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This must have been a scandalous movie in 59

posted 17 years ago by texan_176
3 replies | jump to latest

Until I saw this I thought Peyton Place was the ultimate scandalous film but I could have been wrong. How Molly's dad is okay with her having a boyfriend in Johnny seemed more of a weapon to piss off this wife than anything else. Richard gets angry when he learns it has gone too far yet the next day he is okay with it towards the end of the film. I just think it might have been too progressive for the time in which it was made.

Oh, Dorothy McGuire was awesome in this film but home come she had aged so much between this film and the 1954 Three Coins in the Fountain. She looked like she was in her late 20s in the 54 production but in this one she looked her actual mid 40s age. In any case, her deep blue eyes were hauntingly captivating. The scene where Richard first kisses Sylvia after 20 years in the attic was very powerful. You feel for Sylvia the most and want to see her happy at the end of the film more than anyone else.

All of the main players in the film except Molly had blue or hazel eye color. Was the director looking to make some subtle point about how Molly is the misfit that is transitioning into a sexually mature adult and how that is what ultimately causes so much conflict that subsequently leads to all sorts dirty laundry coming out from all of the characters?

[–] rrivera192 12 years ago

Why were they in the attic for 20 years?

[–] luverofmovies 12 years ago

I doubt the Sandra Dee brown eye color meant anything. Producers were just going for teenage box office appeal of that day and Troy and Sandra were it then. The rest of the cast having blue, green, or hazel eyes was just a coincidence. Movie makers went for top talent for the older actors, especially the always lovely Dorothy McGuire and the great-in-anything Arthur Kennedy.

Always thought "the talk" to the young girl, not "the talk" with the young male was so 1950's. Guess anything sexual that happened with young teens in those days was always the girl's responsibility. I know she was the one who could get pregnant, but any baby that might come along was also his responsibility, hopefully love, etc., same as hers.

[–] ilahilda 12 years ago

I just watched this movie for the first time, I have always loved the theme song by Percy Faith. I agree, I'm sure it raised eyebrows back then, it was pretty liberal dialouge for it's time.