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A Summer Place (1959)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
3/23
3/23:
In the spirit of Douglas Sirk's films Magnificent Obsession,
All That Heaven Allows, and
Written on the Wind, A Summer Place brings the most out of melodrama
in the worst way possible.
As compelling as the storylines are on top of the contradictions, overreactions, and laughable dialogues, Delmer Daves
makes the fatal mistake of not following them through. Hence, it's been a lot of work on my part to be invested in
the unfolding of the drama without getting rewarded at the end. The most prominent example is Constance Ford as the wicked
stepmother whose container is filled with zero goodness.
Constance Ford controlled the situation for a long while and then, all of a sudden, was dropped. I thought at that point
she got shut out of a possible Oscar nomination. The other one is the forbidden relationship between Ken Jorgenson and
Sylvia Hunter. Although well-developed, it stops being a story, having been faded away in the background.
All left is Molly Jorgenson who's played wonderfully well by Sandra Dee. It's impossible to overlook her. In the shadow of
Constance Ford, she dominates the picture with the best shots possible: left, right, top, and bottom that are replete with her
blond hair and lovely face. Unfortunately, Sandra Dee is paired with the most bland, wooden actor possible in a
romantic picture: Troy Donahue. He's boring and uninteresting. Hence, it's too bad that Alain Delon wasn't instead cast.
Whenever I see the ugly cinematography (which was shot on location in California, not Maine), I can't help but think how
it was done much better at Big Sur in Vincente Minnelli's The Sandpiper with
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Then, there are Douglas Sirk's pictures when he knew how to bring out the colors
which played an immense role in the shaping of the melodrama. Unfortunately, Delmer Daves missed out on this crucial
element big time.
All in all, if you're hungry for more pictures that are along the lines of Douglas Sirk's style, A Summer Place
will do.