A Summer Place (1959)
Want to see how much times have changed? Drag this one-time blockbuster from 1959 out of mothballs and give a spin!
There’s a reason A Summer Place is best-remembered for its musical theme and not for its plot or acting. The subject matter is sex… middle-age sex and teen-age sex. And like most films from that time period, it wants to give you all the dirty details with a heaping dose of hypocritical moralizing.
The first half of the film is about an adulterous affair between Richard Eagan and Dorothy Malone at a summer resort in Maine that’s owned by Malone’s ne’er-do-well husband (Arthur Kennedy). Eagan’s wife (Constance Ford) is a cold, social-climbing shrew who refuses to have sex with her husband and attempts to stifle the budding sexuality of her daughter, played by “Look at me, I’m” Sandra Dee.
In Hollywood, when they want you to root for the adulterers, they always give them terrible spouses. Malone’s husband is an alcoholic (from a time when addiction was seen as a moral failing) and Egan’s wife is also a gold-digger. So like we said, what marriage vows?
Anyway, Egan used to be a lifeguard in this resort town, but Malone dumped him for the then-richer Kennedy. Now, the tables have turned and Eagan’s a millionaire. So, remind us why Malone is not a gold-digger and Eagan’s wife is.
Anyway, the affair doesn’t stay secret for long and A Summer Place is left with half a movie to fill, so the story shifts abruptly to the “forbidden romance” between Sandra Dee and Dorothy Malone’s son, Troy Donahue.
They are both “good kids,” which was 1950’s Hollywood-speak for virgins. But they decide to consummate their relationship and of course, Sandra Dee pays for this transgression by immediately getting pregnant.
Anyway, there’s an actual house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that figures into this part of the plot and all of the sexual shenanigans take place off-screen.
It’s all just an excuse to look at some gorgeous scenery (with California standing in for Maine) and hear Max Steiner’s “Theme from ‘A Summer Place’,” which went to #1 in 1959 and has become something of a standard.
For some reason, this film is a sentimental favorite for some. Clips from it appear in the film Diner (1982) and the Lois and Clark TV series in the 90s.
And as mentioned, Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue were immortalized in that song from Grease. Oh, their mother and father have also become their mother- and father-in-law at the fade out. No one mentions this.
If you want a trip back to a time when Americans wanted sex in their movies, but still needed to be scolded about it, make A Summer Place part of your summer movie-viewing.
We talk quite a bit about essential rock albums every self-respecting Baby Boomer should own, but in this age of giant flat screen TVs and surround sound systems, let’s take a look at 10 Rock & Roll DVDs that should be in your collection!
A Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles) – It all starts here. With this low budget, black & white movie, the Fab Four (and director Richard Lester) completely rewrote the rules of what a rock film should be. Generally credited with creating the art form that came to be known as the music video.
- Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads) – Director Jonathan Demme captures the Talking Heads at their very peak and has the good sense not to overwhelm the movie audience with a lot of flashy camera work. Instead, he keeps his shots and editing tight and lets the band overwhelm you. The film also pioneered digital audio, so the music sounds amazing.
- The TAMI Show (James Brown, Rolling Stones & others) – Shot on a shoestring budget with TV cameras, the low-def film is still a “must-have.” Not only does it capture what many feel is James Brown’s best film/video performance, it also includes an amazing array of Hall of Fame talent like Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, and so many more. As icing on the cake, they all join together at the concert’s close.
- Black & White Night (Roy Orbison) – While we’re talking all-star line-ups, in 1999, a truly impressive back-up band was assembled to accompany Roy Orbison in the very intimate setting of L.A.’s Coconut Grove nightclub. Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, J.D. Souther, Jennifer Warnes, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits join Roy as he roars through 17 classic songs (including one written by Elvis Costello that still uncannily sounds like it was something Roy must have recorded in the early 60s). The sound on this show is so good, you’ll swear you are in the room with them.
- Monterey Pop (Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, The Who & more) – D.A. Pennebaker had already established his reputation as a documentary filmmaker without peer when he captured the very first rock festival. This show was a breakthrough moment for 3 of the acts: Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and The Who, but it also featured a solid line-up of musical talent, immortalized in Eric Burdon and the Animals' song, “Monterey.”
- The Reunion Concert (Everly Brothers) – In September of 1983, Don and Phil Everly, two of rock’s real founding fathers, played their first live gig together in ten years. They chose London’s Royal Albert Hall because their popularity had never waned in the UK. The resulting show was magic and captured on video for an HBO special. As the boys’ harmony influenced so many other rockers from the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel to others, this is a show you won’t want to miss.
- Farewell Tour 1 (The Eagles) – If record sales are any indication, the Eagles may be the most popular band America has ever produced. While the band has often been accused of not presenting the most dynamic stage show, this 2-DVD set presents every song you could ever want to hear them play, all performed exceedingly well. They also include a generous helping of solo hits by band members Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Joe Walsh.
- London Calling: Live at Hyde Park (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) – Bruce is justly famous as one of the greatest live performers of his generation. His marathon shows also reshaped rock concerts, forcing other acts to play longer and harder just to try and keep up. The Boss has several concerts available on home video, but this one comes closest to giving you the actual experience of being at one of his shows. The E Street Band (definitely the world’s greatest bar band) begins playing in the afternoon sun in England, but concludes long after dark has fallen.
- The Last Waltz (The Band) – When Bob Dylan’s former backup band decided to call it quits, director Martin Scorsese was tapped to film the group’s farewell show in New York. Joining the group for their swan song was a most impressive guest list that included Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and Ronnie Wood.
- The Kids Are Alright (The Who) – Rounding out our Top 10 is this documentary about England’s classic hard rockers. Capturing 13 years of the band’s performances and assembled just before Keith Moon’s passing, the video captures the unique balancing act between self-destruction and majesty that was the Who in their prime.
Some things to check before you downsize to the retirement condo you think might be perfect:
- Check if the condo association dues have increased from year to year
- Determine if most of the units are owner-occupied and not rentals
- Ask about any plans for any big infrastructure projects planned for the future – and how they’re supposed to be paid for
- Ask if they have a reserve fund and how that fund is invested
Believe it or not, red peppers – which are green peppers that have been allowed to ripen fully. They contain more nutrients, like beta-carotene and Vitamin C than their little green brothers.