Peyton Place (1957)

Peyton Place (1957)

Small town life and sex are themes in this long well known soap opera based on the novel from housewife Grace Metalious. I only knew the reputation of this film and its Oscar nominated story until it premiered on TCM in late 2004 when it was shown for the first time in 30 years (due to legal entanglements).

It features several interweaving story-lines including Hope Lange as the daughter of white trash drunkard Arthur Kennedy (looking a lot like Kiefer Sutherland); the beautiful Diane Varsi is her best friend & the daughter of Lana Turner a sexually repressed woman withdrawn from the community as she hides her wicked secret; Russ Tamblyn a shy friend of Varsi’s that is dominated by his mother; Barry Coe plays a son struggling to meet the expectations of his father (Leon Ames) a successful businessman in the community as he dates "bad girl" Terry Moore; and Lee Philips as the new principal at the school with some progressive ideas for the small conservative community. The town’s doctor provides the voice reason played to perfection by Lloyd Nolan who delivers some of the film’s best moments in the title town where everyone knows everything about everybody through gossip. The story is told in part with narration from Varsi’s character as the writer who presumably wrote it. Lorne Greene (from TV’s Bonanza series) also appears but to tell you his role would be to reveal too much too soon.

Oscar nominations were received for Best Picture Best Director (Mark Robson his first of two) Turner (Best Actress) Lange & Varsi (Supporting Actress) Kennedy & Tamblyn (Supporting Actor) and Cinematography.

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