A peaceful New England town hides secrets and scandals.A peaceful New England town hides secrets and scandals.A peaceful New England town hides secrets and scandals.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- John Michael Hayes(screenplay)
- Grace Metalious(from the novel by)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- John Michael Hayes(screenplay)
- Grace Metalious(from the novel by)
- Stars
- Nominated for 9 Oscars
- 2 wins & 17 nominations total
Videos1
- Director
- Writers
- John Michael Hayes(screenplay)
- Grace Metalious(from the novel by)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome of the shots of the New England fall were shot for The Trouble with Harry (1955).
- GoofsAll of the women's hair styles and clothing are strictly 1957, not 1941.
- Quotes
Betty Anderson: [to the other girls, while she's trying on a revealing red dress in Mrs. MacKenzie's shop] Just remember: men can see much better than they can think. Believe me, a low-cut neckline does more for a girl's future than the entire Britannica encyclopedia.
- Alternate versions(Spoiler) Originally premiered at 162 minutes. Cut by 5 minutes, shortly after premiere, reputedly in the scene involving the murder of Arthur Kennedy's character.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years (1997)
- SoundtracksWonderful Season of Love (Theme from Peyton Place)
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Waxman
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
[Sung by chorus over closing credits]
Top review
Sentimentality Meets Sensationalism
Grace Metalious' explosive best-selling novel is given the Hollywood treatment in 1957's "Peyton Place". Devoid of so much of the nonsense that has been known to permeate other melodramas, "Peyton Place" is a beautifully filmed, effective film that uncovers the hidden scandals of a quaint, New England town. With fine acting, score and cinematography, this screen classic translates well from its literary heritage. And the film's unraveling of the town's secrets is handled well - building up like a ball of snow as each successive scandal is unearthed.
We meet the townspeople from the point-of-view of Allison Mackenzie(Diane Varsi), the sweet and sheltered daughter of Constance(Lana Turner). Constance struggles to be a good mother and community member, while rebuffing the advances of handsome school principal, Michael Rossi(Lee Philips). On the other side of the tracks live Constance's housekeeper whose daughter, Selena(Hope Lange), struggles as a victim of abuse by her own step-father. In the midst of these primary plots are several other tales revolving around sex, love and the war. No one is immune to the reveal of secrets, which have a domino effect all across town.
"Peyton Place" shook the foundation of Hollywood's censorship board by exposing such taboo topics as sexual abuse and abortion, but not once does it come off as exploitative. On the contrary, the film is firmly grounded in emotion and genuine feeling. And while the movie straddles the line of good taste, a plot involving the war effort and its effect on the young men of Peyton Place proves to be profound. Lana Turner does her job well as the repressed mother. In fact, heated passion can be sensed underneath her aloof, icy-cold exterior - a chill factor even more effective 2 years later in "Imitation of Life". And the incredibly good-looking Lee Philip is a perfect match the screen beauty. But it is really with the sensitive performances of Diane Varsi and Hope Lange that this film gains its legs. And Lloyd Nolan cannot be overlooked as the town's warm-hearted doctor. "Peyton Place" could have been a heaving, overblown showcase, but instead made its way into becoming an important melodrama that has stood the test of time.
We meet the townspeople from the point-of-view of Allison Mackenzie(Diane Varsi), the sweet and sheltered daughter of Constance(Lana Turner). Constance struggles to be a good mother and community member, while rebuffing the advances of handsome school principal, Michael Rossi(Lee Philips). On the other side of the tracks live Constance's housekeeper whose daughter, Selena(Hope Lange), struggles as a victim of abuse by her own step-father. In the midst of these primary plots are several other tales revolving around sex, love and the war. No one is immune to the reveal of secrets, which have a domino effect all across town.
"Peyton Place" shook the foundation of Hollywood's censorship board by exposing such taboo topics as sexual abuse and abortion, but not once does it come off as exploitative. On the contrary, the film is firmly grounded in emotion and genuine feeling. And while the movie straddles the line of good taste, a plot involving the war effort and its effect on the young men of Peyton Place proves to be profound. Lana Turner does her job well as the repressed mother. In fact, heated passion can be sensed underneath her aloof, icy-cold exterior - a chill factor even more effective 2 years later in "Imitation of Life". And the incredibly good-looking Lee Philip is a perfect match the screen beauty. But it is really with the sensitive performances of Diane Varsi and Hope Lange that this film gains its legs. And Lloyd Nolan cannot be overlooked as the town's warm-hearted doctor. "Peyton Place" could have been a heaving, overblown showcase, but instead made its way into becoming an important melodrama that has stood the test of time.
helpful•283
- Michael27-1
- Aug 4, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Jerry Wald's Production of Peyton Place
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $25,600,000
- Runtime2 hours 37 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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