and the singularity of the sea were far more noticeable then. And if a guy wasn't to die of loneliness, this family made certain that other families from his neighborhood contributed other kids to the island. Present with me in the summer of '42 were Oscy, my best friend. And Benji, my next best friend. We called ourselves ...

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Connections

References Vidas Nocturnas (1940)

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Soundtracks

Theme from Summer of '42
(The Summer Knows)
Composed by Michel Legrand
Played several times throughout the film

User Reviews

Classic, timeless

I first saw this movie on TV as a teenager in the 70s. One or two of my sisters may have been watching too, and it was somewhat embarrassing when the intimate scene with Hermie and Dorothy came out, but I wasn't about to turn my head as I enjoyed the movie as a whole. My parents were never that strict on us so I didn't have that worry.

This movie tugs at the emotions. The impossible relationship with the beautiful older woman. The camaraderie with friends during that age. It's also interesting how 15 year old girls were made to appear so immature and unsexy, like when the 3 boys had dates and were standing in a movie line. Everything points to the thrill of that older woman relationship. I was just wanting that to happen for Herbie, and when it did... wow. Some of the situations were humorous, like when Herbie tries to buy rubbers at the dime store. Just all in all a great story, one I can watch again and again. I give it 8 out of 10 stars. This one is easily in my top 250.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1972 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Verão 42

Filming Locations:

Fort Bragg, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1