A Summer Place

Although savaged by many critics, this 1959 adaptation of Sloan Wilson's bestselling novel hit a receptive chord with audiences, and its memorable theme music (composed by Max Steiner) became a hit single that is still included in oldies collections. Essentially, this is a sloppy, soapy story with familiar 1950s players. Vacationing millionaire Richard Egan and wife Constance Ford bring teenaged daughter Sandra Dee to a small island off the coast of Maine, where he worked as a lifeguard some 20 years before, and also had a torrid affair with sensitive Dorothy McGuire, who has since married impoverished land owner Arthur Kennedy. Old passions reignite, one thing leads to another, and divorces ensue. But the real focus is on the budding romance between Dee and Troy Donahue, playing McGuire's son, a relationship that has all the corny complications one expects from glossy tearjerkers. Still, Dee and Donahue make a beautiful couple, and McGuire is appropriately sorrowful as the long-suffering mother. Boasting a fine transfer, but only a trailer as an extra, this is a strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)