PEYTON PLACE
US, 1957, 155 minutes, Colour.
Lana Turner, Hope Lange, Lee Philips, Lloyd Nolan, Arthur Kennedy, Russ Tamblyn, Diane Varsi, Terry Moore, Betty Field, Mildred Dunnock, Leon Ames.
Directed by Mark Robson.
Peyton Place was probably the big bad bestselling novel of the 50s. It was written by Grace Metallious. Naturally, there was eager anticipation for a film version - the big, bad, big budgeted style of soap opera. As it turned out, the film was very well made and many audiences enjoyed it. Grace Metallious' lurid tone was toned down somewhat under the direction of Mark Robson who also made such films as From the Terrace and The Valley of the Dolls. Twentieth Century Fox gave the film a big budget and running time, widescreen and colour and quite a wide ranging star cast.
The film was nominated for many Oscars as indeed were many of the cast. Lana Turner is quite at home in the central role - this role was later re-created by Eleanor Parker in the sequel and Dorothy Malone in the television series. Many up and coming young actors and actresses also took part, for instance, Hope Lange, Russ Tamblyn and Diane Varsi. One of the strongest performances was the Oscar nominated Arthur Kennedy. The material itself is fairly conventional ?a piece of Americana and some of the ugliness beneath the surface and behind the scenes in a conventional American town. It is the usual criticism of the external respectability and the contrast of the real people beneath.
Jose Ferrer directed a sequel called Return to Peyton Place in 1961. The television series popularised the novel and its characters extraordinarily over a period of five years and there was even a sequel series Return to Peyton Place. The original probably stands well on its own merits as popular American soap opera.
1. How enjoyable a film? Its overall impact, expectations? The reputation of the film, its sequel, the impact of the television series and audiences response to this? The importance of this film as starting the trend?
2. The use of colour, Cinemascope, the presentation of the New England town, the creation of atmosphere? The music? The familiar theme?
3. How was Peyton Place a representative microcosm and symbol of America? The atmosphere of the small town and the small town representing America? How particularly American were the characters, their attitudes, the situations? Insight into the American way of life?
4. The moral attitudes presented in the film, the standards and the values? The reliance on external respectability and people gearing their lives and their attitudes towards this? The moral Puritan tradition and the way that people were judged? Material and social success? How was the film a criticism of these traditional American values? A valid criticism?
5. Comment on the scope of the film, its structure and the introduction of characters, the interplay of characters by situations and melodramatic conflicts? The film can be described as a soap opera. Why? The value of the soap opera for enjoyment, the presentation of popular values and conflicts, easy audience response to these? The emotional response, the intellectual and moral judgement response?
6. Comment on the presentation of the happy and pleasant side of Peyton Place: such things as the picnic, the sports, the children, dances, church going etc.?
7. How did this contrast with the presentation of the evil in human nature: the list of themes as rape, incest, adultery, drunkenness, blackmail, murder and manslaughter? Audience response to what was presented?
8. The importance of how these themes were presented? As fitting into the overall plot, the moral approach to them, the value approach to them? How prurient was the look at all these aberrations of human nature? How factual was the presentation? The traumatic impact on so many of the characters?
9. As a way of understanding the film and its meaning, comment on each of the major characters, their interaction with each other. Comment on their good, their capacity for evil, their strengths and their weaknesses? How did they appear in their big sequences? How did they represent aspects of human nature? How did they represent America?
- Constance: as a woman, her background, her motherhood of Allison, her status in Peyton Place, relationship with - - Dr. Rossi, covering up of the truth, clash with Allison, the final revelation of the truth and the court case?
- Michael Rossi: his status as a doctor, influencing Peyton Place, taking part in society, relationship with Constance, handling of the crisis?
- Allison: the new generation of Peyton Place, heroine, the critical eye on the town, her relationship with everyone, with Selena, her clash with her mother, her escaping, her returning to support Selena, the reconciliation?
- Selena: her family background, her place in the town, reputation, relation ship with Allison, motivation for her relationship with her parents, the death of Lucas, her concealing it, the court case?
- Lucas: the kind of man that he was, relationship with his wife, with Selena, his drunkenness, his infatuation with his daughter and his hold over her, his influence in her rebellion, his death?
- Mrs. Cross: her anguish, her working for Constance, relationship with Lucas, with Selena, her death?
- Norman: his place in the town, the young man, relationship with Allison, reputation, crises and emotions?
- Dr. Swain: the kindly man, his place in the town, good influence on each of the characters, his role in their lives and crises?
- Betty and her role in the town, Norman, her reputation?
- The Harringtons: their position, social status, influence?
- Miss Thornton and her influence on the people, as representing education and moral growth?
10. The presentation of relationships, love and hatred?
11. The atmosphere of suspicions, hurting?
12. The friendship with Selena and Allison, how was this brought to a crisis in the trial?
13. The dramatic impact of the trial, where did audience sympathies lie? How well was it handled? The truth that cane out in the atmosphere of the court? The atmosphere of truth and honesty in the court? The crisis for Constance and her handling of the situation? Allison's respect for her mother?
14. How much insight into human nature? The film as a product of the 50s? How would it be made now?
